T HE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, was fabled to have sprung full-grown from the brain of Jove. Jesus came into the world as a little babe instead of coming a full-grown man like Adam. This im parts a special sanctity to childhood. The highest possibilities of attainment involve the longest preparation. -The period of infancy and youth of a human being is longer than that of any other being. The adult period of life is so important that a third of the entire life has been arranged as a preparation for it. The mental and religious training of a child may determine his future life on earth and his destiny for eternity. He is a lump of plastic clay to be mould ed into a finished and final product. He is the fluent wax ready to receive the impress of any seal that may be stamped upon it. v. 40. Filled with wisdom. The statement that He was filled with wis dom and that He increased in wisdom could not be predicated of the divinity of Christ, for the COMMENTS FROM wisdom of the MANY SOURCES divine nature is Keith L. Brooks infinite and can not become eith er less or greater. The statements prove the existence of Christ’s human soul, which, because It was finite in telligence, could grow in wisdom, and because It was pure, Was filled with wisdom. Jesus had a true human soul as well as body. He was a genuine, natural child, -infant and boy.-—Whed- on. v. 42. When He was twelve years old. At the age of twelve, a Jewish boy became a son of the law and came un der the obligation of doing its precepts, including attendance at Passover.— Critical Com. We have the story of Jesus’ birth, then we lose sight of Him for twelve years, then, we see Him again, going out to His Jewish con firmation. We then lose sight of Him again for eighteen long years. How diminutive and meager is the story of the daily life of Jesus. We know that He worked with His own hands for His own living, and that brings Him in liv
ing, pulsating life, close to every man who works.— Morgan. Went to Jerusa lem. With what thoughts and feelings must this youth have gone up. Could one’s ears have caught the breathings of His young heart, he might have heard Him whispering, “ As the heart panteth after the water brooks, So panteth my soul after thee, O God.” (Ps. 42:1; 87:2; 122:1, 2.)— Jamieson. God never would have given His Son to be born in a home that was careless about the or dinances of His house.— Torrey. v. 43. They returned. Worship must in turn give place to the duties of life. Jerusalem is good but Nazareth is good also. Let him who neglects the one on the pretext of attending to the other, ponder this scene.—J. F. & B. The child Jesus. This is the one pass age that speaks of the boyhood of Jesus. We find in the Revised Version the plain and very human expression, “ the boy Jesus.”—Vaughan. Tarried behind. His tarrying was an act which was only to |be justified by the higher relation ship of which He afterward spoke to His parents (v. 49).—Horn. Com. v. 44. Supposing Him to have been in the company. It is an indication of the confidence which His parents had in His discretion that they did not imme diately seek Him. He evidently had been allowed a more than usual amount of liberty of action as a child.—-Markby. v. 45. They found Him not. When His humaq parents left, He could not but stay behind to commune with His real parent.— Torrey. v. 46. After three days. Just as afterward His friends and disciples lost Him for three days and mourned for Him as for one dead, though their knowledge of Him should have prepared them to expect to see Him again. Even now a certain blame in like manner at taches to His parents for not knowing where at once to find Him.— Thorald. Hearing and asking questions. As a child He kept His place, asking and an swering questions, but not teaching. As the Son of His Father He was conscious of being about His Father’s business. As the child of His human mother He was subject unto her.— Gray. v. 47. Astonished at His under standing. He might say with the Psalmist, “ I have more understanding than my teachers for thy testimonies are my study.” (Ps. 119:99). The rabbis themselves said that the Word
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