Evening star., 1918-08-03
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.

when she said, Behold Thy Father
and 1 have sought Thee sorrowing."
In the common life of their Nazareth
home Joseph had occupied the rela-
ton to Jesus OF father. but the words
OF Christ mark His recognition of
his direct and immediate relationship
to God. and it is certainly significant
that this should be SO in the case of
the first recorded utterance. Jesus
had come to know Himself AZ the well
beloved Son Of God. whom He knew as
Father. and that the supreme object
and work in the world. He never de-
flned the meaning Of father. but in
His life He revealed the Father SO
that through His labor. lessons and
love men have come to know God as
their Father.
Christs growth was Influenced by
the liberty given Him to exercise His
own powers Of initiative, to inquire
and to investigate into the realities
Of religion for Himself. II the parents
had not given Him freedom in Jeru-
salem He would not have been q
learner at the feet Of the great rab-
bis. If the learned teachers of the
questions the gifted young boy would
have been suppressed, which would
have hindered His spiritual Develop
ment and knowledge Of GOD. They
encouraged Him and a. a result Jesus
developed in fourfold direction,
physically. mentally, spiritually and
socially.
Christ was fitted to use His liberty
because He had learned to obey.
Pershing had to learn the lesson Of
obedience long ago to At him to lead
the American expeditionafy force. 1t
was through obedience to Mary and
Joseph that Jesus went down with
IN a Nat, a.
for period Of eighteen years He was
subject unto them" The record is
silent concerning the development of
Jesus. which took place under the
sympathetic watchcare of His mother,
except that it states it was of four
fold nature. During this period. if
pleted His trade, but was forced
through the death Of Joseph to sup
port the family. The growth Of every
Christian should be fourfold like
Christ, but each according to Gods
ment.
While Peter ascribed the Christians
progress In morality to the Holy Spirit.
every one of the manifold fntunctions
contained in his epistles implies and in
volves the responsibility and duty of the
man to himself. The development Of the
divine life in men is gradual. It is the
outgrowth Of faith planted in the soul
AZ caHs Tor an intelligent attempt to
build up q perfect Christian character.
From the word add" needless reader
might think that all the graces or eIe-
ments OF Christian life that Peter has
grouped together were independent each
OF the other and might be selected or
not as each disciple saw fit. Peter did
not intend to teach that a man could
| have one and not the other. The word
| translated add" is used by Paul and
Peter both in the sense of minister and
| furnish. The whole sevenfoid deyelop-
n1ent Ii desired from the followers Of
Christ Jesus.
| The various aids to the divine life are
OF no value unless used The study of
the Bible, the attendance upon the serv-
ices OF the church, the unselfish spirit
of helpfulnbss and the discipline Of
sorrow, suffering and sacrifice ali have
their part in the DEVELOPING of the
Christians life and character. This In
only possible as the example of jesu,
ID initiated in all forms of relivious
and spiritual activities He taurht
men BY precept and example that .'the
LIE grows strong and fine through
the exertion OF Christian enereies:
practice in All gfAces; the shinin e-out
Of character; self-fofgetful labors Tor
the salvation Of others, or for their
good in any form; missionary work.
humanitarian efforts; patriotism" or
the actual exercise Of any form of
that compassionate love which is
characteristic Of God and therefore of
His children. The man who through
his fellowship with Christ can use an
his powers to help others keeps
growing.