First Sunday after Christmas Day (3)

Scripture

Luke 2:41–52 NIV

Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. After the festival 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. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Sermon:

I don’t know how many times I’ve preached or heard a sermon on this text, but I know it’s more than one. And nearly every one dealt with Jesus’ parents and their fear concerning misplacing Jesus. And if you’ve ever misplaced a child for even a few minutes, you can understand their fear and concern.

I remember this one time in Pennsylvania. I had taken all 6 kids to the church with me. I don’t remember why or what we needed to do but it was just us. I was in my office and they were running around and playing outside. When I was done I told everyone to come on, get in the van, and we headed home. Now, home was 9 miles from the church. We got into the van, pulled out of the church parking lot, made a right turn, got almost to the next intersection and someone said, “we don’t have Joel”. Joel was maybe 3 or 4 at the time and I have to tell you my heart sunk. I tried to turn around and get back to the church as quickly as possible but the road I was on was under construction. And so it took me longer than I wanted. Finally, we got back to the church and there, standing on the stairs, outside the door that led to my office was Joel, banging and crying. We got Joel back to the van and I’m not sure if he talked to me the rest of that day.

If you’ve ever lost a child, you know the feelings it elicits. Fear, anxiety, worry, panic. So you can easily put yourself into the shoes of Mary and Joseph as they realize their son is missing. They might have by this time had other sons and daughters, but that doesn’t make losing one any better.

But this morning, while we can acknowledge their feelings, I want to focus on the question that forms the title of the message today. What do you think He was doing? Luke has given us some information regarding this event which informs this question. First, Luke tells us Jesus is 12. Now, a kid turns 12 today and we really don’t think much about it. But when a boy turns 12 in Jesus’ day, it was time for him to begin to think about his future. It was time for him to begin to discern what kind of work he would do. It was a time in which he would begin to seek training for his vocation. Perhaps his father, Joseph, being a carpenter, had begun to give him some older tools. Maybe he had begun to show him how to use them. Little pieces of wood or stone to work with.

Perhaps Jesus at the age of 12 was even carrying some of these items on the trip. I mean, there’s not much to do on the journey to Jerusalem. There’s no license plate bingo. They probably didn’t play “Name that tune” or “The Movie Game”. Honestly, I don’t know what they would have done on a long road trip. But they go to the temple this year, just like they have done every year. And they are going for the Passover. This is one day for Passover and seven days of unleavened bread. So they were there for a while.

And as we’ve already noted, Joseph and Mary and the family begin to head home, both perhaps expecting that Jesus was with them. And they discover Jesus is not there and so they have to turn back around and return to the temple. Which is where they find Jesus. Now, even though I use the New International Version, I have to say I don’t like the way they have interpreted verse 49. Because this translation says, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” while other translations say, “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” I like that translation better. Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?

Because Jesus identifies His Father, not as Joseph, the carpenter. But God, His Heavenly Father. Now, this is not meant to be disrespectful towards the job that Joseph has done or the job he will continue to have as Jesus’ earthly father. It simply allows us to see that Jesus understands who He is and that His primary task is to serve His Heavenly Father. And in the same way we are called to serve our Heavenly Father. Regardless of what we do, our first priority is to be about our Father’s business.