Luke 2:44

But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. BUT THEY, SUPPOSING HIM TO HAVE BEEN IN THE COMPANY [ en (G1722 ) tee (G3588 ) sunodia (G4923 ), 'THE TRAVELING-COMPANY,'] WENT A DAY'S JOURNEY; AND THEY SOUGHT HIM AMONG THEIR KINSFOLK AND ACQUAINTANCE. On these sacred journeys whole villages and districts traveled in groups together, partly for protection, partly for company; and as the well-disposed would beguile the tediousness of the way by good discourse, to which the Child Jesus would be no silent listener, they ex...

44._And thinking that he was in the company _Many passages of Scripture show plainly, that those who came from a distance, at the festivals, to worship in the temple, were accustomed to travel in _companies. _There is no reason, therefore, to wonder that, on the first day, Joseph and Mary were less anxious about the child; and their subsequent conduct shows that this was not owing to indolence or carelessness....

41-52 It is for the honour of Christ that children should attend on public worship. His parents did not return till they had stayed all the seven days of the feast. It is well to stay to the end of an ordinance, as becomes those who say, It is good to be here. Those that have lost their comforts in Christ, and the evidences of their having a part in him, must bethink themselves where, and when, and how they lost them, and must turn back again. Those that would recover their lost acquaintance with Christ, must go to the place in which he has put his name; there they may hope to meet him. They found him in some part of the temple, where the doctors of the law kept their schools; he was sitting there, hearkening to their instructions, proposing questions, and answering inquiries, with such wisdom, that those who heard were delighted with him. Young persons should seek the knowledge of Divi...

Verse 44. _SUPPOSING HIM TO HAVE BEEN IN THE COMPANY_] Some have supposed that the men and women marched in separate companies on these occasions, which is very likely; and that sometimes the _children_ kept company with the _men_, sometimes with the _women_. This might have led to what otherwise seems to have been inexcusable carelessness in Joseph and Mary. Joseph, not seeing Jesus in the men's company, might suppose he was with his mother in the women's company; and Mary, not seeing him with her, might imagine he was with Joseph. _WENT A DAY'S JOURNEY_] Knowing what a treasure they possessed, how could they be so long without looking on it? Where were the bowels and tender solicitude of the mother? Let them answer this question who can. _AND THEY SOUGHT HIM_] ανεζητουν, _They earnestly sought him_. They are now both duly affected with a sense of their great loss and great negligence...

SUPPOSING HIM TO HAVE BEEN IN THE COMPANY - It may seem very remarkable that parents should not have been more attentive to their only son, and that they should not have been assured of his presence with them when they left Jerusalem; but the difficulty may be explained by the following considerations: * In going to these great feasts, families and neighbors would join together, and form a large collection. * It is not improbable that Jesus was “with” them when they were about to start from Jerusalem and were making preparations. Seeing him then, they might have been certain as to his presence. * A part of the company might have left before the others, and Joseph and Mary may have supposed that he was with them, until they overtook them at night and ascertained their mistake. KINSFOLK - Relatives. ACQUAINTANCES - Neighbors who ha

EXPOSITION LUKE 2:1 _The Redeemer's birth_. LUKE 2:1 THERE WENT OUT A DECREE FROM CAESAR AUGUSTUS, THAT ALL THE WORLD SHOULD BE TAXED; more accurately, _that there should be a registration_, etc.; that is, with a view to the assessment of a tax. On the historical note of St. Luke in this passage much discussion has arisen, not, however, of much real practical interest to the ordinary devout reader. We will glance very briefly at the main criticism of this and the following verse. Respecting this general registration it is alleged (1) no historian of the time mentions such a decree of Augustus. (2) Supposing Augustus had issued such an edict, Herod, in his kingdom of Judaea, would

BUT THEY SUPPOSING HIM TO HAVE BEEN IN THE COMPANY,.... That travelled together into the same parts, having been, as they, at Jerusalem to keep the feast: WENT A DAY'S JOURNEY; either before they missed him; or if they missed him sooner, yet they went on inquiring for him in the company, until they were come a day's journey before they thought, or, at least, determined on going back to Jerusalem. The bounds of a day's journey from Jerusalem are said to be w Elath on the south, and Akrabba on the north; elsewhere x it is, Elathon the north, and Akrabbaon the south, Lud, or Lydda, on the west, and Jordan on the east; wherefore, as Galilee lay north of Jerusalem, the bound of this day's journey must be, according to the Misna, Akrabba, and, according to the Talmud, Elath. Nazareth was three days journey from Jerusalem y: according to the Jewish writers z, a day's journey was ten "parsas",...

CHAPTER 2 _ 1. The Birth of Christ at Bethlehem (Luke 2:1)_ 2. The Glad Tidings Announced to the Shepherds. (Luke 2:8) 3. The Circumcision and Presentation (Luke 2:21) 4. Simeon and His Prophecy (Luke 2:25) 5. Anna the Prophetess (Luke 2:36) 6. In Nazareth (Luke 2:39) 7. In the Temple (Luke 2:41) 8. The Increase ...

AN INCIDENT IN JESUS-' BOYHOOD. The lad grows in body and mind and is blessed by God. When He is twelve years old He accompanies His parents to the Passover at Jerusalem, and when the week's Feast is over, remains behind unknown to them. They return to seek Him, and after a long search find Him in one of the Temple porticos joining intelligently in the discussions of the scribes. He goes home and Uves obediently with them, and continues His allround development (_cf._ Luke 2:40, also Luke 1:80; 1 Samuel 2:26). LUKE 2:42. Like Samuel's parents, those of Jesus go to the central shrine once instead of three times ...

JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM (Luke 2:1-7)...