The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1906-01-19

God and man.-Luke 1852.
I. The Home in Nazareth.-Naza-
reth was a small, unnoted village ly-
ing in a deep cup-like valley among
the hills of southern Galilee, on the
edge of the great Esdraelon valley, the
scene OF so much of the history of
Israel
The House was probably not unlike
those seen to-day-of but one room, or
at most two or three-the tools of
trade mingling with the meager fur
nishings for home life. Rush Rhees.
The Family consisted of Joseph and
Mary, both persons of exemplary piety
and character; Jesus and his brothers
and sisters Matt. 1855 So, at least
those who were so called and mem
bers of the family. This is a great
blessing and education for any child.
ii. The Character of the Boy Jesus.
VS.. 40, 81, SO. V. 40 refers to the
period before he was IL years old.
Sturdy Growth. 40. And the child
grew, and waxed (became by natural
progressive GROWTH strong" Refer
ring to his bodily development in size
and strength. I'm spirit" is an inser-
ton by some early copyist, from Luke
1880, and is therefore omitted in both
Revisions. Jesus was an active, Wig
orous, sturdy boy. He was what we
mean by "a real boy" fun of life and
energy, ready for every boyish deed,
only he used all this strength and ac-
tivity in pure and noble ways, in help
ing his mother, in just and loving ac-
tons to his fellows. He was a sue
cess as a boy. He avoided everything
that would weaken his body or injure
his health.
Mental and Moral Growth "Filled
with wisdom" Not already full, but
lin course of being filled with wis
dom, mind as well as body being SUBJ
ject to the law of growth. EXPOSE
tors Greek Test.
Jesus was wise in every direction
in his common sense as applied TO
daily life, in mental studies and opin-
ions, and in his moral decisions. And
this wisdom was one great source OF
his strength. The bad habits which
weaken boys are the fruit of folly, not
of wisdom.
The Gracious Winsomeness that
Comes from God. and the grace of
God" Grace is originally that which
gives pleasure, as loneliness of form,
the graces of character. and the vir-
tues in their loveliest aspect. Hence,
the grace of God was his favor which
was upon him." in which he lived and
breathed, and which produced all that
is beautiful in character and heaven
ly in life, guarding from evil. In this
favor he Increased" (v. 52).
In Favor with Man. Jesus was full
of grace and truth" John 1:1D; he
possessed "the beauty of holiness"
hence he increased, advanced"
(Revisions) Gin favor" not only with
God, but with man" ". 52).
He won all hearts. He had not only
goodness, but goodness in attractive,
gracious, lovely forms. Such good
ness is attractive to all prov. 3:4),
except to bad men when it is COM
PEELED to reprove their badness and
interferes with their life.
The Perfect Boy in the Home. 81.
He twas subject unto them" to his
mother as we'll as to his father. The
form of the expression was" with
a participle, indicates continuous, hab-
itual obedience. He was obedient to
his parents, as every child should be.
There is no manliness in disobedience
l.. tAo Of MT
or teachers, any more than in disobey-
ing the laws of nature or the laws of
the land Ii is both weakness and
folly to disobey.
III. The Education of Jesus and It's
Lessons. 1. His Home Training.
There is nothing so important to a
child--all other educational forces to-
gether are not so important-as true
home and family life, where the child,
as Helvetius says, lis at school already
with the two great teachers, Nature
and Love-" This is the true kinder
garten (the Jews sometimes called
their schools "gardens"O. Church,
school, Sunday school, can help the
home, but none can take its place IL
the home is what it should be.
2. Bible Study. The larger part of
his early studies was in the Bible,
our Old Testament. He learned much
of It by heart. The Bible stories were
so familiar as to pervade his life like
an atmosphere. The Bible was his
school textbook, and there has never
been a better. 1t taught him morals
and language and literature and his
tory and religion.
3. Public Worship in the Synagogue,
their church, called the House of Pray
er or House of the Congregation. Here
he was a constant attendant at SER
vices which were meant for instruc-
ton as well as worship. Here 'he
sat among the other boys of Nazareth
in the back seats, behind the chief
worshipers." Such Sabbath worship
is an education which the neglecter of
Sabbath assemblies fails to receive, al
though he Ia unconscfous of his loss