Luke 2:44 – 51 “Thinking he was in their company they traveled on for a day. They then began looking for him, among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him they went back to Jerusalem to look for him………….Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them…….”
It was about 18 years ago. I was in a department store with my daughter looking at some clothes. She was right there with me. I looked up at some clothes on an upper rack for just a few seconds. When I turned around, she was gone. Immediate panic. I yelled out to her but no response. I started looking around the area I was in but could not find her. It had only been a few seconds but I was quickly moving from desperation to panic. Then out of the corner of my eye I see these two tiny feet standing in the middle of a circular clothing display behind the clothes. I could hear giggling. She had to decided to play hide-n-seek.
At that age she didn’t know any better. I pulled the clothes back to find her smiling face. She saw the look on my face and knew something wasn’t right. I’ve never seen a smile drop from a face so quickly. I took her and held her tight while we had a very serious talk about how department stores and places of public were not the right time or place to play hide-n-seek. For the next several months, anytime we went shopping together, we would play a quick game of hide-n-seek just to bring the point home.
This is every parents nightmare. Turning around and realizing your child is missing. You get anxious and look everywhere around you. No sign of them and anxiety quickly turns from desperation to panic.
I would imagine that this is exactly what Mary and Joseph felt in Luke 2. They had been attending the annual Feast of Passover. Jerusalem was a busy place and it appears that Jesus, Mary, and Joseph had traveled to Jerusalem with a larger group to attend the feast. When it was over they headed home and with such a large group, thought that Jesus was with them. Jesus is missing and the panic of realizing he wasn’t with them sets in.
They were in the role of parents, yet responsible for raising the Son of God. I wonder if Mary or Joseph at any point asked themselves “Oh my gosh, we have lost the Son of God! God is really going to be ticked off!”
Jesus was their son. They quickly make the trek back into Jerusalem. In their minds that entire time wondering, worrying, not knowing where he was. Imagine their desperation. No cell phones to call ahead. Three days he was missing.
As we know they eventually arrived in Jerusalem found Jesus. They, however, could not believe what they saw. Jesus apparently had been in the Temple for that entire time having adult conversations with the religious leaders of the area, both asking questions and giving answers about his “Father”. He had amazed not only his parents but the spiritual leaders as well. All at around 12 years of age.
Joseph and Mary were his parents. Mary asked what any parent would ask, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I were worried about you!” Jesus response was almost a response of surprise. As if expecting that his parents would understand where he was and how to find him any time they came to Jerusalem. In his “Fathers House”. I find it interesting that we are told Joseph and Mary did not understand what he was saying to them with this response. Didn’t they understand and know he was the Son of God? Had they forgotten his purpose. I wonder how Joseph felt hearing his son say “my Fathers House?” Maybe they got caught up in the day to day role of living, being parents, and just getting by that it totally slipped their minds sometimes who this child was?
It does seem as if Joseph and Mary at times struggled with balancing the difference of being parents to Jesus and parents to the Son of God. It was almost like they both understood what this meant (Jesus birth) but then sometimes weren’t sure. Being given the role of raising the Son of God is a tall order.
Jesus was also entering his teenage years. Working as a youth director for many years this was always my favorite age group. So young. Beginning to want that independence as a person. Still a child emotionally, but thinking they can conquer the world. At an age between being a child and an adult. This is where Jesus was in his youth. He wasn’t being disobedient. Just a teen. If he didn’t experience being a teen and having gone through the challenges and changes a teen goes through how could he relate to us as people? Haven’t all parents faced this same situation with their teens? “OK young lady, where were you and why didn’t you let me know you were going over there?” This usually followed witha response something like “Gees dad (or mom), its no big deal! I just forgot!”
Jesus final response though is interesting. In verse 51 we read that immediately after this event he went with them to Nazareth and “was obedient to them.”
Wow, this child, the Son of God, realizing how his actions affected his parents and making adjustments in his life to not cause them any more heartache and panic.
I think we all at times struggle where to put God in our lives, just like Mary and Joseph struggled with their role as both parents and this child being the Son of God. Even as Jesus did in realizing the position this put them in as well. Do we always make him first in our lives? What other things get in the way with our relationship with him? Do we treat our relationship with him like one of a true friend and companion or like someone that looks down over us watching and judging our every move? Are we really in a relationship based on freedom or a relationship tied to a list of rules of do’s and don’ts?
I find verse 51 actually very freeing. Jesus recognizing where Joseph and Mary were in their relationship with him and then making the adjustments needed to make it work. I think he does the same for us. Recognizing where we are and understanding that position we have at that point in time in our relationship. Then making adjustments and guiding us as we need him to in our lives. He meets us where we are and takes us where we need to go. Never forcing with a my way or the highway mindset. But always supporting, meeting us at our pace, understanding, adjusting. No matter how strong or frustrating our walk with him may be. He works with us and not against us, patiently guiding us along in our journey.
That to me is a real friend.