Preacher: Emerson Braun, Minister to Children and Youth
Scripture: Luke 2:41-52
The Boy Jesus in the Temple
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 were unaware of this. 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? Your father and I have been anxiously looking for you.” 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, and his mother treasured all these things in her heart 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years and in divine and human favor.
This is the word of God, for the people of God. (Thanks be to God)
This is one of my favorite stories of Jesus. This is one time we finally get to see Jesus as a child. Maybe a little bit of a smartalec. It gives rise to that age old question: do you think Jesus picked his nose? Do you think he bit his nails? Did the potty dance? Did he ever yell at his parents? Maybe throw out a “you’re not my real dad” just be hurtful?
My answer to most of these is probably. God among us. Living and learning just as we have done.
I think many of us have a childhood story of either running off to do something cooler or hiding as a child or a child that you were meant to be watching slipping off in the split second you turned around. My parents have many stories of me wandering off to where I was not supposed to be.
Once in particular. My dad and I had gone to Cabelas and I was about 6 years old. I was getting bored and decided it was time for one of my classic games of hide and seek. I waited for my dad to turn around (because obviously if he saw where I hid there wouldn’t be a lot of seeking) and then I slipped into one of those circle clothing racks. After what felt like minutes but was likely seconds, I see my dad start to look for me. I didn’t peek my head out to watch him because if you can see them, they can see you. After a few minutes of him not being a good seeker, I start to think maybe he moved on to a different section so I come out of hiding and start to look for what section he had wandered off to when I see my dad looking panicked and talking with a worker (oops) then he sees me and runs up to me, hugs me “where were you? I was worried sick looking for you! You can’t do that to me!” “Why did you not know I was hiding in the circle clothes rack? It’s obviously the best hiding spot. Don’t you know me? I love a good game of hide and seek.”
But alas, my father did not understand that I was born for hide and seek.
This story about Jesus as a 12 year old is powerful because it is relatable. Young people can often be found not where we expected them to be.
It is powerful because it reminds us that young people are capable of so much more than we expect, and often in ways we forget to expect.
This story calls us to wonder:
How human was Jesus? When did Jesus understand that he was the son of God? Did his parents not fully understand that Jesus was the son of God?
Jesus’ parents, God bless them, were his parents for his whole life. When Mary was visited by Gabriel, of course she knew that she was to have a child that would change the course of history, perform miracles, be the Son of God, God made flesh. But then she had a little baby. Helpless, defenseless, that she and Joseph had to raise up. They had to feed him and clean him and teach him how to be a human and care for himself.
So I can see why when Jesus is missing the first thing they are worried about is his safety. They’re not thinking about their son of 12 years being their savior. They have been his caretakers for 12 whole years of young child shenanigans. So it’s fair that they are not seeing him for who he is. It’s understandable that when he makes a profound statement about who he is and who God is, they aren’t paying attention
I wonder if that broke the heart of a young Jesus. He says I know who I am. I am the child of God.
He only gets the chance to be in this temple once a year. Why would he not spend more time in the house of his father and discussing the matters most important to him.
You try tearing a 12 year old away from a conversation with people that have the same niche special interest. When I was 12 years old in the Library and gripped in a conversation about the roots of Greek mythology and how Rick Riordon beautifully showed what we have written down and how it might actually be played out in the Percy Jackson universe… I would personally have to be escorted out.
Jesus is finally around people that didn’t give him a bath or desperately try to get him to not yank their hair out. He is being respected by temple leaders for his wisdom.
The fact that Luke tells us that Jesus is twelve is significant. Thank you, Luke. How I am ever grateful for your clarity. Jesus was born and raised Jewish. Jesus was taught Hebrew scripture just like every other little Jewish boy. From ages 4-6 they learn how to read the Torah and from ages 7-10 they memorize it and gain high proficiency. So with every Jewish 10 year old having an advanced grasp of the Torah. The fact that temple leaders are amazed by his understanding should not be taken lightly. He is profoundly connected to divinity.
While jewish boys learn the scriptures to a high level by 10 years old, they are not considered responsible for following the torah until 13. This would be Bar Mitzvah. Son of the commandment. Many people mistake this story as his bar mitzvah but this is not the case. He is 12, he is still technically innocent and not held to the responsibilities of the torah.
So, Mary and Joseph are confused and tired from their journey and their worry. They don’t understand why Jesus hadn’t followed the plan, why they weren’t home yet. After all, he was still their God given responsibility.
When questioned, Jesus says this temple is his fathers house. And therefore it is his house. He has claimed this space as his own. His chosen home. Somewhere that he can speak his mind and be understood. And not be brushed aside for other responsibilities.
Jesus in his response is jarring. Mary has bursted in, saw him, and exclaimed, why would you treat us this way? To which many of us in his shoes would say UH- oh Uh- I’m sorry! But he doesn’t. He is level headed if not slightly dipped in angst. Why were you searching for me? Why are you so stressed? Did you not know that I must be in my fathers house? Obviously.
I wonder if this story is inviting us to slow down. Perhaps instead of rushing to chastise and correct Jesus alongside his mother, we could take a deep breath. What if this story wants us to look past what he said and how he said it for what he’s saying. I wonder if a better question would have been “what are you doing here?” Instead of making an immediate judgment, what if this story means we need to leave space to listen to the wisdom and wonder of the youngest among us? What if we could trust our young people when they tell us who they are? Maybe we could know them better.
I was raised Southern Baptist and that tradition did so well to teach me how to study the Bible and how to ask questions. My teachers and peers however, did not necessarily like the questions I asked or the points I made. But in college, I found a little place called the Denton Wesley Foundation. Where they loved my questions, they admired the points I made, and honored the perspective that I brought to the table. They invited me into leadership and gave me opportunities to grow. It was quickly my chosen home. Somewhere I could bring my radical theological takes. Somewhere I could be wrong and have it met with discussion and not shame. A space for free thought, meals, and community.
What do you think of when you think of home? And I don’t mean your house. I mean a home that you choose for yourself. I think of somewhere that I feel safe to be my whole self. Where I don’t feel like I have to just say what I’m expected to say or expected to say anything if I don’t want to. I think of somewhere I can show up tired or upset. Somewhere I can have tea or hot chocolate. I think of cats, and thick fuzzy blankets, and warm dinner.
I wonder what it means that Jesus’ chosen home was his father’s house, the temple. I wonder if Jesus is not only telling us who he is but also that as a 12 year old he was being invited into the lifelong conversation of faith. What if he was being engaged in a way that recognized the image of God in him. What if this was the first time Jesus felt seen? I wonder how we can make space for our young people to feel seen and valued for the image of God in them.
How can we take the time to invite our young people into the life long conversation of faith in our father’s house. Can we make room for doubts and silly questions and complex questions? Can we notice when our young people are not where we thought they would be and be okay with that? Can we go where they are? Can we follow them down a rabbit hole we didn’t know we signed up for? Can we trust our young people when they tell us who God is, who they are? I wonder how many doors that would open for us, the people that already have it all figured out.*stare*
Azle Christian Church, this is our father’s house. A place where we can come with our different perspectives and experiences and our different questions and our different answers. This is our beautiful, messy, sometimes leaky home. Where you can be who you are with us. Where we can search for meaning together. Where we can take a breath and be imperfect together. Where we honor those around us. Let it be so for the oldest to the youngest.
Amen