Ecclesiastes 3:1,7b
1 ….For everything, there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
7b. ...A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
I find it interesting that we know nearly nothing concerning Jesus’ childhood. In the infinite wisdom of God, having this episode of Jesus’ childhood as the lone example speaks to timing and providence more so than to a simple historic rendering of young Jesus. The Bible simply records that at the age of twelve, Jesus spoke.
Luke 2: 39-40
39 When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. 40 There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.
This portion of the lesson directs us to the type of parents Joseph and Mary were. They took the responsibility of parenthood seriously. You must first observe that they followed the letter of the Law in raising the child Jesus. No shortcuts. No time off. Both had been instructed by God that the son they were rearing was not theirs, but that he was begotten of God and that he would be the Messiah, the hope of all Israel.
You can also see the fruit of their labor. The Bible says that Jesus was healthy and strong. That speaks to the care with which they raised Jesus. They made sure his physical and mental needs were met. The Bible also says about the child Jesus that he was filled with wisdom and that God’s favor was upon him. That’s a little harder to pin down. You see, in order for these characteristics to be observed requires a spiritual component: discernment.
Ecclesiastes 3:11a
Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart,
Spiritual discernment is normally reserved for the spiritually mature. What you can surmise then is that these character traits, wisdom, and God’s favor, were observed by the elders in Jesus’ community. Growing up, there were elders around us who recognized our particular talents. Some could draw, some could sing, some showed athletic promise, some showed intellectual acumen. When elders in the community saw those talents, they encouraged us and… they remembered. Not only would they remember, but they reminded us that we had a seed of greatness within us. Discernment. Luke would have had to have interviewed some aunts and uncles; some older relatives to get that information
Luke 2:41-45
41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. 43 After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, 44 because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends.
Mark 6:3
3 Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary[a] and the brother of James, Joseph,[b] Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.
Allow me to add flavor to the episode of Jesus becoming separated from his parents on the trip home from the Passover celebration. Twelve-year-old Jesus had younger siblings. Mark and Matthew identify four of Jesus’ brothers by name and they both mention that Jesus had sisters (plural) as well. So with this in mind, be reminded that Jesus, the eldest of Joseph and Mary’s children has also gained a reputation as someone who is both strong and wise. Subsequently, it’s understandable that both mom and dad trusted him and may have given him more leeway and less direct supervision. Especially when there are younger siblings to care for.
Luke 2: 46-50
45 When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. 46 Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
48 His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”
49 “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?”[a] 50 But they didn’t understand what he meant.
Imagine their anguish when Jesus is suddenly unaccounted for. The anxiety as they begin to backtrack to Jerusalem in search of Mary’s firstborn son. Imagine their relief and growing astonishment as they return to Jerusalem and are directed to the Temple where Jesus has been recently seen. Then, as they approach the portico where the religious leaders visit to debate the scriptures and the events of the day, what are they to think when they see Jesus, sitting calmly in the midst of these august leaders of the nation of Israel. Relief? Gratitude? Consternation? All of these emotions and so many more …. in an instant. “Jesus! Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.” Note Jesus’ response: “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
My Father’s house. Did you hear that? My. Father’s. House. Was it always this hard to get Jesus out of the synagogue on every Sabbath? I don’t know. What I do know is that he feels entirely at home in the Temple. Every column, every vessel, every ornament, everything in the Temple must speak to Jesus’ subconscious in unimaginable ways. It must so remind him of ...home.
“In the first place..”
Did you know that the phrase, “In the first place..” is actually a mnemonic; a memory prompter the ancient Romans would use to help them remember and deliver speeches. They would imagine a house of many rooms, then mentally place a portion of the speech in each room. When delivering the speech, they would mentally picture each room individually, thus prompting themselves to remember each part of the speech as mentally moved from room to room. Imagine then, what Jesus might have experienced as he moved around the Temple.
Luke: 2:51-52
51 Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.
52 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.
Proverbs 1:8-9
8 My child, listen when your father corrects you.
Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
9 What you learn from them will crown you with grace
and be a chain of honor around your neck
Let me close with a couple of thoughts: God was not finished with Joseph and Mary. The last two verses indicate that Jesus had more learning and growing yet to do under their tutelage, not the tutelage of Israel’s religious leaders. What did Jesus learn about Love in their home? What may he have earned about Faith and Hope? How may he have seen Grace exemplified in their humble abode in Galilee? After all, a loving home should be where all of those spiritual graces are first encountered.
ADDENDUM:
John 7:10
10 But after his brothers left for the festival, Jesus also went,...
If I were preaching this message. I would take a moment to add to my appreciation of the parenting of Joseph and Mary. After all, Jesus had four brothers, and scripture records that they were devout in their observance of the religious festivals. Where did they learn that? In the same house where Jesus was raised. I’ll further support that point by observing that two of Jesus’ brothers are forever canonized in Scripture. That’s right, both James and Jude have writings in Scripture that guide and comfort the Church to this day. Looks like God had a plan for them too. It had to be developed in the house of Joseph and Mary. What a testament to the unwavering commitment to godly parenting…. Selah
-wb
Oh my. Now I can relate. Love it!
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