THE KING’S BUSINESS
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gradually to His mind as to the minds of other, boys. And those were wonderful days to Him when at twelve years of age, He stopped at Jerusalem amid the great Pass- over throngs, passed in and out of the magnificent temple, and had the meaning of its parts and ceremonies and services ex plained to Him; saw the thousands of inno cent lambs slain, and then gathered with His own family around the roasted, lamb and bit ter hérbs that looked back to Israel’s great redemption through the slain lamh in the past, and forward to the . world’s greater redemption through the slaying of Himself, some twenty years in the future. Jesus saw deeper than anyone else into the signifi cance of all these things; for He had pon dered the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit had interpreted to Him, even as a boy, their innermost meaning. Jesus enjoyed being in the temple. He felt more at home there than in any place He had ever been: it was His “Father’s house” (v,-49, R. V;.). How many of us have that deep, consuming long ing for the place where the Father dwells and manifests Himself (cf. Ps. 27:4)? When His human parents left, He could but stay behind where His real Parent was. Tuesday, October S. Luke 2:45-49. When His parents had sought Him three days everywhere they could think of, they át last found Him in the temple. He seems to- have spent the three days there, and they ought to have sought Him there in the first place (v. 49). The house Of God is the likeliest place to find a true child of God (Mark 14:49). He made Himself very much at home in the temple; He was "sitting" there, no passing visitor or sightseer. He was there to learn; He was “in the midst of the doctors (teachers),” and He was “hearing” and “asking them questions.” The questions displayed great wisdom (v. 47). but they were not ásked fot the purpose of displaying His wisdom; He wished to learn. The teachers were far from the wisest the world has ever known, and He was infinitely the-wisest scholar; but He felt that there
That must have sounded strange in that day of happy-motherhood and bright antici pations, but it was fulfilled to the letter when Jesus hung upon the cross. The pur pose of it all was, “that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.” . The final' test of the real thought and disposition of a man, is what he does with the crucified Jesus. Sunday, October 3, Luke 2:36-39. We turn from considering a holy man to considering a holy woman. She was very- old, over a hundred years old, but she had one of the clearest minds in Israel. Her whple long life had been given up to'the service of God. She'continued in “fastings and supplications night and day.”- She may have been too old to do physical work, but she was not too old to engage in the mightiest of all forms of service, prayer. Many an aged man and woman Says, “I am too old to be of any use now.” No, you may be of the mightiest usefulness, 'by prayer. The aged prayers in our churches are often really,, accomplishing more than our young.preachers; I know an old woman in Chicago who, I believe, is accomplishing more for God than .any preacher in the country. She gave D. L. Moody to the church arid the world by her prayers. Anna. was. full of thanksgiving .too, those who fast and, pray, day,and night, usually are. She gave a mighty testimony, for Christ. Monday, October 4. : Luke 2 :40-44. Jesus’’ mother and' His reputed father were devout church-going people. If they had not been church-going people, Jesus ■would have never been entrusted to 'their home. When Jesus became twelve years of age and so- “a son of the law,” He went up- to the feast with them. At this first visit to Jerusalem and the temple every thing took on a new and deeper meaning to Him. Though Divine He was also human, a real boy. And though ‘He was a mar-- velous boy, ■thoughts and truths opened
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