The Child Jesus

Reading through Luke 2 this morning has inspired curious reflection.  Let's take a look at the passage;

"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 

Until now, I've yet to read this passage as a parent.  Typically, preachers will touch on this passage in passing to jest at the seeming negligence of Jesus' parents.  They'll also touch the passage to hint at Jesus' extraordinary devotion.

But from a mere "Put myself in their shoes" perspective, the whole account is bizarre.

You have a preteen Jesus, 12 years old.  You have a family traveling to a city bursting at the seams with religious pilgrims.  You have some scholars in Judaism and some distraught parents...

What I find most bizarre, however, is Jesus's actions. Particularly, His response to His parents when they were understandably upset, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"

C'mon Jesus...  You know why they were looking for you.  As a dad, I wouldn't have been able to accept that answer (and the text reveals it too - they didn't understand).  

Let's put ourselves in Mary and Joseph's shoes (or sandals).  We've been traveling by caravan with other relatives and neighbors to the holiest city during the holiest ceremony of the year.  The city is churning with millions of devotees.  The worship was good and it's time to go home.  You've been traveling a days journey when you realize your son is not with his cousins...  You double back and begin to retrace your steps.  You panic, "We've lost him, we've lost him!"  The thoughts terrorize your mind, "Was he abducted? Attacked?  Were we negligent?  This is all your fault!  If you hadn't been so chatty...  This is all my fault..."

So there's the parent's perspective.  It's a relatable perspective.  Jesus' perspective, not so much.

Here you are, 12 years old... Not quite the come of age man yet... You've been coming to these festivals every year throughout your early childhood.   You really enjoy it.  You marvel at the ceremony.  You are inspired by the teachers.  

I don't know when or how it happened.  Perhaps, He was just not ready to leave and when His family started home, Jesus strayed from the group.  Perhaps it was a Home Alone type mistake and Jesus just got left behind.  We cannot draw any conclusions as to how or when he stayed behind, but we can draw some conclusions based on Jesus' actions.

He had been alone for three days.  Three days of taking care of himself.  Unless He was fasting he made time for several meals.  He slept somewhere.  Did he sleep in the streets?  Did he somehow rent a room?  Did he take up residence with one of the scholars?  We don't know,  but He knew.  He knew he was without his family and their care.  He had made a conscious and willing decision to persist that He may sit under the tutelage of the scholars.  

And the people were amazed.

If we didn't know any better, we would assume Jesus to have suffered some form of mental episode.  How could He knowingly separate Himself from his family and respond the way He did when His distraught parents came searching for Him?  

I do not believe Jesus was left behind accidently and had survived by the hospitality of others until His parents ultimately found Him.  Why?  Because vs 51 says that "And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them."  The text mentions His submission to them because for three days He had not been under the submission of His earthly Father, but rather His heavenly Father.

Which draws our minds to the dual nature of this boy, both God and man.  We are again presented that if Jesus is not the Son of God, He suffers from some protracted lunacy.  With no rational concern for His parents panic and terror at finding they are without their son, He spends His days about "His Father's business."

This could only be said by The One who was sent by The Father.  No one referred to God as Father at this point in history.  Jesus reveals His understanding of His unique standing with God, even at 12.  Christians have wondered for millenia if Jesus had a self awareness of His deity, and I believe this passage supports the idea that He did.

During His official ministry, Jesus displayed a control and yieldedness over His deity.  He knew what was spoken in the hearts of men, yet He asked them questions.  He had the power to call upon legions of angels, but submitted himself to His captors and torturers.  He told Pilate, "You have no power except that which is given to you from above" and yet allowed Pilate's men to drive nails through His hands and feet.  He was given the authority to judge the nations, but cried "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

Jesus possessed the ability to "Be about His Father's business" and submit Himself to His earthly guardians.  He always had authority over them, but He yielded Himself.   

I see the crucifixion here, though slightly inverted.  Jesus submitted himself to death on a cross (during the same Passover celebration), whereby He would be separated from His earthly family, but would be reunited with them (in Jerusalem) 3 days later.  

Therefore, I would not argue Jesus a lunatic.  Rather, He is the wisdom of God, displayed even in such insignificant and bewildering narratives such as these fully God, fully man and about His Father's business. 

I do feel bad for His parents though...  Poor guys...