The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-01-02

|
Mrs Margaret Bottome has the following as
to " How You Can Enjoy the Bible:
| "Suppose you had need, deep need.
Many of you write me you are orphans; you
have neither father nor mother. All, me, how
| well | remember when my father died; 1t
| seemed as If nothing would ever look the Same
again. Even the grass did not look as green.
| And used to wonder whenever l saw bit OF
crane whether the wearer had lost her father.
| Well, / found in the Bible this word, A father
of the fatherless is God. and believed il, and II
any body had asked me at that time If enjoy ed
| the Bible, should have answered: why, 1t
was in the Bible read that God was the father
of fatherlcss children and can you wonder
enjoy that!' Now, do you all see what L
mean? You enjoy so mnch OF the Bible as ex-
presses your own experience. The Bible told
you this fact; the fact existed before the Biole
was written. little girl said she could not
see why Columbus allowed himself to have such
y dreadful time discovering this continent; II
| he had only looked OIL the map he would nave
known all about it. But the map was written
| after he discovered America. and it IS there be-
cause of the fact. There would not be so much
! trouble about the Bible if it was regarded rs
map gude-book it tells you where to go
and what to do book TO be used. We study
| our guide books to find out the way to 20, and
we 90. | have read in my guide-boOk about
the Alps and l have them! And the
| gnide. book was for the purpose of telling me
| how to get to the Alps. Do you see my mean
! ing? Yau might as well ask me how do / en-
/ Joy my check book. / answer, By taking it
! to the bank and getting the money, and IN the
use of my money comes my joy"
JEsUs AND THE DoCToRs.
Data.
Again we see our Indebtedness to st. LIKE.
| His Gospel alone gives account of the Child
I Jesus conversng with the Rabbis. He wrote
at Rome, A. d. 81. He passes from Anna
| t2: 36) to St. John Baptist (3 81 mentioning
| only the incident of this lesson and emitting
The Wise Men. The Flight into Egypt. and
| The Return to Palestine. st. Matthew, on the
other hand. mentions those three facts, but
| passes over the Temple incident which we now
| study ST. Mark oriits all these childhood
| circumstances aud begins with the ministry of
| st. John BAPTIST And st. John also omits any
! notice of the nativity and early incidents in
! Christs life and commences his Gospel with
| account of the baptizing by st. John. son OF
| Zacharias. 1t is singular that in p biography
| covering a life of only 80 years 30 years are
practically botted out and unknown. But,
after all, we are interested in Christ mainly as
our Savior.
st. Luke f2:41-50) tells the story of the
Child Jesus aud the Rtbbs in the Temple.
References.
Verse Al. Every year to Passover. Ex,
o. 10, II; 81: %; Deu., 16: /, is. Parents.
As to Joseph 1898. As to both see ST.
Matt. l: 16.
Verse A. Jesus did not tell his parents he
was to remain for time in Jerusalem. 80
Samson. See Jud., 14:6 8.
Verse as. After three days. st. Matt. 16: 21;
ST. Matt. 81: 63.
Verse AZ. All astonished at hearing the
Child Jesus. st. Matt, %; st. Luke, A: %;
st. John, Z: ID. 46.
Verse 49, My Father St. John. .: Is; 10:
%. 80, &c. Wist We not. st. Matt II: 1880.
Fathers business. 81. John, -17:4.
Verse 80. Understood not Jesus. st. Mark,
8 b; st. Luke 18: "a.
Verse 81. Mother kept these things in heart.
st. Luke, 2: 10: Dam, Il %. Nazareth. Cor,
I:27.
Verse So Jesus increased in wisdom, stature.
favor. Sam, 2: 10; st. Luke, 2: 40
Time
The Passover in A. ID. began on April o. 1t
continued seven days. Lev, %: D. 6. Say it
closed Oh the 10th. The party may have left
for their homes in the latter part of the 10th
day. They returned, aud on the third day
found the Child. Or they may have left the
city on the 18th. Thus they found the Child
on the 10Th or Goth of April. 1t is probable
that Jesus was IL years old on, we may say,
Dec. % before. His age was. therefore, about
124 years That was to Jewish youth Pc
Rod of great moment. 1t was the time when
the Hebrew father took his sou to the synagog
and mad him recognized or duly enrolled
"son Of the law" Then the boy began to wear
phylactcres At the first opportunity there.
after the youth was TO repair TO the Temple, and
from then attend annually the three great
religious fcasts. 1t was the dividing time be-
tween the child and the yentb 1t was then
the boy was put to learn u trade. The service
at the Temple was like partaking for the first
4. I,I
in bearing to the Confirmation Service of the
Roman Catholic aud the Episcopal Churches.
il is age when one is competent to act for
himself; to realize his own individuality TO
understand the significance of religious duty.
Teachers should make special effort to inter
est in i'll. late religious concerns all youths
of about II years OF age. May every child OF
that age who studies this lesson decide at once
to become active Christian; to go up to our
Passover. the Holy Eucharist!
Place.
The incident OF special interest in this lesson
took place at the temple in Jerusalem. That
was 63 miles south of Nazareth. There were
many departments of the Temple. OFF from
the different departments were various rooms.
In some of these the Rabbits met scholars for
instruction and conversation. 1t was in one
such that the child and the Jewish doctors had
interview.
This was Christs second visit to the Capital
When 40 days old he was taken there for Pre-
sentation in the Temple We do not read that
he went again till his visit as stated in this
lesson. How did SITS. Mary and Joseph dare to
take the Child Jesus TO Jerusalem? We re-
member that when they returned from Egypt
they feared to 90 to Bethlehem account of
the fact that Archelaus, the son of Herod the
Great, was in power. st. Matt, 2: 90. They
went to Nazareth on purpose to escape his
cruelty. But he ruled only seven years. and
was banislIcd three years before this lesson.
Then it is not likely the Holy Family could be
| identified. 1t is possible that Sts Mary and
Joseph had before our lesson been to Jerusalem
several times to attend the Passover. though in
such cases. perhaps. not taking the Holy Child.
The parties going to Jerusalem went afoot.
Those of towp formed special company or
companies. and Travelled together camping out
nights and living in picnic style. They
would not go more than, say. 10 miles in day,
thus taking about four days for the journey.
The Stay at Jerusalem.
The Passover lasted seven days. They prob
ably did not remain long after that. Each day
they went twice to tho Temple, entering into
the festivities aud duties of the Passover serv-
ices.
The Departure for Ndzareth
As they went in Companies, so they probably
returned. Why not miss the Child till even
| ing7 The city was all astir. Probably 3000.-
900 people attended the celebration. Not only
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