And Jesus Grew

Learning at School

(See Luke 2:52)

Why, Mother?. The little boy asked.

Mary smiled. Thet were so many questions to be answered these days. Sometimes Jesus asked, "What?". Sometimes he asked, "When?." Sometimes he asked, "How?". Sometimes he asked, "Why?". The "Why" questions were usually the hardest ones to answer.

"Why do birds make nests in the trees and why do the rabbits live in the ground?" asked Jesus.

Mary answered, "God planned for each little creature to have the kind of home that was best for it."

Mary looked at the tunic she was making. It was longer and wider than the last one she had made for Jesus. He was growing in many ways. She thought of the things he said sometimes after he had listened to a story about Moses or David. Jesus went on playing with the little blocks of wood from the carpenter shop.

He looked up."I love God," He said.

"Yes dear," His mother answered.

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind," Jesus repeated the verse that was written on a piece of parchment and placed in the little box by the doorway.

Jesus grew.He helped Joseph im the carpenter shop in many little ways. He helped Mary in the house and garden. He played with his friends.

One Mary said, "Tomorrow you must start to school."

How excited the little boy was! They were many things to learn at school. Some of his friends were older and they had told him about school. The schoolteacher was the rabbi, the minister of the church.

He sat on a low stool. The boys sat on mats on the floor.The teacher would tell the boys their lessons and they would repeat after him until they had learned them. What fun school was!

Jesus went to the market place. He saw the storekeepers try to sell their goods for as much money as they could get. He saw the buyers argue about the price of things. He saw the taxgatherers who were rich from taking more than the government asked the people to pay. He saw soldiers coming and going on the busy road which passed through Nazareth. Jesus thought about the things he saw.

Jesus grew taller and stronger. He learned many things from books and teachers and parents and friends. He made friends with many people. And God was pleased with him.

Story by Ethel M. Phillps, 1948