«And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men» (Luke. 2:52).
Being born as a human being, Jesus went through all the stages of development that all our children have to go through to grow. However, we are told that «His mind was active and penetrating, with a thoughtfulness and wisdom beyond His years » (The Desire of Ages, ch. 7, p. 68). His character was beautiful and His intellect and His body developed according to the laws of childhood.
His little hands were always ready to serve. Nothing disturbed His patience, and His truthfulness never sacrificed integrity. He was courteous and of firm principles.
Mary watched with deep interest how His faculties were developing and saw the perfection of His character. She tried to stimulate His mind, and the Holy Spirit gave her wisdom to work together with the angels in the development of this very special Child.
Jesus learned about heaven from Mary and from the scrolls of the prophets. He studied what He Himself had created. He loved nature and looked in it for ways to teach things to others.
«The aged, the sorrowing, and the sin-burdened, the children at play in their innocent joy, the little creatures of the groves, the patient beasts of burden, —all were happier for His presence. He whose word of power upheld the worlds would stoop to relieve a wounded bird. There was nothing beneath His notice, nothing to which He disdained to minister» (ibid, p. 74).
We do not know what Jesus’s first babbling was like, when He took His first steps, how His first teeth fell, but we know that He was a kind child who had available to Him the means that could be used to educate children today, as well.
Mary kept all these things in her heart and left us an excellent example of the teaching she gave Him and the hope that, joined with those of heaven, the efforts of mothers may have, as a result, children of good for humanity.
You surely know children, have little siblings or nieces or nephews. You are also responsible for their education and you can do everything on your part to make your communication with them be formative and a blessing. You can teach them things about nature and about God; songs, lessons and values that will be engraved for eternity.
Just like Jesus, you can behave in such a way that everyone will be happy in your presence, as well. Those may be the first indications of your relationship with Him.
