This past week, I spent a few hours at the Henry Ford Museum with three of my grandchildren and their parents. The museum has been hosting a hockey display for several weeks, and families with young hockey players were anxious to see it before it left the museum. Two of the three grandchildren play hockey. The special display, called “HOCKEY: Faster Than Ever,” promises to take viewers on a journey through the evolution of ice hockey.
At ages 10 and 7, my grandchildren persistently test boundaries established by their parents. They frequently headed in three different directions, each with their own idea of where the family should go next.
As a grandparent, I had the best seat in the house as I watched my oldest daughter deal with strong, independently minded children who reminded me of her at that age.
We all go through it. Each year of growth brings new opportunities to discover our likes and dislikes as we settle on a suitable answer to the question, “Who am I?” We also learn how to deal with the ups and downs of not always getting our way. We discover people other than parents to turn to when things don’t go our way or we’re stressed from anticipation of what may come.
One post-Christmas story from Luke reminds us that Jesus was once a child. Luke reminds us that Jesus grew up in a family that observed Jewish law. In particular, his family made pilgrimages to Jerusalem for various religious holidays. Experts estimate such a trip would have taken four or five days, and the family would travel in a caravan with extended and other families.
At the time, Jesus was a couple of years older than my oldest grandchild. Nevertheless, at the age of twelve, Jesus was still a child. According to Jewish custom, a male child became a man and embraced the traditions of his ancestors at the age of thirteen.
After the celebrations and the family packed up and left for home, Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without the permission or knowledge of His parents. It took a while before His parents discovered Jesus was not with them. Understandably, the reaction of Mary and Joseph reflected how one would expect parents to respond.
While Luke doesn’t say they panicked, I know I would, given the circumstances. The parents returned to Jerusalem to search for their missing son. Luke tells us they searched for three days before finding Jesus at the Temple, sitting with some teachers, discussing deep questions with them, and amazing everyone with his understanding and answers.
Jesus’ parents responded the way my parents responded to me when I was twelve and wandered off. The streets of Memphis, in the neighborhood where we lived, were no place for a twelve-year-old to wander around.
But why did you need to search?” asked Jesus. “Didn’t you know that I had to be in my Father’s house?” But His parents didn’t understand.
Luke 2:49-50
His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son!” his mother said, “Why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”
Those of us reading this story centuries later aren’t surprised that at a young age, Jesus had an uncanny insight into ancient texts. After all, we reason that Jesus was the Son of God.
But what if you are the parent of a twelve-year-old who has you worried sick? His parents were worried and exasperated. However, they discovered something else about their son that most parents are delighted to learn. Jesus is very bright for his age, but he is still a twelve-year-old.
Then Luke tells us that Jesus questioned their need to search for him. “Why did you need to search?” Jesus asked. “Didn’t you realize that I would be here at the Temple?”
Again, this makes perfect sense to believers. Of course, Jesus would be in his Father’s house.
But for His parents — “Huh?” sums up their response. Nevertheless, Luke tells us that his mother hid this incident in her heart while waiting for her son’s life story to unfold. The reactions of Mary and Joseph are true to life; what parents cannot emphasize with their distress?
Hidden in Jesus’ response to His parents are his pronouncements of the necessity of what He was doing. In several translations, Jesus said to His parents, “Didn’t you know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” This statement suggests an awareness of God’s purpose that makes the fulfillment of certain activities imperative. Jesus’ life was bound to God’s purpose.
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This is a reminder that we publish this newsletter called the Circuit Rider each week. You can request this publication by email. Send a request to FlintAsburyUMC@gmail.com or let us know when you send a message through our website. We post an archive of past editions on our website under the tab Connect – choose Newsletters.
Pastor Tommy
Parts of our series are inspired by the Reverend Dawn Darwin Weak. Daring to Connect: Advent as Adventure. Danvers, MA: Chalice Press, 2024.