The Boy Jesus

 

Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:41-52 ESV).

 

Our reading fast forwards to a time later than that moment when Simeon holds Jesus in his arms and declares the hope he has found. Jesus is teaching in the Temple at twelve years old at this time. Of course, this was an unusual occurrence; however, there was little about Jesus that could be deemed “usual.” This does not indicate that He did not have a normal human life, He did. However, it is indicative that with His humanity there was something entirely different than any other child his parents had ever known. I can easily imagine that this twelve-year-old Jesus scared the wits out of his parents. This is especially true in that they think they’ve lost him—the holy child that God entrusted to them was nowhere to be found.

 

After three days, they find Jesus at the temple. He’s sitting there with the teachers: listening and learning, asking questions and giving answers. And everyone is amazed. Of course they’re amazed. Jesus is God. He knows more than any of those teachers. He knows everything. That’s what we might think. But that really won’t do. What’s going on here is that Jesus is amazing for a twelve-year-old. Something else is going on too. When Jesus’ parents find him at the temple, Mary scolds him: “How could you do this to us?” But Jesus doesn’t get it: “You should have known I would be at the temple.” Twelve-year-old Jesus has a problem. He hasn’t figured out how to put together his sense of obligation to his heavenly Father with his obligations to his earthly father and mother. There’s nothing wrong with that, nothing sinful about it. It’s simply beyond the wisdom of a twelve-year-old—even the twelve-year-old Jesus—to know how to balance those competing obligations. That’s okay. Jesus won’t be twelve forever. And as he grows up, he will grow in wisdom.

 

There is great comfort in the fact that Jesus “grew in wisdom and stature.” Jesus knows our struggles with growth experientially. No wonder He always has the perfect answers for us in our challenges each day! Trust Him!