Importance of the Early Home Life 

Family life is crucial for developing essential moral qualities such as patience, altruism, tolerance, and forbearance. Early home life provides the foundation for understanding relationships. It is where children first learn about love, loyalty, and responsibility. This understanding is vital for developing healthy social interactions and a strong moral compass. The home is the "master civilizer" and is crucial in shaping children who can contribute meaningfully to society and embrace their spiritual heritage.

Jesus recognized a parallel between his upbringing and the ideal home environment. Jesus' home in Galilee and John Mark's home in Judea are examples of nurturing environments that fostered strong, balanced moral character, self-reliance, and loyalty. The principles of love, wisdom, and devotion found in these homes are foundational for raising children who can be considered trustworthy. The Jewish homes in Jesus' time were known for their systematic program of rearing and educating children. Jesus told John Mark that he was much more dependable and that his whole afterlife would be happier because he spent his first eight years in a normal, well-regulated home. The Master knew John Mark would become a "mighty messenger of the kingdom."

Contrasting these examples is the early childhood home of Judas Iscariot, the betrayer, who was an only child of wealthy parents. His young, impressionable years were characterized by excessive pampering and a lack of discipline, contributing to his negative character traits, including resentment, suspicion, and a desire for revenge. He was spoiled and was given an unhealthy sense of self-importance. Judas was even abandoned and disowned by his parents when he followed John the Baptist. While his environment posed challenges, Judas’ decisions and actions were ultimately shaped by his personal choices and spiritual struggles, reflecting the interplay of free will and character development.

John Mark's young friend Amos, who had been prevented from accompanying Jesus and the apostles as John Mark had been permitted, was overprotected to the point where important life experiences were missed. Jesus felt he could not guarantee that Amos would be trustworthy when the time for difficult decisions came based upon his upbringing. Jesus counseled, "Love is the supreme reality of the universe when bestowed by all-wise beings, but it is a dangerous and often semi-selfish trait as it is manifested in the experience of mortal parents. Make sure that your love is admonished by wisdom and guided by intelligence."

Jesus had a personal relationship with each one of his siblings, and he was successful in getting along with his brothers and sisters. He became more than a brother; he was a father figure for them after Joseph's accidental death when Jesus was fourteen years old. In terms of relationships, he got along excellently with James and Miriam (the two older children) and the youngest, Amos and Ruth. (Ruth was born after Joseph died, and little Amos died as a toddler.) Jesus also got along fairly well with Martha. His trouble at home primarily arose from friction with his brothers Joseph and Jude, particularly Jude. Jesus loved the children, and the children loved him. He created a sandbox with wood blocks and shavings for them to play outside the repair shop. He never hesitated to stop work briefly to tell the children a story.

As time passed, Jesus was increasingly tactful, always compassionate, and considerate of the welfare and happiness of his brothers and sisters, even when they suffered financial hardship and other difficulties. Jesus began wise discipline upon his brothers and sisters at such an early age that little or no punishment was ever required to secure their prompt and wholehearted obedience. The only exception was Jude, who, on certain occasions, Jesus found it necessary to impose penalties for breaking the rules of their home. On three occasions when it was wise to punish Jude for his confessed and deliberate violations of the family rules, his punishment was fixed by the unanimous decree of the older children and was agreed to by Jude himself before it was imposed. Family meetings and communication were vital to maintaining a happy home. Open dialogue and the sharing of ideas and concerns were encouraged.

Jesus' personal approach of persuasion and nonresistance was encouraged but was not a rule of the family. Jude was a fighter and did not settle down to work right away. Jude was arrested on his first trip to Jerusalem, and Jesus spent a night with him in jail because he would not leave his side. On the way home, Jesus had a long talk with Jude, and Jude decided to tell the family himself. The boy ran away a couple of times, and some in the family wanted to cast him out, but Jesus always advised that they extend love and patience, which eventually won over the lad after he found work that he liked. He even began to contribute to the family expenses and became an admirer of his oldest brother.

Jesus approved of education for all of the children, and since there was no school for the girls, they provided home schooling for them. The older children took a younger child under their guidance and each child had chores for which they were responsible. A young child was taken under the wing of the mother for home chores, and the father took a more active guidance with education, career choices, and the growing responsibilities of young adulthood. Jesus liked the idea of moving to a farm, but they could not afford it, so they had plenty of animals to care for and also sold dairy products. Jesus spent a great deal of his spare time with each member of his family, taking strolls in nature when he wasn't working. Jesus also rented a considerable piece of land just to the north of their home, which was divided up as a family garden plot. Each of the older children had an individual garden, and they entered into keen competition in their agricultural efforts.

Part of the education of the family was teaching responsibility. Jesus taught his siblings that they had a responsibility to contribute to the home and their mother as long as she lived. Jesus had fully trained James to assume leadership of the family before he set out on his travels and teaching mission. Through a sum of money Jesus earned after leaving the family home, he provided a home purchased in Capernaum for his mother, Mary, while she lived. This selfless loyalty to parents, home, and family was crucial in work, civic responsibility, and home dynamics. Even with financial security, wisdom is needed to teach children responsibility and resourcefulness in times of need that may arise.

Even though James assumed leadership of the home and the family repair shop, he eventually trained his younger sibling Joseph to assume the duties when he fell in love and wanted to marry. Jesus continued to send money and gifts even though they didn't require his assistance. The older children still came to Jesus for the blessing to be married. After Joseph's death, Jesus was always considered the head of the family. After Jesus' resurrection, he appeared to his family and spoke with his brother James about working with the apostles to continue their ministry. James did so, working with Peter at the Jerusalem church until the city's fall to the Romans in 70 CE.

Jesus also encouraged his siblings to have a personal relationship with God, to embrace fatherly affection, and to speak to God from their hearts. After their father’s death, Jesus tried to teach the older children to express themselves individually in prayer, much as he enjoyed doing. However, they struggled to move beyond memorized prayer forms. To help them, Jesus offered suggestive phrases to guide their prayers, and over time, these suggestions evolved into a shared family prayer. Eventually, Jesus formalized this prayer by writing it down on a cedar board. This prayer, later known as "The Lord's Prayer," became the standard family petition. Years later, his apostles received the same prayer when they asked what they should teach the masses.

Families reap benefits and suffer the consequences for all members. In a large family, a misbehaving child will work a temporary hardship upon all the other well-behaved children. This is the reality of being a member of a family group. Each member of a family profits from the righteous conduct of every other member; likewise, each member often suffers the immediate consequences of the misconduct of every other member. Families, groups, nations, races, worlds, systems, and universes are relationships of association that possess individuality and free will; therefore, every member may reap the benefits and suffer the consequences of the right-doing and the wrongdoing of all other group members.

Human conduct reflects the interplay of environment, education, and inheritance as factors in character development. While heredity provides the foundation of personality potential, an ideal inheritance can be undermined by a poor environment or ineffective guidance. Conversely, a good environment may struggle to fully compensate for severe hereditary limitations. Inferior surroundings can temporarily obscure the potential of a strong inheritance, especially in the early years. However, as individuals mature, particularly by the age of twenty-five, the inherent strengths of a superb inheritance often begin to emerge.

Civilization’s protection of children from the natural consequences of foolish conduct contributes to modern insubordination. The rising tide of self-gratification threatens family life stability. It is essential that we provide good homes for the children we bring into this world, for with them our future depends, our civilization's success, and the future hope for our world.