Paper 124

THE LATER CHILDHOOD OF JESUS

1.  The most serious trouble as yet to come up at school occurred in late winter when Jesus dared to challenge the chazan regarding the teaching that all images, pictures, and drawings were idolatrous in nature ... trouble was ... stirred up at school when one of the more backward pupils discovered Jesus drawing a charcoal picture of the teacher on the floor of the schoolroom...Jesus listened to the indictment of his artistic efforts for some time ... He resented their blaming his father for his alleged misdeeds; so in he marched, fearlessly confronting his accusers ... He had his say, courageously defended his viewpoint, and with consummate self‑control announced that he would abide by the decision of his father in this as in all other matters controversial ... Joseph felt impelled to rule that the rabbinical interpretation of the second: commandment should prevail...But he was unconvinced of the wrong of what he had done, and to give up such a favorite pastime. constituted one of the great trials of his young life.

2.  Jesus' second sister, Martha, was born Thursday night, September 13. Three weeks after the coming of Martha, Joseph, who was home for awhile, started the building of an addition to their house, a combined workshop and bedroom. A small workbench was built for Jesus, and for the first time he possessed tools of his own. At odd‑times for many years he worked at this bench and became highly expert in the making of yokes.

3.  This winter and the next were the coldest in Nazareth for many decades. Jesus had seen snow on the mountains, and several times it had fallen in Nazareth, remaining on the ground only a short time; but not until this winter had he seen ice. The fact that water could be had as a solid, a liquid, and a vapor ...caused the lad to think a great deal about the physical world and its constitution.

4.  Jesus continued to grow physically, intellectually, socially, and spiritually ... Jesus was an original thinker and a skillful teacher, even in his youth. He was in constant collision with the so‑called "oral law," but he always sought to adapt himself to the practices of his family. He got along fairly well with the children of his age, but he often grew discouraged with their slow‑acting minds. Before he was ten years old, he had become the leader of a group of seven lads who formed themselves into a society for promoting the acquirements of manhood—physical, intellectual, and religious.

5.  It was the fifth of July, the first Sabbath of the month, when Jesus, while strolling through the countryside with his father, first gave expression to feelings and ideas which indicated that he was becoming self‑conscious of the unusual nature of his life mission. Joseph listened attentively to the momentous words of his son but made few comments; he volunteered no information... It was almost two years before Jesus again spoke to his parents concerning this increasing revelation within his own consciousness regarding the nature of his personality and the character of his mission on earth.

6.  He entered the advanced school of the synagogue in August. At school he was constantly creating trouble by the questions he persisted in asking ... Perhaps his most unusual and outstanding trait was his unwillingness to fight for his rights. Since he was such a well‑developed lad for his age, it seemed strange to his playfellows that he was disinclined to defend himself even from injustice or when subjected to personal abuse...Jacob was a great admirer of Jesus and made it his business to see that no one was permitted to impose upon Jesus because of his aversion to physical combat.

7. Jesus was the generally accepted leader of the Nazareth lads who stood for the higher ideals of their day and generation ... This year he began to show a marked preference for the company of older persons. He delighted in talking over things cultural, educational, social, economic, political, and religious with older minds, and his depth of reasoning and keenness of observation so charmed his adult associates that they were always more than willing to visit with him.

8. When on his first trip with his father to observe the fishing industry on the lake of Galilee, Jesus had just about made up his mind to become a fisherman; but close association with his father's vocation later on influenced him to become a carpenter, while still later a combination of influences led him to the final choice of becoming a religious teacher of a new order.

9.  On Wednesday evening, June 24, A.D. 5, Jude was born. Complications attended the birth of this, the seventh child…From the time of his mother's illness—just before he (Jesus) was eleven years old—he was compelled to assume the responsibilities of the first‑born son and to do all this one or two full years before these burdens should normally have fallen on his shoulders.

10. About the middle of May the lad accompanied his father on a business trip to Scythopolis, the chief Greek city of the Decapolis... It so happened that just at this time the annual competitive games and public demonstrations of physical prowess between the Greek cities of the Decapolis were in progress at the Scythopolis amphitheater, and Jesus was insistent that his father take him to see the games ... The boy was thrilled with the games ... Joseph talked earnestly and long with Jesus concerning the evil nature of such practices, but he well knew that the lad was unconvinced.

The only time Jesus ever saw his father angry with him was that night in their room at the inn when, in the course of their discussions, the boy so far forgot the trends of Jewish thought as to suggest that they go back home and work for the building of an amphitheater at Nazareth. When Joseph heard his first‑born son express such un‑Jewish sentiments, he forgot his usual calm demeanor and, seizing Jesus by the shoulder, angrily exclaimed, "My son, never again let me hear you give utterance to such an evil thought as long as you live"...Nevertheless, throughout his life he endeavored to introduce the idea of wholesome recreation into his personal plans and, as far as Jewish practice would permit, into the later program of regular activities for his twelve apostles.

11. At the end of this eleventh year Jesus was a vigorous, well‑developed, moderately humorous, and fairly lighthearted youth, but from this year on he was more and more given to peculiar seasons of profound meditation and serious contemplation. He was much given to thinking about how he was to carry out his obligations to his family and, at the same time be obedient to the call of his mission to the world; already he had conceived that his ministry was not to be limited to the betterment of the Jewish people.

12. This was an eventful year in Jesus' life ... He began doing regular work in the home carpenter shop and was permitted to manage his own earnings, a very unusual arrangement to obtain in a Jewish family ... He was becoming conscious of the way in which he had caused trouble in the village, and henceforth he became increasingly discreet in concealing everything which might cause him to be regarded as different from his fellows.

13. Throughout this year he experienced many seasons of uncertainty, if not actual doubt, regarding the nature of his mission. His naturally developing human mind did not yet fully grasp the reality of his dual nature.

14. It was a trying experience for Joseph and Mary to undertake the rearing of this unprecedented combination of divinity and humanity, and they deserve great credit for so faithfully and successfully discharging their parental responsibilities ... Joseph and Mary lived and died without ever learning that their son Jesus really was the Universe Creator incarnate in mortal flesh.

15. It was at about this time that the lad become keenly conscious of the difference between the viewpoints of Joseph and Mary regarding the nature of his mission ... More and more he inclined to the view of his father, so that his mother was destined to be hurt by the realization that her son was gradually rejecting her guidance in matters having to do with his life career. And, as the years passed, this breach of understanding widened.

16. As time passed, Jesus did much to modify their practice of religious forms, such as the family prayers and other customs ... Throughout this and the two following years Jesus suffered great mental distress as the result of his constant effort to adjust his personal views of religious practices and social amenities to the established beliefs of his parents.

17. In this  (thirteenth) the lad of Nazareth passed from boyhood to the beginning of young manhood; his voice began to change, and other features of mind and body gave evidence of the oncoming status of manhood.

     On Sunday night, January 9, A.D. 7, his baby brother, Amos, was born.

18. It was about the middle of February that Jesus became humanly assured that he was destined to perform a mission on earth for the enlightenment of man and the revelation of God ... The intelligent life of all Nebadon looked on with fascination and amazement as all this began to unfold in the thinking and acting of the now adolescent carpenter's son.

19. On the first day of the week, March 20, A.D. 7, Jesus graduated from the course of training in the local school connected with the Nazareth synagogue ... Jesus'. teacher confidently believed that his alert and diligent pupil was destined to some outstanding career, some distinguished mission. The elders…were very proud of the lad and had already begun laying plans which would enable him to go to Jerusalem to continue his education in the renowned Hebrew academies.

As Jesus heard these plans discussed from time to time, he became increasingly sure that he would never go to Jerusalem to study with the rabbis.

20. Jesus, having now reached the threshold of young manhood and having been formally graduated from the synagogue schools, was qualified to proceed to Jerusalem with his parents to participate with them in the celebration of his first Passover ... On the eastern slopes of Olivet they paused for rest in the borders of a little village called Bethany ... it happened that Joseph and his family had stopped near the house of one Simon, who had three children about the same age as Jesus—Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. They invited the Nazareth family in for refreshment, and a lifelong friendship sprang up between the two families.

21. At no time in his life did Jesus ever experience such a purely human thrill as that which at this time so completely enthralled him as he stood there on this April afternoon on the Mount of Olives, drinking in his first view of Jerusalem. And in after years, on this same spot he stood and wept over the city which was about to reject another prophet, the last and the greatest of her heavenly teachers.

22. On the day before the Passover Sabbath, flood tides of spiritual illumination swept through the mortal mind of Jesus and filled his human heart to overflowing with affectionate pity for the spiritually blind and morally ignorant multitudes assembled for the celebration of the ancient Passover commemoration. This was one of the most extraordinary days that the Son of God spent in the flesh; and during the night, for the first time in his earth career, there appeared to him an assigned messenger from Salvington, commissioned by Immanuel., who said:   "The hour has come. It is time that you began to be about your Father's business."

23. As time passed, the mystery of the incarnation became, to all of us, more and more unfathomable. We could hardly comprehend that this lad of 'Nazareth was the creator of all Nebadon...With the passing of time, we could see that his human mind was increasingly discerning that, while he lived his life in the flesh, in spirit on his shoulders rested the responsibility of a universe.

U.B. 124:1366‑1376

Discussion Questions

1. Are there creative activities today that are erroneously considered to be evil?

2. Why do you think Jesus was not willing to engage in physical combat?

3. Was the ambivalence of Jesus in selecting a vocation the result of being successful at everything he did? Is uncertainty and doubt helpful in spiritual growth?

4. What was the source of Jesus’ amazing self-control in never again mentioning athletic games when rebuked by his father?

5. How do you suppose Joseph and Mary reacted when they entered the Mansion Worlds and discovered the real nature of Jesus?

6. Why was Jesus not interested in plans for him to attend the Hebrew Academy?

7. Why did the messenger sent by Immanuel appear to Jesus at the Passover in Jerusalem?