Jesus At Home

In His Name Devotionals
JESUS AT HOME

“And the child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.” (Luke 2:40 NKJV)

The family consisted of Joseph and Mary, both persons of exemplary piety and character; Jesus and His brothers and sisters (Matt 13:55, 56), at least those who were so called and members of the family. Joseph must have been a more than ordinary man to have lived so close to God as to have communication with Him, and trusted Him so perfectly. And Mary surely must have had a beautiful character, pure and sweet as the air of her mountain home.

There is nothing so important to a child—all other educational forces together are not as important—as a true home and family life, where the child is at school already with the two great teachers, nature and love. The moral atmosphere in which a child dwells has more to do with his character and training than any direct precepts. Regarding growing children, one former is worth a thousand reformers.

The Jewish mother trained her children in prayer and Holy Scriptures. She told them stories from the Scriptures, and filled their young souls with the love of country and God. Doubtless what is said of Timothy was true of this family, ‘unfeigned faith’ in the parents (2 Tim 1:5), and ‘from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures.’

This family was favored in belonging to that class which is neither rich nor poor. They were in the position to which every healthy and godly few could attain.

One of the greatest blessings that can come to a child is the necessity and privilege of taking part in the daily home duties. Whatever father or mother wanted done in the house, such as getting water, drink, bread, meat, looking after the house, and other things of that sort, whatever He was bidden, that Jesus Christ did, just like any other child of that day. We are told little about the early years of Jesus, especially living at home. But, no doubt, Mary washed linen from time to time and surely our Lord, when old enough, would have gone to the fountain for his mother, bringing back water; and surely He went willingly. It is this kind of helpfulness in the family that is one of the best trainings.

The necessity of working for daily living is the seed plot of the manly virtues, in which grow skill, faithfulness, honesty, sobriety, self-denial. The spiritual motive transfigures the lowliest toil, when the smallest acts are done with the highest motives: love, faith, truth, service, devotion. Jesus surely served His mother at home, working with joy, refining the work that somehow later on makes kitchen work very natural and beautiful in our memory.