Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 87, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 February 1912 — THE SAVIOR'S TEACHINGS BROOKLYN TABERNACLE BIBLE STUDIES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE SAVIOR'S TEACHINGS BROOKLYN TABERNACLE BIBLE STUDIES

“ABOUT MY FATHER’S BUSINESS.” Luke ii, 40-52—Feb. 11. “2fotz>i 4s it that ye sought Met WUt ye riot that- I must be about Uy Father's business f”—V. 49. CHE WONDERFUL 3A BE of Bethlehem “grew amt waxed strong, filled with wisdom: turd the grace of God was upon Him." The perfect boy was of course far in advance of imperfect children. The schooling privileges of today were unknovvn. The education gleaned by the masses came to them chiefly through contact with their elders; history itself being handed down from generation to generation, except for the scholarly. Few had more opportunities than this—few were able to read; but Jesus was amongst those few—not because

of schooling privileges in His youth, but because of

His brilliant mind, which retained everything that came to it. The superiority of the abilities of Jesus are attested by the . fact that when He entered the synagogue of His home city, Nazareth. His tal-

ent as a reader and exponent wasi so generally recognized that the service was usually turned over to Him., (Luke iv, 16.) Yet the people marvelled, saying, How comes it that Jesus is a man of letters, having never gone to school? And they all bare Him witness and wondered at the grace of His speech. (Luke iv, 22.) ' The explanation is that Jesus was perfect, while all aboyt Him were imperfect. Our lesson relates particularly to an incident which occurred when Jesus was twelve years old. His “parents” obeyed the Mosaic Law by attending the Feast of Passover at Jerusalem every year, and on this occasion Jesus was with them. The expression, “parents,” does not imply that Saint Luke supposed Joseph to be the father of Jesus any more than that Mary so considered the matter when she spoke 6? Joseph as being His “father.” He was the foster father of Jesus. The language is in exact harmony with what we would use under such circumstances today. Jesus knew of His peculiar birth and of the great prophecies which centered in Him, related by Gabriel to His mother, and He was on the alert to fulfil His mission—the will of the Heavenly Father. He surmised that since at twelve years of age Jewish boys came under the requirements of the Law Covenant, this arrangement might possibly have been made as an indication of His proper course. Therefore He resolved to consult the very highest authorities respecting the teachings of the Law on this subject. He sought intercourse with the learned

Scribes and Pharisees and Doctors. ■ During a considerable part of the time of the Passover Feast the great men | of His nation were engaged in public functions, and lienee His best opportunity for conference with them was at the close of the feast, and whenever He could gain their attention. When the time came for the return journey He had not finished His investigations of the Scripture teachings on this point. His parents, thinking that He was in the company with some of their relatives, went a day’s journey homeward before they ascertained that He was not in the company. Then they returned and sought.. Him and finally found Him in the temple dis-

cussing the question which to Him was the allimportant one of the hour the tiine_ .at which public ministry might be begun, according to the Law. Evidently He had just finished His quest and found that, although a boy at twelve became

amenable to the Law, none could enter upon a teaching or preaching service until thirty years of age. Jesus Increased In Wisdom. In the last verse of our study we read: "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” It was not a boy who was to be the Redeemer, even as it was not a boy who had sinned. Jesus, therefore. to be a “corresponding price” for Father Adam and the race which lost life in Him, needed first to be developed into manhood. ( • For eighteen years He kept growing In wisdom and in grace of character. He did not grow inf the Father's favor in the sense of becoming less sinful and more righteous, but In the. sense of becoming developed—reaching human perfection. Just so a piece of ■ fruit in growing may be as perfect of its kind at the beginning as at the end. but it grows in size and in rich-, ness of flavor and therefore in the appreciatipn of the owner. So with Jesus. The perfect babe became, the perfect boy; the perfect boy becanie the perfect youth; the perfect youtl;'became the perfect man; and at -thirty years of age was ripe and ready to be offered as an acceptable sacrifice of sweet savoi to God, on behalf e£mankind—“the Just for the unjust”

“They went up to Jerusalem."

“They found him in the Temple.”