Scripture Reading: Luke 2:40-52
After the presentation in the temple came the incident of the visit of the Magi, recorded only in the Gospel according to Matthew, followed by the massacre of the children and the flight into Egypt. When Mary and Joseph and the Holy Child returned from Egypt they went to Nazareth, where they remained till Jesus was thirty years of age. Of these years we have no record, excepting this single incident of the visit to Jerusalem. The life at Nazareth was quiet and uneventful. Each year Mary and Joseph went to the Passover, but until He was twelve Jesus did not leave His home.
It brings Jesus very near to children to have them remember that once He was a child, and now in heaven has not forgotten the experiences of His earthy infancy and childhood years. His family was poor, and He had not the luxuries which many boys enjoy in these days. He had none of the opportunities that we have. There were no books, magazines, or newspapers. He heard the Scriptures read every Sabbath in the synagogue, and in His home He was taught the words of God. When thirteen years of age, He began to learn the carpenter’s trade, and from that time until His baptism we can think of Him as working in the carpenter ship every day. It is a comfort now to those who have to work hard to remember that Jesus worked at a common trade, no doubt with long hours and small pay.
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