Luke 2: 41-50
Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 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."
"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
Can you imagine the guilt and angst Mary and Joseph must have felt? "We've just lost the Son of God!"
Of course, if they had ocd this would not have happened, they would have checked every 7 seconds to see if he was still there and carrying his hand sanitizer, but that's besides the point.
I think we go through this incessantly, anxiously searching for Jesus and feeling as though we've lost Him, and perhaps will never find Him again.
I saw this passage as a gentle reminder of God's Sovereign plan that could not be "undone" by human error. Rest assurred, Jesus is in His Father's house, doing His Father's work -- caring, healing, and forgiving us!
Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 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."
"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
Can you imagine the guilt and angst Mary and Joseph must have felt? "We've just lost the Son of God!"
Of course, if they had ocd this would not have happened, they would have checked every 7 seconds to see if he was still there and carrying his hand sanitizer, but that's besides the point.
I think we go through this incessantly, anxiously searching for Jesus and feeling as though we've lost Him, and perhaps will never find Him again.
I saw this passage as a gentle reminder of God's Sovereign plan that could not be "undone" by human error. Rest assurred, Jesus is in His Father's house, doing His Father's work -- caring, healing, and forgiving us!
