God and Men

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

GOD AND MEN

Luke 2:41-52

41 Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. 43 After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you." 49 "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?"  50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them. 51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

NIV

Here we are at one of the more well know narratives about Jesus, as if any of the them surrounding Jesus are not well known, but nevertheless this is one which seems to be remembered easily. The family goes up for the feast and as usual a group travels together, the larger family unit along with friends. Jesus finds his way to the temple courts sitting among the teachers. These are men well versed in the laws of Moses and the Prophets, yet they all were amazed at his understanding and his answers evidently to questions that were posed to him. It does seem odd that teachers of the law would even ask a twelve year old any questions. Yet at the same time according to the Law of Moses he must have had his Bar Mitzvah, being twelve, as it was the age in which a boy becomes a man, and accountable to God instead of under the accountability of his father. So the teachers of the law would have accepted him as a man able to speak his mind regarding spiritual matters. Of course we know he was Jesus the Son of God and understand why they were amazed at his understanding. There is a life lesson in there, in the way that we too should be able to communicate regarding the scriptures to those we have the opportunity to speak with, even the teachers of the church. We should also note that Jesus was already full of the Spirit as he was also God in the flesh. But the lesson here is that if we are full of the Spirit we too will have the understanding and will amaze those who hear us speak on spiritual matters. There is also the lesson that we should be found, at no surprise in our Father’s house or business, which some translations use. Although both are added for clarification. The Greek text just says, about my Fathers must I be. Yet the lesson is that we should be about our Fathers, which certainly implies business. And what is our Fathers business? He came to save that which is lost. Our Father desires to reconcile himself to his creation. This he has accomplished through Jesus being our redeemer, the lamb of God, the sacrifice for our sin. This is what the Fathers business is and this is what we should be about. Telling people about Jesus, communicating in such a manner they will be amazed at our understanding and our answers. The third lesson is in what we are told about Jesus. He grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men. Can we expect any less from Jesus? And if we say we want to be more like Jesus, then can we expect any less from ourselves? Should we not be growing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men?