p. 14 | Studies in the Christ-Life at Brother Eldred's

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · May 29, 1907

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 33, No. 22.

Studies in the Christ-Life at Brother Eldred's

By Mrs. L. D. Avery-Stuttle

Fifth Evening's Study.

In the Temple.

(Continued.)

BUT didn't Joseph and Mary make some excuse for their careless neglect of the Child? Jack, please read the forty-fourth verse of Luke two."

" 'And they, supposing Him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.' "

"How long did it take them to find Him, Tom?"

"Three days, sir; and it only took them one day to lose Him."

"Where did they find Him at last? Florence, please read the forty-sixth verse."

" 'And it came to pass that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.' "

"I should think, father," remarked Jack, "that those dignified priests would have felt pretty small learning lessons from a Child only twelve years old. I suppose they did not want to admit that He really knew more than they."

"They did not want to admit it, nor would they," replied his father. "Still they did learn many things; indeed, the wonderful Child did all He could to instruct them concerning the coming Messiah. Alice, what did Mary say to her Son when at last they found Him?"

"She asked Him why He had thus dealt with them, and said that His father and she had been looking for Him a long time. But He told her that He must be about His Father's business."

"Florence, did His parents understand what He meant by these strange words? Please read the fiftieth verse."

" 'And they understood not the saying which He spake unto them.' "

"What practical lesson may we learn," continued Brother Eldred, "from this account of the first Passover which Jesus attended, Tillie?"

"I have tried to learn this in particular, father, that we are in just as much danger of losing Jesus as were Joseph and Mary. They were in great anguish of mind until they found Him, and as it took them much longer to find Him than to lose Him, so we, by our careless actions or our hasty words, may quickly banish His sacred presence from our hearts, and we sometimes suffer much sorrow before we find Him again."

"That is very true, my daughter," said Sister Eldred; "but, Jack, where did the Child Jesus go, when He left the temple?"

"I believe He went back home to Nazareth; I'll read the fifty-first verse of Luke two: 'And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them; but His mother kept all these sayings in her heart.'"

"What does it mean, Florence, to be 'subject' to your parents?" asked her father.

"I think it must mean to obey them. But truly, father, I can't see why He should have, because they didn't know what He ought to do as well as He did."

"But, Florence, do you not think that if Jesus—the greatest Teacher who ever lived—obeyed His earthly parents, that He meant to set an example for all children to follow?"

"That is true, father; and I suppose that means that children ought to mind the advise of their parents, and obey them until they are old enough to think for themselves," said Florence, sagely.

"Longer than that," interrupted Tillie; "our Saviour was subject to His parents and actually stayed at home with them until He was a grown man."

"True," said Sister Eldred. "We have no record of His child-life, from the time of the first Passover at Jerusalem when He was twelve years old, until His baptism, except that He went home with His parents to Nazareth and was subject to them; and that He increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. Tom, will you read the twenty-third verse of Luke three, first clause? This will tell us how old He was at His baptism; and since He stayed with His parents until then, we may know how old He was when He left home and began His public ministry."

" 'And Jesus Himself began to be about thirty years of age.' "

"Then," continued Sister Eldred, "Jesus was subject to His parents until He was at least thirty years old; but not even His love for Joseph or Mary could induce Him to turn aside from the straight path of duty. They were anxious for Him to cultivate the acquaintance of the great rabbis and heed their advise, but He cared not for the inventions of men, for God was His Teacher. These rabbis sometimes were so displeased with the Child that they even complained to His parents of His strange conduct."

"I suppose it was 'strange' to them because it was so different from that of other children," interrupted Jack.

"And so," continued Sister Eldred, "His parents tried to influence Him to adopt the ways, manners, and traditions of these Masters in Israel. But these traditions did not harmonize with the law of God, and He refused them."

"Well," said Brother Eldred, "this explains Eph. 6:1. Please read, Jack."

" 'Children, obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right.' "

"You see that the first duty of all is to obey God; and just as far as the commands of parents agree with His, the children must obey them."

"Alice, do you find any proof that Jesus worked with His hands while at home with His parents? Please read Mark 6:3, first clause."

" 'Is not this the Carpenter, the Son of Mary?' "

"What lesson do you gain from this, Jack?" asked his mother.

"I think, mother, that it teaches that it is a good and wise idea for boys to learn some useful trade, and to be good workmen, for we are sure Christ did good, honest work, always. Am I not right, father?"

"Indeed, He was the one perfect Pattern, in this as in all else."

"But, father," said Jack, "it never seemed to me that Jesus had all the temptations to do wrong that the boys have now-a-days—honestly, father, do you think He did?"

"He surely did. We learn that the village where He spent His childhood and youth was noted for its wickedness; and we read that He was 'in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.' Yes, my boy, you may rest assured that you will never meet with a single temptation so fierce that Jesus has not passed thru it all. Satan was upon His track every moment; for upon the overthrow of Jesus depended Satan's kingdom. And so every arrow aimed at the Son of God was barbed with Satanic hatred, such as no man or woman or child has ever felt, either before or since. Satan's fiercest shafts were aimed at the divine Son of God."

"I never thought of it in that way, father; it is quite plain to me now," said Jack.

"I am very glad to have you bring up those points which trouble you, my dear children, and we will study them together."

"Next week we will take for our topic the life and mission of John the Baptist, and the wonderful events in connection with the baptism of Jesus."

(To be Continued in Two Weeks.)