The Bible Story Part 230

By O. Mengelberg

"Oh! say not, dream not, heavenly notes To childish ears are vain, That the young mind at random floats And cannot reach the strain.

"Was not our Lord a little child, Taught by degrees to pray, By father dear and mother mild Instructed day by day?"

--_John Keble_ [End ill.u.s.tration]

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IV

THE BOYHOOD OF JESUS

_How the Lord Jesus Went to a Feast at Jerusalem for the First Time_.

And his parents went every year to Jerusalem at the feast of the Pa.s.sover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up after the custom of the feast; and when the feast was over, as they were returning, the boy Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and his parents knew it not; but supposing him to be in the company, they went a day's journey; and they sought for him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance: and when they found him not, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking for him.

And it came to pa.s.s, after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both hearing them, and asking them questions: and all that heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

And when they saw him, they were astonished: and his mother said unto him, "Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I sought thee sorrowing."

And he said unto them, "How is it that ye sought me? knew ye not that I must be in my Father's house?"

And they understood not the saying which he spoke unto them. And he went down with them, and came to {50} Nazareth; and he was subject unto them: and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature, and in favor with G.o.d and men.

The New Testament tells us very little about the boyhood of Jesus, but fortunately we know from other sources much of the life of children in Palestine in those days. Among the earliest memories of the boy Jesus must have been the tender voice of his mother, as she sang or repeated to him the beautiful songs which we call psalms, and told him those wonderful stories of the heroism and faith of his ancestors, of which we read in the Old Testament. When he was five or six years old, he began to go to school. There he sat on the floor with the other little children of the village, forming a semicircle about their master. He was taught at school to read and write, and to repeat from memory large portions of the Old Testament. He no doubt had a boy's gladness in freedom and play when school was out. It must have been very pleasant to sit in Joseph's shop, and watch the shavings curl from the plane, to see the wood fas.h.i.+oned into various shapes of usefulness. When he grew older he learned the carpenter's trade in this shop. Every Jewish boy had to learn a trade. The home life was very simple. The family was poor, and it was not always easy to make both ends meet. Jesus no doubt helped his mother about her work, especially in drawing water from the village well. Every Sabbath he went to the village church, or synagogue, as it was called, and listened attentively to the service. In the village he often caught glimpses of the outside world, for Nazareth was on one of the main caravan routes. Here he would see merchants from the far East, strange, bearded, swarthy men with trains of camels, laden with bundles of precious merchandise, rugs, and gems, and sweet smelling sandal wood. Here he might see a company of Roman soldiers, marching under command of a centurion, short, stern men, helmeted, with s.h.i.+ning armor, sword, and spear, in perfect discipline, showing the pride of the race which had conquered the world by force of arms. Here he saw, too, the poor and the suffering, the beggar, the outcast.

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[Ill.u.s.tration]

FINDING OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE.

Holman Hunt (1821-1910)

From a photograph belonging to the Forbes Library, Northampton, Ma.s.s., and used by special permission.

[End ill.u.s.tration]

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He began to see, no doubt, as a boy, how much the world needed a saviour, and he began to form his resolution to be a hero, not a hero like the Roman soldier, but a hero of peace, one who should help and uplift humanity. So the days of his boyhood pa.s.sed, in study, and work, and play, as he steadily grew toward manhood.

Every year three great feasts were kept by the Jews. The greatest of these was the Pa.s.sover. People who could do so, left their homes, and journeyed to Jerusalem, the great sacred city of the Jews, to keep this feast; so that all the houses of the city were full of guests, all the villages near by were crowded with people, and the hills about were covered with the tents of those who could find no shelter in the houses. Women and little children were not required to take the hard journey, though they sometimes went. The journey had to be made on foot, or on the backs of horses or mules, the men carrying their food with them, and stopping at night where the dark found them. When they could arrange it, groups of friends and neighbors liked to go together, for company and safety. It was then often a happy journey, though it was never easy, and much as the boys looked forward to it, they often found that it was tiresome to tramp all day over the hills, and that they did not sleep as well at night on the open ground, with the cold stars looking down at them, as they did in their own beds at home. Yet the boys liked to go.

Boys no doubt liked to "camp out" then, as they do now, and there was always a touch of adventure; the possibility of meeting robbers, or wild beasts. Besides, it was taking a part in man's work; for they were sometimes allowed to go when they were twelve years old.

When they reached this age, they were to "keep the law," as their fathers did, and that made them feel like men. So it must have been a great day for Jesus, when he, now twelve years old, was allowed for the first time to start by his father's side, while his mother rode on an a.s.s beside them, for the long walk of sixty miles in the soft spring air, over the hills to the city and the temple of which he had heard so much.

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IMMORTAL LOVE

Immortal love, forever full, Forever flowing free, Forever shared, forever whole, A never-ebbing sea.

Blow, winds of G.o.d, awake and blow The mists of earth away!

s.h.i.+ne out, O Light Divine, and show How wide and far we stray!

We may not climb the heavenly steeps To bring the Lord Christ down: In vain we search the lowest deeps, For Him no depths can drown.

But warm, sweet, tender, even yet A present help is He; And faith has still its Olivet, And love its Galilee.

The healing of His seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life's throng and press, And we are whole again.

Through Him the first fond prayers are said Our lips of childhood frame, The last low whispers of our dead Are burdened with His name.

O Lord and Master of us all!

Whate'er our name or sign, We own Thy sway, we hear Thy call, We test our lives by Thine.

--_John Greenleaf Whittier_.

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[Ill.u.s.tration]

A CARPENTER SHOP.

From a photograph taken by Prof. Lewis Bayles Paton of Hartford Theological Seminary, and used by his kind permission.

This is a most interesting picture of an Eastern carpenter's shop.

Some of the young workmen look very keen and intelligent. So the boy Jesus must have looked in the little shop of Joseph at Nazareth.

[End ill.u.s.tration]

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JESUS, I MY CROSS HAVE TAKEN

Jesus, I my cross have taken, All to leave and follow Thee; Dest.i.tute, despised, forsaken, Thou from hence my all shalt be: Perish every fond ambition, All I've sought and hoped and known; Yet how rich is my condition, G.o.d and heaven are still my own.

Let the world despise and leave me, They have left my Saviour, too; Human hearts and looks deceive me; Thou art not, like man, untrue; And while Thou shalt smile upon me, G.o.d of wisdom, love, and might, Foes may hate, and friends may shun me, Show Thy face, and all is bright.

Go, then, earthly fame and treasure; Come, disaster, scorn, and pain!

In Thy service, pain is pleasure; With Thy favor, loss is gain.

I have called Thee, Abba, Father; I have stayed my heart on Thee: Storms may howl, and clouds may gather, All must work for good to me.

Man may trouble and distress me, 'Twill but drive me to Thy breast; Life with trials hard may press me, Heaven will bring me sweeter rest.

O 'tis not in grief to harm me, While Thy love is left to me; O 'twere not in joy to charm me, Were that joy unmixed with Thee.

--_Henry Francis Lyte_.

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AM I A SOLDIER OF THE CROSS

Am I a soldier of the cross, A follower of the Lamb?