THE BOYHOOD OF THE CHRIST
19
The Bible tells of a journey Jesus took when he was twelve
years old. Every year in the spring there was a great feast in
Jems ale m,
called the Feast
of the Pass-
over; and Jews
from all parts
of the country
went to it. The
women and old
men commonly
rode on mules or
donkeys; some¬
times on horses
or camels. The
young men, with
long sticks in
their hands,
walked beside
them and led the animals. Children were not generally taken
till they were twelve years old; those who did go ran a part
of the way, but when they were tired they were given a ride.
Ever so many people travelled together, and had such a good
time on the way! They talked and laughed and sang together,
stopped at the springs to get water when they were thirsty, and,
as they walked along, picked the fruit and berries they found by
the roadside. When they were tired they stopped to rest; for
manjf of them had a long way to go.
Thousands of strangers were in Jerusalem when the feast
began. Every house was full, and tents were put up for those
who could not find room anywhere else.
When Jesus was twelve years old his parents took him, for
Jesus, Twelve Years Old, on His Way to Jerusalem
20
A CHILDS STORY OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST
the first time, to this feast. It lasted seven days, and then the
long procession started home again. Jesus was so much inter¬
ested in what he was seeing and hearing that when the others
left the city he stayed behind. His parents did not know this;
they supposed that of course he was with some of their friends in
the company, and did not look for him until evening. Then he
was nowhere to be found, and no one remembered seeing him all
day. Think how troubled his parents must have felt! The boy
who had never been away from them was lost, and so far away
from home, too! They
must go back to Jeru¬
salem to find him.
It took them an¬
other day to get to the
city, so it was the third
day before they saw
their boy again. Then
where do you think
they found him? In
the temple, hearing the
old, gray-haired men
talk, and asking them
questions so wise that
they were astonished to
find a boy of twelve
years who knew so
much.
Do you think his
Christ in the Temple parents were glad to
see him? His mother
hurried to him and said: My son, wiry did you leave us? Your
father and I have been looking for you, and have been very sad.»
THE BOYHOOD OF THE CHRIST
21
Jesus answered her: Why did you look for me? Did you
not know that I must be about my Fathers business?» Jesus
did not mean Joseph when he said my Father,» he meant God.
He was a young boy, but he was very thoughtful, and he knew
that there was work for him to do in the world; and that his
work was to teach people how his Father wants them to live.
He would have liked to have begun his work even now, but it
was not yet time for him to do so. He went back to Nazareth
with his parents, and was the same loving, obedient boy that he
had always been.
Until a Jewish boy was twelve years old he was called a little
boy; but after that he was a young man, and was expected to
study and work as the young men did. Every one must learn
some trade, or some kind of work by which he could earn his
living. Joseph was a carpenter, and he taught Jesus to do car¬
pentry work: to make houses, tables, yokes for oxen, or anything
that is made of wood.
So, busy with his studies and his work, Jesus lived at Naza¬
reth till he was thirty years old. We will leave him there for a
while, and see what has become of the son of Zacharias.
John, too, grew to be a thoughtful, manly boy; for his father
told him what his work was to be, and taught him what he
needed to know, to be ready for it. As he grew older he knew
that he could not do good work unless he thought, studied, and
prayed much about it. To do this he left his home and his
friends, and went to live all alone in the wilderness.
He could find enough to eat there: locusts, and the honey
which the bees left in the rocks and the hollow trees. Locusts
are something like our grasshoppers, and even now, in that coun¬
try, people eat a great many of them. There were caves in the
sides of the hills, where John could find shelter from the cold
and storms, and from any wild beasts that might be about. His
22
A CHILDS STORY OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST
clothing was made of the coarse hair which grows on a camel>
and was fastened around his waist with a leather belt.
There in the woods he lived alone for many years with noth¬
ing to take his mind from his work. At last the time came for
him to preach.
There is a river in Pal¬
estine called the Jordan,,
and it was to the banks
of the Jordan that John
came from the wilderness
and began to preach. He
was so much in earnest,
and spoke so well, that
people liked to listen to
him; and before long great
crowds from all around
came everyday to hear him.
They all thought he
must be the Christ; but
John said: 66 No, I am not
the Christ. I am the
prophet from the wilder¬
ness whose work it is to
prepare the way for the
Christ, and tell people about
John the Baptist in the Wilderness llim.
«He is to be so much
greater than I am that I am not good enough even to be his ser¬
vant. Your Saviour is coming very soon, but he will not save
you unless you are sorry for your sins. You must not say to} T> ur-
selves: God will love us because we are the children of Abraham/
You must be good yourselves if you want to be loved and saved/»»
THE BOYHOOD OF THE CHRIST
23
Over and over again John said to the people, Repent, and
be baptized, every one of you.» To repent is to be so sorry
for something we have
done that we will ask
Gods forgiveness and
try very hard never to
do it again. After they
repented he baptised
them. You know how
pure and clean water
makes things that are
Washed in it. So water
is used in baptism as a
sign that the one who
is baptized wants his
heart made pure and
clean.
J ohn baptized so
many people that he
is called John the Bap¬
tist, but he told them
John the Baptist Preaching
all that the baptism did
not make them good;
it only show r ed others that they meant to try to be better men
and women. When the Christ conies, he said, he will give