I don’t think that we need to have, say, examples of how Jesus cleaned his room without being told, how Mary gave the local women tips on being a “total woman”, or how Joseph outlined a 12 step plan to being a better dad.
I think that we already have plenty of evidence of the Holy Family demonstrating ideal family life virtues.
When Joseph had to go to the census, Mary, though far along in the pregnancy, went with him. Shows that they thought of themselves as a couple, even a “family” with the impending birth of a child. Though they wound up in a stable, Mary was prepared with the swaddling clothes. . .obviously, made by her or her family. Shows domestic capability even under less than “ideal”-- even downright awful–conditions. When shepherds and wise men came to see the baby, both Joseph and Mary acted with great courtesy and hospitality, again, under less than “ideal” situations. . .temporarily in a shelter not even their own. How many people can accept help gracefully, and not whine or complain or otherwise try to puff themselves up, instead of surrendering humbly and thinking more of others?
When Herod was searching for the child to kill him, the Lord sent Joseph to Egypt for at least a couple of years (they returned after the death of Herod). Here’s a refugee poor family with an infant traveling to a foreign country and managing to make a decent living and bring a child through the first few years of life–historically speaking, the most dangerous years for a child. What was childhood mortality at that time, especially for the poor or displaced–at least 50%–but we know from Scripture that Jesus grew and “throve”. . .a child cannot take care of himself, so that “thriving” was because of the work of his parents.
When the family returned to Nazareth Joseph went back to work as a carpenter. Jesus was “the carpenter’s son”. Carpentry was a good trade, a carpenter was a respected craftsman. Certainly Joseph modeled a good “work ethic” to his son.
As far as the “only child”. . .we know that Mary had sisters, and that those sisters had children, cousins of Jesus, both older and younger. Jesus had plenty of playmates. We know that his kinspeople later “worried” about him, as his ministry took off. It is as likely that they worried because the “fame” looked OUT OF CHARACTER to Jesus, who while intelligent enough to astound learned doctors of religion when he was only 12, was yet MODEST enough not to parade around town demonstrating it. This young man, living with his hardworking father and humble, spiritual, but capable mother (remember who wove Jesus’s robe SEAMLESSLY, so that when He was crucified the soldiers didn’t want to tear it, but to throw dice so one lucky man could WEAR it–yep, the weaver was Mary), surrounded by family and friends (one of whom later invited him to that wedding in Cana), living a modest life. . .well, 30 years of obscurity in a little village probably SHOULDN’T have produced a man who proceeded to electrify the world with messages that sounded, well, divine. His actions shouldn’t have been so. . .so controversial yet so right and true. And yet–all that quiet, peaceful, normal, obedient, God-centered, humble life was really the preparation, the background, the FOUNDATION of Jesus’s ministry. He was thoroughly human and He had a thoroughly normal, ordinary human life. . .but because of the character of his parents AND their actions in raising Him, He is an example of perfect childhood, youth, and maturity.
Even when Jesus was left in Jerusalem, and His parents searched for Him, did you notice how Mary and Joseph reacted? When they found Jesus, did they scream and berate Him? Mary said, “Son, why have you done this? Your father and I have been searching for you in sorrow?” She ASKS Him WHY He did what He did, instead of criticizing HIM, or second-guessing Him. She trusted that He had a REASON, that He will GIVE a reason. And He does, “Why were you searching? Did you not know that I would be about My Father’s business?” Mary and Joseph do not UNDERSTAND the reason thoroughly, but they ACCEPT the reason with absolutely no hesitation and He went right back to Nazareth with them, obeying them, and advancing “in wisdom, grace and favor with God and men”.
Oh, we have plenty of evidence. We have to dig a little deeper perhaps, contemplate, work “forwards and backwards” by noting Jesus’s character in His ministry, the way that the apostles acted toward His mother and other family members (always to His mom with reverence, to family members with love even when the family members disagreed or misunderstood). We see that one of Jesus’s last actions was to arrange to have His Mother protected and cared for by “the disciple whom He loved”. . .a last loving action from a very loving Son, a last example of filial piety. . .a last example from the God/Man who lived, with His family, according to God’s commandments, ALL the commandments.
