AS A YOUTH | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jan 10, 1906

AS A YOUTH.

THE record of our Lord's child-life is very brief: "And the child grew, and waxed strong, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him." Luke 2:40. That is all we need to know. The apocryphal accounts of His childhood and youth, the miracles He is said to have wrought, bear on their very face the stamp of falsity.

BUT from this brief record we may know that His mother was faithful to her task; that the ancient injunctions were to her living precepts; that the holy commandments of God were in her heart; that she taught them diligently unto her son, talking of them in the house, repeating them while walking by the way, teaching them when lying down and rising up. He grew up a healthy lad, with right, temperate habits of eating and drinking, which the Scriptures taught. Of one of His disciples it was said, "From a child thou

hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation." 2 Tim. 3:15. Even so Jesus knew the Holy Scriptures, and the wisdom of God filled Him. In knowing God's Word He understood "righteousness and justice, and equity, yea, every good path; for wisdom shall enter into thy heart, and knowledge shall be pleasant unto thy soul; discretion shall watch over thee; understanding shall keep thee; to deliver thee from the way of evil." Prov. 2:9-12. All these graces of character, like guardian angels, kept the soul of the child.

WE next read of Him when he was twelve years of age and became one of the Bene hat-torah, "sons of the law." Then the boy was supposed to enter consciously upon the responsibility of forming character and serving God. It marked a critical period in His life. He now, according to the custom of His people, became legally responsible, and must meet in that responsibility the unfoldment of His larger life.

IT was the custom of His parents to go every year to the Passover. The father must attend three feasts; the mother was obligated to attend the Passover only. Jesus may have gone with them before; but those visits were incidental. This was the critical age, and the boy felt it. His larger life must take hold on larger knowledge. He became so absorbed in this work that His parents went away, leaving Him in Jerusalem, yet supposing that He was in the company. They went a day's journey toward Galilee before they missed Him. How like many who profess His name to-day! How often the cares and pleasures of this life crowd out all thought of Him upon whose care and love we are absolutely dependent!

THEY sought in the caravan and found Him not. They started back to Jerusalem, looking by the way. They reached the city, and searched there for their Son, but three days were well-nigh spent before they found Him in the temple, among the doctors, or teachers, listening to their instruction and soliciting more by asking questions. The very questions He asked indicated the depth of knowledge, His love for the Word.

His mother gently reproves Him, "Child, why hast Thou thus dealt with us? Behold,

Thy father and I sought Thee sorrowing." How His question reveals her own carelessness concerning the precious charge God had committed to her—"How is it that ye sought Me? Knew ye not I must be in My Father's house?" As much as to say, You should have had a better understanding of my mission. Of all places you should find me here in my Father's house, of all things, my Father's business; and in all these you should have been anxious to have me where God required me to be. There should have been no need of your seeking me; you should have been with me. No wonder that the doctors were amazed. They had never before seen or heard such a child.

Leaving Jerusalem He returns to Nazareth. Like the obedient son that He is, He is "subject unto" His parents. "And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." What further record is needed? Constant growth physically in healthful, temperate living, in outdoor air, in working at the carpenter's bench. Constant growth mentally and spiritually feeding upon the Word of the living God. What God's Word did then in the boy Jesus, it will do now through Jesus in every other boy when parents and boy cooperate with God as did those of old.

PARENTS, above all things store your children's minds with the eternal, saving truths of God's Word. Nothing will so expand the mind, quicken the perceptions, increase the intellectual powers, as the study and treasuring of the Bible. Do not borrow trouble as to their learning other things. The study of the Word will help in all good pursuits. The power which kept Him from temptation when the devil most fiercely assailed was the Word. Matt. 4:1-10. The power which will keep our children must also be the Word. "Where-withal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Thy Word." "Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee."