'Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.
Matthew 10:28 - 31
Needless to say, childhood in antiquity was very unlike today[1]. Childhood was often seen as a liminal period of life before adulthood and responsibility. And for the children of the poor, life could be, but was not always, harsh. Infant mortality in 1st century Palestine was close to 30% by age one. With a few exceptions, most Jewish families were poor, usually subsistent on essential skills, labouring, maintaining small crops, pasturing small herds of goats, fishing. Land was passed from generation to generation in a patrilineal and patriarchal society not dissimilar to their Roman overlords. Jesus' formation as a child was probably similar to others of his time.
Jewish parents were obliged to: Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:6 - 9).
Children then were definitely seen and not heard. They contributed to the economy of the family, through work, carrying water, firewood, shepherding and girls would, in addition, take their part in the daily preparation of meals. As a boy, Jesus would have attended his local synagogue where he would have studied under his rabbi (teacher) moving through the various levels until adulthood. Jesus would speak Aramaic, be literate in Hebrew and likely when engaging in commercial activities converse in Greek and possibly had a working knowledge of Latin.
Matthew recalls Joseph as a builder/carpenter (13:54f), while Mark refers to Jesus as carpenter (6:3) and it is thus possible to conclude that Jesus himself was a carpenter, apprenticed at a young age to Joseph - in addition to his studies and other duties.
Times may change, and the challenges of childhood and adolescence have become even more complex with technology, fragile familial/parental relationships, student debt, addictions of all kinds, mental health.
But every child should know that they are loved. Every child should hear that they are special. And while there isn't really a 'but' - not every child can or will be a princess or a prince. Someone will always have to clean up after them, and keeping princesses and princes happy and indulged is a terminal activity. It can't and won't last, but damage can be done. In modern parlance they have every chance of joining the entitled.
What indeed makes us special is not so much our marvellous humour, stunning good looks, our exceptional interpersonal skills, our improbably amazing cooking, our incredible artistic flair, but it is that we are known and loved by our God. Could there be anything more persuasive than knowing how much we are valued, and how intimately he knows us? Do you know how many hairs are on your head?
We need to know how we must build up strong generations of independent mind, versed in a diversity of cultures, skilled in engaging in broad conversations, deep relationships and inquisitive about our role in maintaining our fragile earth.
The one who loves us so much knows you through and through - and not in the sense that your every thought is spied on, but that body and soul (your whole being) is are taken up into his care. It is generous, unselfish, and prodigal.
Ask a parent who has lost a child. This goes some way to express the outpouring of love God has for each one of us. It is sweet. Incomparable. Painful. Joyful.
So, we seek to teach our children what is important, so let them contribute to the work of the home, show them the value of what you do in your job, give them the opportunity to expand their minds with a knowledge of languages and culture, aware of the patrimony of our sacred texts, honoured thinkers and writers, composers, musicians, engineers, scientists and leaders and to value learning itself, allow them to see what deep, loving relationships look like, how vulnerability and transparency are as necessary as strength and courage.
Peter Douglas
[1] See: Reidar Aasgaard, Children in Antiquity and Early Christianity: Research History and Central Issues in Familia 33 (2006) pp 23-46.
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