Early Childhood Experiences

“Experiences between birth and age 5 matter significantly to children's long-term emotional and psychological health, and changing these experiences for the better pays dividends, according to an editorial and several new reports in the May (2010) issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.” (Science Daily, May 7, 2010)

Have you ever considered the effects of the events of Jesus’ early life on him as he grew up?  Though some of these events are recorded, e.g. the slaying of the children in Bethlehem, the sojourn in Egypt, and the move back to Nazareth, there is very little to suggest the effects these events had on Jesus. But, we would be foolish to believe they had no effect on him.

I have snapshots in my head of events that happened in my life before the age of 2. These snapshots come mostly in the form of stories that I repeatedly heard growing up, an in a few cases the photographs that recorded the events. One photo that was particularly fortuitous was of me sitting in a pink bathtub on the back porch, and two snapshots in quick succession of me biting a cat’s tale as he ran by. Now, this wasn’t particularly traumatic (well the pink bathtub is troubling) for me since I don’t like cats much anyway, but I am sure the cat would have different memory of this event. Another memory I have is staying with my aunt Lois and her three daughters (my cousins) for a few days while my mother had some surgery when I was about a year old. I was told I would grab their hairpins, run to the far corner of my baby bed, gleefully exclaiming, “Can’t get, get.” I smile to think of this.

So what effect did the slaying of the babies in Bethlehem have on Jesus? What effect did the visit by an angel have on Jesus? What effect did fleeing to and living in Egypt have on Jesus? What effect did the long journey back to Nazareth have on him, and the fear that was associated with all these events? We don’t know, but we know He lived through these, and surely heard stories about them as he grew up. It was part of his human history. It was part of his life story. Though he was too young to understand, these events are significant and traumatic in the lives of Joseph and Mary. They were deeply affected by them. It is a big deal for a ruthless king to put out a “hit” on your baby! This king was no less than Herod the Great, a man who had his own children and wife killed to preserve his power.

The word “fear” seems appropriate to characterize the state of mind of this young family. There was much to be afraid of. A study conducted at King’s College in London and published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in 2015 concludes that children who grow up in an atmosphere of anxiety tend to be more anxious. The stated results of the study are: For both anxiety and neuroticism, the models provide support for significant direct environmental transmission from parents to their adolescent offspring.

What was Jesus exposed to as a young child? How did this affect his view of the world? Did these experiences make him more vulnerable in some situations? Do these questions make you uncomfortable? Remember the Hebrew writer’s words: “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity…” (2:14) Again, “He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he Himself is subject to weakness.” (3:2) So when someone who lived in fear said to Jesus, “You could not understand” he might say, “Did you ever have a hit put out on your head by the most powerful king in our land?”