Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-02-06
FHE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
AN INTERESTING AND INSTRUCTIVE
LESSON CONsIDERED.

and ProAtabIy.
The lesson for Sunday. Feb. Q. may be
found In Luke 2: 40-52
INTRODUCTORY.
We get here glimpse OF the youth OF
Jesus OF Naza-eth--a glimpse. nothing
more. God did not, it seems. intend that
the human development OF Christ should
engross the attention. and the silence re-
garding this growth and development effec-
tually ebukes that conception OF Christi
anity which lays main stress upon the OK
ample rather than the atonemert wrought
for us In the Christ-life. And the effort OF
Cath ole tradition to fill up the hiatus and
supply the missing intelligence carries with
IL. when placed along side of the simple.
lucid annals OF the gospels. Its own and
sufficient condemnation. And yet as In the
case OF MARI the mother. whose enraptured
prayer forms her ample portrait. so here In
the brief sentences that sketch the years OF
our Savior's youth 10 sether with this incl
dent from their midst, there are hints and
suggestions that give us a vivid and NOV
ing conception OF this life at Naz areth. To
these intimations we address ourselves In
the lesson before US.
WHAT THE LESSON SAYS.
And. This brief reference to Chiist's
youth follows directly upon the account OF
Simeon's and Anna's recognition OF the in-
fant Christ In the temple. The parents have
returned with Christ to their own city
Nazareth" ". 30.-Grew. The word
means. literally. to increase. Christ de-
veloped in his physical nature In general.
as would any other child. Waxed strong.
The companion word with grew" That is.
he grew in size and in strength. Such an
entry. simple and uuporteDtous. as might
be found in any mothers jou nal. in
spirit. Not sound here in the Greek, OF
Tisohendor. The SPECIAL descent OF the
Spirit upon Christ was at his baptism In the
dom. Another expression indicating nor
NAL development; literally. filling up with
wisdom. There was doubtless a gradual
and natural expansion OF all the powers OF
mind and soul -Grace. Gods free favor.
Christ put himself in his humanity In the
same lines of gracious bestowment from on
high as are open by faith to all men.
His parents went. Imperfect tense. were
accustomed to GO 1t WAS fixed habit OF
piety and obedis nce.-To Jerusalem.
some seventy or seventy-five miles; no
inconslderable distance TO travel in that
hilly country. of the passover.
Celet trIted a. jerusalem alone. begin
ming on the 18th Ms IN, our March. The
other feasts were net so generally OBJ
served.
Twelve years old. The age whea the Jew
ish youth began to take 70 nal coPniZauco
of the Mosaic law. The phylactery WIS now
assumed. Alter the custom of the feast.
Christ's lie from first TO last honored the
law.
days journey. As t 'avelers tell us. the
first days course was little more than
start upon the way. and sufIlced TO get the
caravan thoroughly organized for the long
journey.-kinsfolk and acquaintance.
The experiences OF the expedition would
naturally bring all into familiar footing OF
social intercourse
. Turned back. Now. douJtless. thorough
ly aroused. The distance, however. was
probably but a few miles. The expression
is into Jerusalem. They may have but
gotten beyond the walls. as was frequently
the case. .-Setking him. The word means
literally to q aek, or to sock diligently. 1t
refers to a determined search witch must
issue in finding; e. g.. the same word is
used at Acts IL: IS. when Barnabas departed
to Tarsus FOR to seek Paul.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
And the child grew. mint regarding the
human evolution OF the ChIist. He was a
child and he passed through the ordinary
stages OF boyhood growth. Ierhaps there
were marks upon the doorway at Nazareth
to indicate how year by year tho child bo. II
so strangely at Bethlehem was securing
his normal growth. Doubtless he had his
childhood ailments, and probably the
parental hearts were often agitated regard
ing the slender thread by which his child
hood days were heightened out. lie was
wholly man. ho knew our frame; and the
years hat touched his brow were the same
that come and go for the youth OF to-day.
Let US value tho days and hours all tue
more Tor what Jesus brought forth under
their sway.
cry year. This suggests Christ's indebt-
edness TO his parents. They were ptous.
loyal couple. Every year they took the
pains to go up and fulfill their vows at Jeru-
salem, and that obedient spirit dd not
count for nothing in tho development oil the
Christ life. Christ was learning obedience
all the time. learning it so that vhen his
tinno oonnO he . onld give it eush spaaoh-
and expression as 1t had never had before.
o, the power OF a godly parentage The
thought OF family altar faithfully oD-
served: the recollection OF the Sabbath
visit to the Lords house never nterfupted:
the remembrance of the unfailinz appoint-
ment OF father and mother at the week night
prayer meeting. how blessedly these hayo
followed through the alter-lif OF the child
Alas hat these secular modern days should
spoil the wholesome picture.
About my fathers business. lt IS poH 9
answer. And yet is the word OF boy with
a growing consciousness Of divinity. Jesus.
a lad OF twelve. thoughtful, no doubt. be-
yond his years. but with youth g entnusl-
asms, is, presumably. on MS nrst Visit 10
the great city OF Jerusalem. he Is stirred
to the depths of his child-soul as he
stands in the sacred yemple OF Israel. and
the opportunity given him by the presence
of the learned doctors in the temple 10
weigh and answer the great questions tnat
have been revolving IN his youthful mind
makes him forget for the nonce all else.
And Just here Is the emphasis OF the narra-
tive. The boys heart has fastened at once
upon the deep things Of God; he seems to
see or hear nothing else. and when at last
his parents. fulfilling with ready piety, but
also, no doubt, with something OF perfume
torniness. the temIls Offices, have sought
him sorrowing. he looks up with achllds
deep simplicity to saT. as revealing the
inner currents OF his soul, -Wtst ye not
that must be about my fathers busi-
ness?- The consciou. psss OF his thean-
thropic nature and OF his high vocati on
as the Son of man Is growing upon him
with the apprehension OF lies ordinary
ve-itles.
In favor with God and man. Here at
Nazareth there were quiet hours when he
could commune with Go upon the hiilsides
and put his soul more and more along side
OF Gods. Here. too. at busy Nazareth In
shop and street aud h)me he coull put
himself in sympathy with m@. Jesus wes
no recluse He studied the heart OF hu-
manitv. and no knew what was In man.
Here is the model prepar-ation Tor minister
inc Law or clerical. NeaiDess to God. near
ness to man. Get close 10 the divine heart
and also close 20 the lldman heart thai
presently with all the gathered strength Of
the li:e the two may be thought as nearly
as nossible into oneness. Moody mentions
these two man requisites OF Christian
ae vice; irst, have and know eternal life
that means favor with God: second, use It..
ict II flow out TO others that means favor
with mon. Both tcgethtr signify success
in winning souls.
Next lesson-"The Ministry OF John
Luke 3: 7-22.