Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1896-01-09
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON u. FIRST QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. IL.

Le1I oi Inc Lesson Luke IT., 4D-5S-Mem-
ory Verses. 81. 5e-GoIden Text. Luke
If. 5s-commentary By the Rev. D. NJ.
stearn-
40 And the child grew and waxed
strong in spirit, filled with wisdom. and
the grace Of God was upon Him. ID our
recent Christmas lesson, which must still
be quito fresh lid our minds, we had the
wondrous story Of His birth and were, l
trust, prohted By the faith and testimony
of the shepherds. Then followed the visit
Of the wise men, the presentation in the
temple, the hight into Egypt and return
to Nazareth. After which We know moth
ing Of Him till His baptism at the age Of
80 beyond what il recorded in this verse
and Ia this lesson. In the quiet retirement
of Nazareth He grew both in physical and
in spiritual stature and lived in the favor
Of God. He had body Of flesh and blood.
such as we have (Heb. ii, 14), but He had
no sin Heb VII, 26i III Cor. y, 2l)
Al. "Now His parents went to Jerusalem
every year at the feast Of the passover"
While only the males were commanded To
attend the feasts FIX xiii ~ it would
seem that women also went To the feast Of
the passover III sam. i, ~. When we come
to passover story, it is always well to
think of the safety of those who are under
the blood and the fellowship Of those who
obediently feed upon the Lamb Salvation
depends upon the blood alone, but fellow
ship and growth depend upon our eating
Him continually by whose blood we are re-
deemed. His own testimony il He that
eateth Ne, even he shall live by Me- John
vi, sd.
A. "And when Re was ~ years old.
they went up to Jerusalem, after the Gus
tom Of the feast" We would like TO know
His thoughts concerning this, His first
visit to the Holy City. We may imagine
that AS He was not taken up with seeing
the city when He got thcre, 80 He was not
overmuch occupied with sights along the
way. Whatever Of Old Testament story
was associated with the places they would
pass through we may be sure He would
think and perhaps talk of there, for He
was well Yersed in the Scriptures.
43. And when they had fulfilled the
days, as they returned the child Jesus tar
ried behind in Jerusalem, and Joseph and
His mother knew not of I'll Jerusalem ID
called the Holy City, and the City OF the
Great King Math. iv, 5; v, 35); by its great
sin it l. called the city where our Lord was
crucified REV. XII, 81, but it shall yet be
called City Of Truth and the Throne OF
the Lord (Zech viii, 3; Jer. iii, I'D. That
Lord shall prove TO be none other than this
same Jesus without whom Joseph and
Mary started from Jerusalem for Nazareth
Did they think enough Of Hims
a. "But they, supp0sing Him to have
been in the company, went days jour
ney" Supposing and wondering are not
the roads to peace and assurance and are
apt to cause us many sorrows. Just think
what dismay it might work if we should
attempt to travel by train OK steamer sup
posing that we knew the time Of starting
Let no one in matters eternal rest in any
thing short Of an assurance well founded.
45. And when they found Him not
they turned back again to Jerusalem, seek
ing Him" Any one who has ever had
child stray away for a longer or shorter
time can sympathize somewhat with Mary
in this experience Did they confess To
God their negligence and ask Him to gIlids
them? Did they remember Ps- 1Zxii- 81
lisa. XXX, 21, and Ps. !, 15i Perhaps they
will tell us about it some day.
46. 'And 1t came to pass that after three
days they found Him ID the temple" Not
seeing the sights Of the great city, but in
His Fathers house at a Bible study. We
may safely think Of Him as saying to these
teachers, .sWhat is writtenf" How read
est thou?' TO Joseph and Mary one
hours neglect had brought three days
anxiety. 10 many an hours neglect has
often brought q life long sorrow. To neg
lect the souls welfare win bring eternal
sorrow See Job Exxvi, 1S; Heb. ii, 3
AZ. And all that heard Him were as
tonished at His understanding and an
swcrs." If John tile Baptist was filed with
the Spirit from his birth, how much more
must Jesus have been 80 filed And will
not the phrase Jesus knew from the be-
ginning (John Vi, 64) reach back 30 this
stage Of His life a. well a. to the begin
ming Of His ministrys He would under
stand the Scriptures better than those who
questioned Him, and many would doubt
less receive some new light that day as
they heard the Scriptures quoted in all
their simplicity and beauty
As '.Sou. why hast Thou thus dealt with
u.s. Behold, Thy father and have sought
Thee s0rrowing This was His mothers
greeting after the three days search. He
might have replied, Why did you 70 with
out Ne, parents look after children not
children after parents. In chapter Of the
Song of solomon the loved one has q sor-
rowfuI search because she did not care
enough for her Beloved TO let Him in
promptly when He called
49, How is It that ye sought Mef Wist
We not that I must be about NV Father
business This * His answer The re-
vised version gives "in My Fathers
house, or in the things ~ MY Father. N
Thus early III life did fIe understand and
speak OF His great mission.
3D. And they understood NOT the saT-
ing which He spake unto them They
did not know Him. even His mother did
not understand Him, and just before He
died He had to say u one Of the twelve,
Have been SO long tine with you and
yet hast thou not known me- Philip
(John xiv, 81. Unknown and misunder-
stood as boy and as q man, how strange
ly lonely wa all His lift Does any boy or
girl, young man or young woman, feel in
them mavingS of the spirit which even En-
ther and mother cannot recognize think
Of Jesus and wait God 5 time. Blessed are
they that wait for Him GA. xxH, lsl
5l "ADd He went down with thcIn and
came to Nazareth and was subject unto
them And this covers thu next In wears.
Whore are the young men and women OF
today who are thu. cheerfully suhjectf
4 Where are the older ono who HrC always
GltIfAuli1 sAAJtlt ~ esAA ot-A AN-thuhAs
4 ther's plans and appointments Blessed
are all such, for they arc I'D the greatest
I mission on earth-thai Of submission.
I 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom
ana stature and Id favor with God and
man Almost the same words are used
I of Samuel III sam. ii, 26l, and We think of
T David Of whom it j. written that " David
I went on and grew great tgoing and grow
\ ing, marginD, and the Lord God of Hosts
was with him" III sam =, 10y. The
words Of Eek. xii z, oft come to mind in
reference to the daily liie fur We read
there Of an enlarging and a winding about,
I but 1T l. always "still upward and -by
I the midst may still upward be our
motto and Jesus in the midst" our in
I EpiEation.