The house in which Jesus lived had only one room with a dirt floor. It had no window except a hole in the wall; no bedstead, no chair, no pictures, no looking-glass. The people in these poor houses ate their meals from a low bench or shelf as they sat or reclined upon the floor or upon cushions. They slept upon quilts spread on the floor at night and neatly folded up by day. The only furniture was a chest or cupboard on one side of the room, where they kept their best clothes. Near the door stood the jar of water for drinking, cooking, and cleansing.
WHEN JESUS WAS A BOY
When Jesus was a boy he wore a bright, red coat with long sleeves and tied around his waist with a sash of different colors. When he was very little he wore no shoes or stockings. Later he wore little sandals. Sandals were taken off when people entered a house. Perhaps it was easier for a boy then to take off his sandals than to wipe his shoes on the door-mat as boys should do now. But these boys had to wash their feet as they came indoors, and perhaps that would be harder for a boy who doesn’t like to wash even his hands when he comes into the house now.
When Jesus was five years old he began to attend the village school with other boys. After school was over he loved to play games with the other boys around the village fountain or upon the level place on the hillside. He played “funeral” and “wedding” and many games such as boys play now. He used to climb to the top of the green hills gathering wildflowers, watching the birds, and perhaps sometimes he would chase the butterflies, but if he caught them he would never hurt them. He helped his mother feed the doves and the chickens, often laughing heartily as he saw the chicks run to hide under the mother’s wings.
Every Sabbath he went to the village synagogue, which was the same place as the day-school. He listened attentively to the minister reading and explaining the Bible. After the synagogue service all the children stayed to the Bible school. All the children sat on the dirt floor and listened to the Old Testament read and explained. Boys, like Jesus, were glad to learn a great deal of the Bible by heart and then to repeat it from memory.
Jesus’ father, Joseph, was the village carpenter. He made and repaired stools, mangers, plows, yokes, and such things for the home and farm. Jesus doubtless loved to be in the carpenter shop, helping Joseph by bringing saw and hammer, holding a board, and learning all he could. Jesus and Joseph were chums and partners, always trying to help each other. We may imagine that one day Jesus saw an Arab in the village making a tent. When Jesus got home he said, “I would like to have a tent.” So Joseph helped him, and he soon learned to smooth and sharpen the pegs, sew cloth together, and when at last the tent was finished and put out in the garden, no boy was ever happier lying under his own tent that his own hands had made, than Jesus was. One day, perhaps, Joseph took Jesus over to the lake, where they went fishing. What fun that was to Jesus, as well as the rowing and sailing and swimming in the lake! When he got home he said, “Let us make a little boat for little brother.” So they made a nice boat and gave it as a plaything to amuse his little brother.
Often his mother called, “Jesus, please get some water in the jars.” Jesus started on the minute. He never said, “Oh pshaw! ask brother!” or “I don’t want to!” or “Wait a minute!” No, Jesus went at once, and more often saw what was wanted to be done and did it without waiting to be told.
Jesus was the kind of boy that helps everybody. So everybody liked Jesus. He studied his lessons well. He always played fair with the boys. He was kind and loving and good to all. He loved everybody, and everything he did he did with his whole heart and tried to do well.
In the evening his father and mother often gathered the children together and told them the beautiful stories from the Bible—and Jesus loved especially those about Abraham and Joseph and Samuel and David and Daniel.