The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-12-31
The BoyhoOd OF Jesus.

One incident-one only-of Jesus
youth is preserved. If analy zed, it
will be found to be the whole period
in epitOme-the spirit, traits, acquire
ments of Jesus before entrance upon
his public career.
\ temple nuncio on his round had
apprised Nazareth of the approach
ing feast. The festal caravan, chant
ing the psalms of ascent, was soon en-
route. 1t may be that on this sacred
journey Mary disclosed to the opening
consciousness of her son the things
which she had kept and pondered in
her heart"
Not the prodigious mass of human
ity, not the golden and marble tenn
pie that could accommodate a quar-
ter Of "A million, not even the speak
. ing ceremonial which had been per-
| formed for a millennium and a half
not these, but the Messianic idea
and the dawning consciousness Il am
he, absorbed Jesus, and made him
obiivious to time and place and hu
man relationships. The glowing EN-
Der burst into flame
The child among the doctors is no
anachOrsIu. 1t is in strictest accord
with Jewish custom. The sittings of
the Rabbis were open to all "Sons
Of the law" Hebrew youths twelve
years and over, were especially vel
come, and encouraged to show what
they knew. The catechetical was
the favored method. what mean
eth - was on the lips of teacher and
taught. What surprised the doctors
i'll this Galilean boy was the absence
of stereotyped rabbinical phrase. No
touch of schools or schoolmen was on
him. He was originally divine-the
truth free from the scholastic barna-
Giles of gloss and paraphrase, yet a
childish geutleness and humility
transfusing all. The Fathers mat
tiers were undoubtedly the subject of
discourse; the Messiah, when, whence,
what like, the effect of his coming ?
Many doctor must said that day,
whence hath this Child this wis
DOM" They were in an ecstasy of
admiration. The impression the child
made was no doubt lively; but the
appearance of Galilean peasants who
claimed to be his parents, and to
whom he gave ready obedience, was
calculated to tone it down.
The conversation between mother
and child casts at least ray on that
inexplicable relationship. 1t is as if
Mary had said, Son, here is your first
act that surpasses my comprehen-
sion" There is more of pathos in it
than querulousness. His answer, dU-
tiful any affectionate, is: Mother
IN surprised you sought me any.
where but in my Fathers house
where his matters are considered.
thought you knew the interest, un
known to others, which would attract
me and hold me here
But cheerfully, i'll an instant, ant
for eighteen years, he quits his place
! of absorbing interest, this agreeable
assembly exchanges the temple fol
/ carpentersh the Sanhedrin fol
tho provincial neighbors of Nazaretl
all at his lowly mothers beck.
But this incident was, humanl,
speaking, of incalculable value t.
\ Jesus. The holy consciousness, frs
= quickened in the temple, opened ant
bloomed in his soul. While still sub
ject to his parents, and having per
= fectly normal human development o
J character so lovely as to fairly cap
( tivate his rugged highland neighbors
II yet the knowledge of his divine ma
II ture and vocation ran parallel there
with.
The Teachers Lantern.
This incident, at first blush picto
rial affair, fairly bristles with lesson
for parents and children, for teacher
and pupils. 1t is the anatomy of