The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-07-25

40. And the child grew and waXed
strong in spirit, filled with wisdom. and
the grace of God was upon Him" The
previous verse says that after all things
written in the law had been performed
for the child they returned TO Nazareth.
This first verse of our lesson may be
said to contain all we know of the first
twelve years Of His life. Since John the
Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit
from his birth duke l. 16 we cannot
think otherwise Of Jesus, and that would
explain His being strong IN spirit and
filled with wisdom"
Al. Now, His parents went to Jerusa-
lem every year at the feast Of the pass
over" Three times a year all men in
Israel were commanded TO appear before
the Lord in Jerusalem lex. xiii. Il:
Deut. xvi. 16), at the feast OF the pass
over, the feast Of weeks and the feast Of
tabernacles, and none were 10 appear
empty. The time is coming when all the
nations Of the earth shall be represented
in Jerusalem once a year TO worship the
Lord Czech. xiv, 49,
A. And when He was twelve years
old they went up to Jerusalem after the
custom of the feast" 1t would be a jour
ney OF two or three days as they
Travelled then from Nazareth to Jerusa-
lem, but nothing IS said Of the Incidents
of the journey.
AZ. And when they had fulfilled the
days, as they returned, the child Jesus
tarrled behind in Jerusalem. and Joseph
nd or 2
does not appear to have been the prodigy
which thee ApOcrypha would make Him
out to be. but probably quiet. thought
full boy whose mind was more in heaven
than on earth. yet not so absent-minded
as TO be at any time or in the least de-
gree dsrespectful or disobedient, for He
never sInned in thought, word or deed
UI Cor. V, ID.
Al. But they, supposing him to have
been in the company. went day jour
ney, and they sought him among their
kinsfolk and acquaintance Had he been
the woodworking boy OF the Apocry-
pha, they would hardly have left Him
out of their sight, and great would have
been the commoEon in Jerusalem con-
corning Him. As it IS, they actually lose
sight of him FOR a whole day.
70. And when they found Him not
they turned back again TO Jerusalem
seeking Him" While they had sacredly
excluded all leaven from their food FOR
days past, they would now think that
they had not excluded all evil from their
hearts and lives, else they might have
been spared this retracing OF their steps.
Satan would be very busy at such time
suggesting all manner OF doubts and
! fears, and we may imagine Mary fun Of
upbraidings. His presence is peace and
fulness Of JOY. Let us never lose II.
46. And IL came to pass that, after
three days they found Him in the temple
sitting In the midst OF the doctors, both
hearing them and asking them questions"
Not one nor two but three days of sor-
row had they experienced because or Him
and their neglect Of Him, but over TWEEN
ty years after this Mary had three days
deeper sorrow through no fault Of hers.
Where had He spent the days? VINO had
fed and lodged him2 These and other
questions we must wait TO have answered.
But we see the bent of His mind I'm the
place and company and occupation IN
which He was found.
A.. And all that heard Him were aston
ished at His understanding and answers. ="
He could say then I'm at least some meas
ure, as He did later, THE words that l
speak unto you / speak not of Myself
John xiv. iO). We may also suppose that
his question would be In the line Of press
ing scripture hard upon the precepts OF
man. such as What is written In the
law" How readest thou?' duke \,
26). His own answer would doubtless be
in the very words OF scripture.
4S. "And when they saw Him they were
amazed. and His mother said unto Him:
Son why hast Thou thus dealt with US I?
Behold Thy father and have sought
Thee sorrowlng." They had learned that
carelessness-going from the sanctuary
causes loss of Jesus-that Is, communion
and one days neglect had caused three
days anxiety. How often II Is so In the
spiritual life-aL forgetfulness OF Him for
an hour or not responding the moment He
calls may lead to much anxious seeking
for Him See Of Sol Ill. IA; V, 6.L
~. And He said unto them: How IS
Il that ye sought Me? Visit ye not that
/ must be about My Fathers business
People today seek Him everywhere but in
the one place where He Is to be found.
He will always be found in the sanctu-
airy: not necessarily IN a so-called place
of worship, though He should be found
there, but always IN His word. Con-
trast His MY Father" with her THY
Father" This Is the first My Father
of human lips used in reference TO God,
and the words Of this verse are the first
recorded words Of Jesus.
So "And they understood not the say
ing which lie spake unto them" II
even Mary understood not, what wonder
that the apostles afterward understood
not? How utterly helpless we all are,
apart from the Holy Spirit, to under
stand the things Of God! The things Of
God knoweth no man but the Spirit of
God q Cor. Il, ID. All the wisdom Of
Egypt and Of Babylon could not inter-
pref the dreams Of their respective kings
None but a Joseph and a Daniel filled
with the wisdom and the Spirit Of God
could do Il.
81. "And He went down with them and
came 20 Nazareth and was subject unto
them, but His mother kept all these say
ings in her heart" Verse 40 covers the
first twelve years of His life, and this
verse covers the next eighteef years.
One has said that submission is the high
est mission on earth, and we certainly
see it in Jesus. He knew who He was,
whence He came and what He came to
do yet for eighteen years after He said
He must be about His Fathers business
He quietly submitted to Nazareth, and
the carpenter shop. and the humble home.
Thirty years, unknown, He trod
Galilee's sequested sod,
But His life was known to God.
Daily work at Josephs call,
Daily duties howe'er small
Yet He was the Lord Of all.
81 "And Jesus increased In wisdom
and stature and I'm favor with God and
man." Physically He grew as other boys;
spiritually He became filed with wisdom
from above, like Joseph and Daniel but
in greater measure. All who ADMIRED
goodness could not help looking favorably
upon Him, while He did always those
things which pleased the Father C.ohn
viii, 30. The scriptures were His special
and probably His only study and the
Holp Spirit His great teacher. See our
commands and privileges In Joshua l.,
s; Col. III, 16; John xiv, 26; ii Cor. w. IL.