Jesus our Ideal

Jesus our Ideal

And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. (Luke 2:52)

When I was about your age most of the girls had autograph books in which they would have their teachers and special friends write a few words and sign their names. One verse which appeared in every book I ever saw was this: “Don’t be sharp, don’t be flat, just be natural.” This was excellent advice but few followed it. Why? Because it is natural for young people your age to want to be like somebody else. Young people have heroes whom they attempt to pattern their lives. When you were children you wanted to grow to be like daddy or mommy. They were the heroes of your childhood. But now that you have grown older your heroes have changed. Some of the girls want to be like the great movie actresses. Thus you comb your hair as they do, use the same type of makeup as they do, copy their mode of life and pattern of dress. Other girls choose their school teacher, a nurse, or some outstanding women of the present or past after whom they attempt to mold their life. The boys choose a great football or baseball player, some outstanding character from the pages of history, a movie star, or someone whom they know. It is very natural for you young people to want to pattern your life after someone else.

Since this is the natural characteristic of youth why not choose the highest pattern possible for your life. When you go to the store to choose a dress or suit of clothes you pick the best pattern that you can find for the money. When you go to the store for groceries you buy the best possible for the money that you have. Let me stop here a moment and say this: When you go to choose a movie choose the best movie, when you go to the book shelf to choose a book, choose the best book; when you choose a friend choose the best friend. You feed and clothe your bodies with the best you can find, why not do the same for your mind and spirit? When you are choosing an ideal in which to pattern your life, choose the best. Do not be content with the good or the better, be content only with the best. As Christian young people we are agreed that the life of Jesus was the best life that ever was lived on the face of this earth. A man who did not believe in Jesus as the Son of God, the Savior of mankind nevertheless, confessed, “Among the sons of men there is none born who is greater than Jesus.” Both the enemies and friends of Jesus admit that He is the best Man that ever lived. If this be so, then Jesus is the one whom we should pattern our lives.

We do not know very much about the early life of Jesus. The writers of the gospel give us many details concerning His birth and infancy. Then they tell us nothing more concerning His life until He was twelve and then we are told about His visit to the Temple, which incident we studied about in our Sunday school lesson about a month ago. For the next eighteen years we know only one thing about His life, He, “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” If we as young people are going to pattern our life after the young man Jesus, we must do the same as He, “increase in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” Let us see what that means.

Jesus increased in wisdom. When He was about six years old He went to school at the synagogue in Nazareth. His teacher was the Rabbi. His textbook was the Old Testament. There are many young people who do not like school. Maybe Jesus was one of those, maybe there were other things He would have liked to have done, but He had to go and He did His lessons faithfully. We know this because in His latter life He showed knowledge of the Old Testament. Young people perhaps you don’t want to go to school, maybe you don’t like your teachers or your subjects; these are things which you can’t change. Why not make the best of it and apply your hearts to the gaining of wisdom. If you don’t do your best in school today, as you grow older you will be sorry. I know from experience.

Jesus increased in wisdom. Jesus gained wisdom not only from the study of textbooks but also from the world around Him. All of nature was His teacher. There is a wealth of wisdom and knowledge to be gained from the world around about us. We can study the trees and the birds, the grasses and the flowers. We can learn much from the people with whom we associate. Study them and learn from them. Jesus learned as He worked by His father’s side in the carpenter shop. We learn much as we do our daily tasks about the home, as we help father and mother. Every experience which you have will be your teacher, if you wish to learn from it.

Jesus increased in stature, He grew physically. His body grew strong as he played childhood games with His playmates, as He strolled in the woods and climbed the hills, as he ate the proper food. Today we hear much about strong and healthy bodies. As our young men were examined for the army it was found that many of them were deficient physically and thus the government is urging the citizens to eat the proper food, get sufficient rest, take correct exercise. It is necessary that we take care of ourselves, physically, for as Paul says,” know you not that the body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit.” What an honor it is to that the Spirit of God residing within you. Again Paul says,”ye are the Temple of the living God.” If God lives in us we are to keep bodies fit residence for Him. We will not contaminate it with evil habits. When a jeweler seals a watch, a fine pearl or diamond he puts it into a fine case made of the best silk satin, wood, metal or glass. These cases glorify the precious gifts which are placed within them. Jewelers never think of enclosing a rare gift in a soiled case. Then glorify God with your body which is the case for His gift.

Jesus increased in favor with God. He grew spiritually. How does one grow in favor with another? How do we grow in favor with our father and mother? By doing what they want us to do. By being faithful and obedient children. Jesus did what God wanted Him to do, He said,” Know ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” Young people don’t be so busy growing in wisdom, in stature, in popularity that you fail to grow spiritually. At all times strive to do God’s will for you. He has things the He wants you to do, seek to find what it is. If you don’t grow spiritually as well as these other ways then your character, your personality becomes lopsided. One of the best ways I know to grow spiritually is to daily read your Bible and pray to your Father in heaven. I wish that every young person here might do that. As you do that, God will show you what He wants you to do and will give you the strength to do it. Let us develop our spiritual life, that we like Jesus may “increase in favor with God,” that we may definitely be on God’s side. The other night on the radio a young high school student from North Carolina said this, “It is not so necessary for us to have God on our side as it is that we be on His side.”

Jesus increased in favor with man. He grew socially. All of you want to be popular, to be liked by your friends. One of the best ways I know to do this is to live and do for others. That was the secret of Jesus’ popularity. He came to be the servant of mankind. He constantly went about doing good, helping the poor and needy and thus people flocked to Him. The rule of our life should be: God first, others second, self last. If you follow this rule, you will grow not only in favor with God but also with man. The life of the Christian is the unselfish life, which is why real Christians are the best thought of in the community.

As we close, let us notice that Jesus increased, “in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.” He didn’t stand still, He moved on, He grew. Seven year old Johnny was tired of the merry go round. When he was six it had fascinated him and he couldn’t ride on it enough. Now that he was seven a single ride satisfied him. His grandfather asked him if he didn’t want another ride, “No thank you Grandfather,’ he said, “You see, we ride and ride, but we stay under that old tent all the time. I guess when you get to be seven years old there’re to big to care about going and going that doesn’t get anywhere.” We are too old to go and go and not get anywhere. As you apply all your energies and talents to the art of living you want to grow mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially. But how can you grow? How can you grow as Jesus did? How can you grow to be like Him?

There was a man in New York who had visited Hofmann the great artist, just after Hofmann had finished painting the picture of Jesus in the Temple. He gave the New York man the first copy. The man kept the picture on his desk. There came to his office one day an outstanding judge. He was attracted by the picture and sat there looking at it. Later in the morning the judge came back and said, “I want to see that picture again.” He was invited to sit and sat there for over an hour gazing at the picture. In the afternoon he came back and said, “I would like to see the picture of the boy once more.” The owner gave it to him and said, “Go into my privet office and look at is as long as you desire.” He did so and after some time he came back and laid the picture down, and with tears running down his cheeks said, “The boy has conquered me.” The man went out from the room with a picture of the boy lingering in his mind, and the power of that boy transforming his life.

 How can you grow like Jesus grew? Keep Him constantly before you. Remember, to grow tall is good, to grow wise is better, but to grow like Jesus is best of all.

Dr. Robert W Kirkpatrick

Hobbs Chapel April 16, 1944