Life of Christ
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to mind for an entire day, by those who should not have forgotten
him for a moment. They returned their weary way, sad and fearful, to
Jerusalem. They recalled the terrible massacre of innocent children
by the cruel Herod in hope of destroying the king of Israel. When
their anxiety was relieved by finding Jesus, they did not acknowledge
their own neglect of duty, but their words reflected on Christ—“Why
hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee
sorrowing.” Jesus, in most respectful language, inquires, “How is it
that ye sought me?” But these words modestly reflect back the censure
upon themselves, in reminding them that, if they had not permitted
themselves to be engrossed with matters of no special importance, they
would not have had the trouble of searching for him. He then justifies
his course: “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?”
While he was engaged in the work he came to the earth to perform,
they had neglected the work his Father had especially intrusted to them.
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They could not fully comprehend the words of Christ; yet Mary, in
a great measure, understood their import, and laid them away in her
heart to ponder over in the future.
It was so natural for the parents of Christ to look upon him as their
own child, as parents commonly regard their children, that they were
in danger of losing the precious blessing which daily attended them in
the presence of Jesus, the world’s redeemer. As Christ was daily with
them, his life in many respects as other children, it was difficult to
keep before them his sacred mission, and the daily blessing of having
committed to their charge and parental care, for a while, the Son of
God, whose divinity was vailed with humanity. His tarry in Jerusalem
was designed of him as a gentle reminder to them of their duty, lest
they should become indifferent in a greater degree, and lose the sense
of the high favor God had conferred upon them.
Not one act in the life of Christ was unimportant. Every event
of his life was for the benefit of his followers in future time. This
circumstance of the tarry of Christ in Jerusalem teaches an important
lesson to those who should believe on him. Many had come a great
distance to keep the passover, instituted that the Hebrews might keep
in memory their wonderful deliverance from Egypt. This ordinance
was designed to call their minds from their world-loving interests, and
from their cares and anxieties in relation to temporal concerns, and to
review the works of God. They were to call to mind his miracles, his