slim 4

Jesus now answered and taught upon medicine. 

He described the whole human body in a way far beyond the reach of even the most learned. He discoursed with the same facility upon astronomy, architecture, agriculture, geometry, arithmetic, jurisprudence and, in fine, upon every subject proposed to Him. 

He applied all so skillfully to the Law and the Promise, to the Prophecies, to the Temple, to the mysteries of worship and sacrifice, that His hearers, surprised and confounded, passed successively from astonishment and admiration to fury and shame. 

They were enraged at hearing some things that they never before knew, and at hearing others that they had never before understood.

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Jesus had been teaching two hours...

when Joseph and Mary entered the Temple. 

They inquired after their Child of the Levites whom they knew, and received for answer that He was with the doctors in the lecture hall. But as they were not at liberty to enter that hall, they sent one of the Levites in to call Jesus. 

Jesus sent them word, that He must first finish what He was then about. Mary was very much troubled at His not obeying at once, for this was the first time He had given His parents to understand that He had other commands than theirs to fulfill. 

He continued to teach for another hour... 

and then He left the hall and joined His parents in the porch of Israel, the women’s porch, leaving His hearers confounded, confused, and enraged. 

Joseph was quite awed and astonished, but he kept a humble silence. Mary, however, drawing near to Jesus, said, “Child, why hast Thou done this to us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing!” 

But Jesus answered gravely, “Why have you sought Me? Do you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” But they did not understand. They at once began with Him their journey home. 

The bystanders gazed at them in astonishment, and I was in dread lest they should lay hands upon the Boy, for I saw that some of them were full of rage. I wondered at their allowing the Holy Family to depart so peaceably. Although the crowd was dense, yet a wide path was made to permit the Holy Family to pass. 

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I saw all the details and heard almost the whole of Jesus’ teaching, but I cannot remember all. It made a great impression upon the scribes [schriftgeleerden]. Some recorded the affair as a notable event, while here and there it was whispered around, giving rise to all kinds of remarks and false reports. 

But the true statement, the scribes kept to themselves. They spoke of Jesus as of a very forward boy, possessed indeed of fine talents, but said those talents required to be cultivated.

~bron~