Christmas 1: King

12-26-2021

Luke 2:41–52 NRSV

41 Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43 When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44 Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” 49 He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.

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They grow up so fast

Kids grow up so fast, don't they? It doesn't feel like that when you are young, when the world is new, and you are still building the character that will shape the rest of your life. In a way, our lives are like refrigerators. The things that we put in them define us by how we look and what we do. There are some things that we keep fresh and use often. Other things get pushed to the back. After too long, if something is not used it starts to go bad. It might even start to smell.

That is how character works. We can learn all kinds of things, but it is the things that we continually learn and grow in, the things that we practice and relearn, that become character over time. Luke’s gospel is famous for stories about the lost being found. In chapter 15 there are three stories you may have heard: one about a lost sheep, the second about a lost coin, and the third about a lost son. All get found in those stories, but each is at risk of getting lost again if different choices are made in the future.

We need a Savior to rescue us, but we need a King to keep us from running off and getting lost again.

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Raising a King/Losing a King

Speaking of running off and getting lost... what do you think Mary and Joseph thought the year they lost the Messiah?

On the one hand, they had probably been making this trip on a nearly yearly basis for the last several years that they may have settled into routine expectations. Perhaps Jesus as a young boy interacted with the other children just like a normal boy, or at least generally behaved well so they didn't have to worry.

On the other hand, this was still the Son of God. What would happen to them if something happened to Him? What was their responsibility in raising up Jesus?

We have enough trouble trying to figure out our own responsibility with God when it comes to living the life He calls us to live. What part is our responsibility? What part does God handle? What part do we need to ask others for help? And often we think it would be much easier if we had Jesus here with us, in the flesh, as they did in the Bible. But was it really any easier, especially for Mary and Joseph, trying to raise the King of kings? How do you keep your Savior safe? How do you help your Savior grow?

And what happens when you turn around to the last place you expected to see Jesus, and He is not there?

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A King in His Court

They panicked. Today they tell us the critical window of time for missing children is the first 48 hours. Those of you who have raised children know that 2 days of not knowing where they are would feel like a lifetime. Mary and Joseph were small-town people with a history of hiding from the government, staying underneath the radar. Losing Jesus in Jerusalem, the city that tried to have him killed as a baby, must have been a living nightmare. I'm sure those three days they searched for him were three days of constant praying, constant looking, no sleep, and no relief.

I know parents who might momentarily lose their religion and use some very specific words when they found their child after three days. Perhaps not at first, but after the hugs and tears, and t"hank the Lord you are ok..." Grounded for life does not really begin to express what they were probably feeling about what to do with Jesus. And then, at that moment, foaming with emotion, they were publicly called out by their child, in front of all the prestigious leaders in the Temple: "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"

The scripture says that they did not understand what He said to them. In that state of worry and fear, I think the only thing they would have understood was an "I'm sorry, and I promise I'll never run off alone again." That worry and fear of the moment drove away the knowledge that Jesus was more than their son. He was their Savior and King.

Mary and Joseph came into the Temple, which is the palace of God, of which Jesus is the prince. They questioned and scolded Him for being there, and the prince of heaven calmly informed them that this is where He belonged. Jesus was in the right. Mary and Joseph got caught not paying attention to Jesus, being caught up in their own life.

Here is the craziest part of this story: Jesus left His temple and went back home with them. Think about it. There was no "Get behind me Satan, you don't know God's plans." There was no argument about how much more good Jesus could have done teaching the Temple leaders there in Jerusalem. The Son of God submitted Himself to obedience to earthly parents who had just proved to everyone that they were not perfect parents.

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Grow in Christ as He grows in you through obedience.

The same patient faith that helped Mary and Joseph believe and obey the angel that told them about Jesus was the same patient faith they needed to raise Jesus from the baby of Christmas into the Christ that could rule over all. That patience was not with Jesus. It was with themselves. They did not get it right overnight. They did not even get better over time. They, and we, only get better at what we practice.

If I get to live a long life, into my 70s or 80s, I can tell you right now that my vision and hearing are going to go. They have faded little bits here and there throughout my life already. I expect there will be a day when I won't be able to drive or do the things I used to do for myself. And on that day I may not be able to sit down and read or listen to my Bible. On that day, it won't matter how many classes I took or how many times I can boast about reading through the Bible in a year. On that day, the only thing will matter will be how much got off the page, took root, and is grew in my heart, mind, and soul. Will I have treasured the word of God in my heart, the way Mary did with these memories of Jesus, so that we can retell them decades later?

If we wait until that day, the answer will be no. We will be lost. However, if we begin today to let Jesus rule in our hearts and in our lives, allowing Him to be more than a Savior, making Him our King, we will get there. It will take patient persistent work, but Jesus was see it through with us if we submit to Him.

Going home with Mary and Joseph was not an isolated incident. How many times did Jesus turn away from the crowds and go sit with His disciples? How many times did He leave everyone and go speak with an individual in need or left out? How often has Jesus left the spotlight to come and be with you?

We don't have to understand everything. We just need to let Him lead. This is what Paul the Apostle would call spiritual milk. You put it in your fridge today and you can use it everyday, by itself, or as an ingredient for something more extravagant. If you don't use it and then replace it with new spiritual milk, it will go bad and makes everything else around it stink. You cannot live a life of faith without making Jesus the King and Lord of your life.

His part is to lead. Our part is to follow.

Where is Jesus leading you today, and how is God’s Word shaping you along the way?