Changes

==177:2. EARLY HOME LIFE==

==177:2. EARLY HOME LIFE==

177:2.1 In the course of this day's visiting with John Mark, Jesus spent considerable time comparing their early childhood and later boyhood experiences. Although John's parents possessed more of this world's goods than had Jesus' parents, there was much experience in their boyhood which was very similar. Jesus said many things which helped John better to understand his parents and other members of his family. When the lad asked the Master how he could know that he would turn out to be a " mighty messenger of the kingdom, " Jesus said:

177:2.1 In the [[course]] of this day's [[visiting]] with [[John Mark]], [[Jesus]] spent considerable [[time]] [[comparing]] their early [[childhood]] and later boyhood [[experiences]]. Although [[John Mark|John]]'s [[parents]] possessed more [[Wealth|of this world's goods]] than had [[Jesus]]' [[parents]], there was much [[experience]] in their boyhood which was very similar. [[Jesus]] said many things which helped [[John Mark|John]] better to [[understand]] his [[parents]] and other members of his [[family]]. When the lad asked [[the Master]] how he could know that he would turn out to be a " mighty [[messenger]] of [[the kingdom]], " [[Jesus]] said:

177:2.2 " I know you will prove loyal to the gospel of the kingdom because I can depend upon your present faith and love when these qualities are grounded upon such an early training as has been your portion at home. You are the product of a home where the parents bear each other a sincere affection, and therefore you have not been overloved so as injuriously to exalt your concept of self-importance. Neither has your personality suffered distortion in consequence of your parents' loveless maneuvering for your confidence and loyalty, the one against the other. You have enjoyed that parental love which insures laudable self-confidence and which fosters normal feelings of security. But you have also been fortunate in that your parents possessed wisdom as well as love; and it was wisdom which led them to withhold most forms of indulgence and many luxuries which wealth can buy while they sent you to the synagogue school along with your neighborhood playfellows, and they also encouraged you to learn how to live in this world by permitting you to have original experience. You came over to the Jordan, where we preached and John's disciples baptized, with your young friend Amos. Both of you desired to go with us. When you returned to Jerusalem, your parents consented; Amos's parents refused; they loved their son so much that they denied him the blessed experience which you have had, even such as you this day enjoy. By running away from home, Amos could have joined us, but in so doing he would have wounded love and sacrificed loyalty. Even if such a course had been wise, it would have been a terrible price to pay for experience, independence, and liberty. Wise parents, such as yours, see to it that their children do not have to wound love or stifle loyalty in order to develop independence and enjoy invigorating liberty when they have grown up to your age.

177:2.2 " I know you will [[prove]] [[loyal]] to the [[gospel]] of [[the kingdom]] because I can depend upon your present [[faith]] and [[love]] when these [[qualities]] are grounded upon such an early [[training]] as has been your portion at [[home]]. You are the product of a [[home]] where the [[parents]] bear each other a [[sincere]] [[affection]], and therefore you have not been overloved so as injuriously to exalt your [[concept]] of [[self]]-importance. Neither has your [[personality]] suffered [[distortion]] in [[consequence]] of your [[parents]]' loveless [[Competition|maneuvering]] for your [[confidence]] and [[loyalty]], the one against the other. You have [[enjoyed]] that parental [[love]] which insures laudable [[self]]-[[confidence]] and which fosters [[normal]] [[feelings]] of [[security]]. But you have also been fortunate in that your [[parents]] possessed [[wisdom]] as well as [[love]]; and it was [[wisdom]] which led them to withhold most forms of indulgence and many [[luxuries]] which [[wealth]] can buy while they sent you to the [[synagogue]] [[school]] along with your [[neighborhood]] playfellows, and they also [[encouraged]] you to [[learn]] how to live in this world by [[permitting]] you to have [[original]] [[experience]]. You came over to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethabara Jordan], where we [[preached]] and [[John the Baptist|John]]'s [[disciples]] [[baptized]], with your young [[friend]] Amos. Both of you [[desired]] to go with us. When you returned to [[Jerusalem]], your [[parents]] consented; Amos's parents refused; they [[loved]] their son so much that they [[denied]] him the [[blessed]] [[experience]] which you have had, even such as you this day [[enjoy]]. By running away from [[home]], Amos could have joined us, but in so doing he would have wounded [[love]] and [[sacrificed]] [[loyalty]]. Even if such a [[course]] had been [[wise]], it would have been a terrible price to pay for [[experience]], [[independence]], and [[liberty]]. [[Wise]] [[parents]], such as yours, see to it that their [[children]] do not have to wound [[love]] or stifle [[loyalty]] in order to [[develop]] [[independence]] and [[enjoy]] [[invigorating]] [[liberty]] when they have grown up to your age.

177:2.3 " Love, John, is the supreme reality of the universe when bestowed by all-wise beings, but it is a dangerous and oftentimes semiselfish trait as it is manifested in the experience of mortal parents. When you get married and have children of your own to rear, make sure that your love is admonished by wisdom and guided by intelligence.

177:2.3 " [[Love]], John, is the [[supreme]] [[reality]] of the [[universe]] when [[bestowed]] by all-[[wise]] [[beings]], but it is a [[dangerous]] and oftentimes semi[[selfish]] [[trait]] as it is [[manifested]] in the [[experience]] of [[mortal]] [[parents]]. When you get [[married]] and have [[children]] of your own to rear, make sure that your [[love]] is [[admonished]] by [[wisdom]] and [[guided]] by [[intelligence]].

177:2.4 " Your young friend Amos believes this gospel of the kingdom just as much as you, but I cannot fully depend upon him; I am not certain about what he will do in the years to come. His early home life was not such as would produce a wholly dependable person. Amos is too much like one of the apostles who failed to enjoy a normal, loving, and wise home training. Your whole afterlife will be more happy and dependable because you spent your first eight years in a normal and well-regulated home. You possess a strong and well-knit character because you grew up in a home where love prevailed and wisdom reigned. Such a childhood training produces a type of loyalty which assures me that you will go through with the course you have begun. "

177:2.4 " Your young [[friend]] Amos [[believes]] this [[gospel]] of [[the kingdom]] just as much as you, but I cannot fully depend upon him; I am not [[certain]] about what he will do in the years to come. His early [[home]] life was not such as would produce a wholly dependable [[person]]. Amos is too much like one of [[the apostles]] who failed to [[enjoy]] a [[normal]], loving, and [[wise]] [[home]] [[training]]. Your whole [[afterlife]] will be more [[happy]] and dependable because you spent your first eight years in a [[normal]] and well-regulated [[home]]. You [[possess]] a [[strong]] and well-knit [[character]] because you grew up in a [[home]] where [[love]] prevailed and [[wisdom]] [[reigned]]. Such a [[childhood]] [[training]] produces a [[type]] of [[loyalty]] which [[assures]] me that you will go through with the [[course]] you have begun. "

177:2.5 For more than an hour Jesus and John continued this discussion of home life. The Master went on to explain to John how a child is wholly dependent on his parents and the associated home life for all his early concepts of everything intellectual, social, moral, and even spiritual since the family represents to the young child all that he can first know of either human or divine relationships. The child must derive his first impressions of the universe from the mother's care; he is wholly dependent on the earthly father for his first ideas of the heavenly Father. The child's subsequent life is made happy or unhappy, easy or difficult, in accordance with his early mental and emotional life, conditioned by these social and spiritual relationships of the home. A human being's entire afterlife is enormously influenced by what happens during the first few years of existence.

177:2.5 For more than an hour [[Jesus]] and [[John Mark|John]] continued this [[discussion]] of [[home]] life. [[The Master]] went on to [[explain]] to [[John Mark|John]] how a child is wholly dependent on his [[parents]] and the [[associated]] [[home]] life for all his early [[concepts]] of everything [[intellectual]], [[social]], [[moral]], and even [[spiritual]] since the [[family]] [[represents]] to the young [[child]] all that he can first know of either [[human]] or [[divine]] [[relationships]]. The [[child]] must derive his first impressions of the [[universe]] from the [[mother]]'s [[care]]; he is wholly dependent on the [[earth]]ly [[father]] for his first [[ideas]] of [[the heavenly Father]]. The [[child]]'s subsequent life is made [[happy]] or unhappy, easy or [[difficult]], in [[accordance]] with his early [[mental]] and [[emotional]] life, conditioned by these [[social]] and [[spiritual]] [[relationships]] of the [[home]]. A [[human being]]'s entire [[afterlife]] is enormously [[influenced]] by what happens during the first few years of [[existence]].

177:2.6 It is our sincere belief that the gospel of Jesus' teaching, founded as it is on the father-child relationship, can hardly enjoy a world-wide acceptance until such a time as the home life of the modern civilized peoples embraces more of love and more of wisdom. Notwithstanding that parents of the twentieth century possess great knowledge and increased truth for improving the home and ennobling the home life, it remains a fact that very few modern homes are such good places in which to nurture boys and girls as Jesus' home in Galilee and John Mark's home in Judea, albeit the acceptance of Jesus' gospel will result in the immediate improvement of home life. The love life of a wise home and the loyal devotion of true religion exert a profound reciprocal influence upon each other. Such a home life enhances religion, and genuine religion always glorifies the home.

177:2.6 It is our [[sincere]] [[belief]] that the [[gospel]] of [[Jesus]]' teaching, founded as it is on the [[father]]-[[child]] [[relationship]], can hardly enjoy a world-wide [[acceptance]] until such a time as the [[home]] life of the [[modern]] [[civilized]] peoples [[embraces]] more of [[love]] and more of [[wisdom]]. Notwithstanding that [[parents]] of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_century twentieth century] [[possess]] great [[knowledge]] and increased [[truth]] for improving the [[home]] and ennobling the home life, it remains a [[fact]] that very few [[modern]] homes are such [[good]] places in which to nurture boys and girls as [[Jesus]]' [[home]] in [[Galilee]] and [[John Mark]]'s home in [[Judea]], albeit the [[acceptance]] of [[Jesus]]' [[gospel]] will result in the [[immediate]] improvement of [[home]] life. The [[love]] life of a [[wise]] home and the [[loyal]] [[devotion]] of [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Paper_101#101:1._TRUE_RELIGION true religion] exert a [[profound]] [[reciprocal]] [[influence]] upon each other. Such a [[home]] life enhances [[religion]], and [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Paper_99#99:4._TRANSITION_DIFFICULTIES genuine religion] always [[glorifies]] the [[home]].

177:2.7 It is true that many of the objectionable stunting influences and other cramping features of these olden Jewish homes have been virtually eliminated from many of the better-regulated modern homes. There is, indeed, more spontaneous freedom and far more personal liberty, but this liberty is not restrained by love, motivated by loyalty, nor directed by the intelligent discipline of wisdom. As long as we teach the child to pray, " Our Father who is in heaven, " a tremendous responsibility rests upon all earthly fathers so to live and order their homes that the word father becomes worthily enshrined in the minds and hearts of all growing children.

177:2.7 It is true that many of the objectionable stunting [[influences]] and other cramping features of these olden [[Jewish]] [[homes]] have been [[virtually]] eliminated from many of the better-regulated [[modern]] [[homes]]. There is, indeed, more [[spontaneous]] [[freedom]] and far more [[personal]] [[liberty]], but this liberty is not restrained by [[love]], [[motivated]] by [[loyalty]], nor directed by the [[intelligent]] [[discipline]] of [[wisdom]]. As long as we teach the child to [[pray]], " [[Our Father]] who is in [[heaven]], " a tremendous [[responsibility]] rests upon all [[earth]]ly [[fathers]] so to live and order their [[homes]] that the [[word]] father becomes worthily [[enshrined]] in the [[minds]] and [[hearts]] of all [[growing]] [[children]].

==177:3. THE DAY AT CAMP==

==177:3. THE DAY AT CAMP==