"... all who heard Him were astonished
at His understanding and answers."
vs 47
The young Jesus had a bright mind and inquiring heart, listening and asking questions. He understood what they said and literally put two and two together in understanding and all who heard Him were astonished with His answers. After three days of worrying, His parents found Him in the temple and said to Him, "Son, why have you done this to us?" Jesus thought they understood Him better and would know He'd be in the temple. So He asked:
"'Why did you seek Me?
Did you not know that I must be about My Fathers business?'
But they did not understand." vs 49
At a young age Jesus recognized His life was consecrated, set apart for the Father's purpose. We too are set apart for God's will and purpose, our Father's business.
"His mother kept all these things in her heart." vs 51
Mary was thoughtful and pondered the amazing things about her unique Son. I wonder how much she understood about Him, and if many things had to unfold to for her to fully understand.
"Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." vs 52
Someday in The Kingdom of Heaven I look forward to seeing Jesus face to face. And I almost wonder if we will somehow get to see scenes of Him on earth, like old home movies. If so, I will love that... to see the miracle of His birth, see Him as a baby, a young child, a teen, a young man wise beyond His years, to see Him move among the people, compassionately loving them and healing them, to hear Him speak and hear Him pray to the Father. I don't know if I could bear seeing Him tortured and on the cross, though it was His great victory over death. Oh and to see Him resurrected and moving among the people.
This the last of the Advent readings in Matthew and Luke, though we will revisit Luke 2:1-20 on Christmas Eve. But don't go away, there are amazing glimpses of the glory of Christ coming in the next few days and Christmas through New Years. In January we will look at His Names from the Christmas Story and move into the ministries of John and Jesus.
4 comments:
Luke 2:51. His mother kept all these things in her heart.
I love that God has drawn all of us, to do the very same thing.
I went to the Mall last night and ran into several special friends. A common question came up. "Just getting your LAST minute shopping done?" "NO" I replied..."I'm just getting my FIRST minute shopping done."
Another question they would ask. "Are you ready for Christmas?" to which I replied, "No...won't be ready til the day after." And it's really true. I'll have ideas of things I'd like to do for or give to others right up to the actual day and only the day after will I be able to lay all my ideas to rest.
The days have been filled with work,plays, musicals, get together's, and Journey with Jesus Blogging :o)...BUT NOT a lot of shopping.
Come Christmas day, I will not have accomplished all the things I wanted to get done. But this one thing I will have done.
I will have enjoyed spending time with this season's guest of honor and precious family and friends. And I won't have missed the shopping, one bit!
Thanks again Sheri for your gift to all of us.
I am not ready for Christmas either, but I have enjoyed the journey with the Lord in seeing and having a better understanding of His Coming. I am in awe of His tender mercy, His amazing plan and faithful love for us, His funny little people.
This passage is so very intriguing to me. Humanly, I ask myself 'why didn't Jesus warn His parents that He was to stay behind in Jerusalem?' It just seems like the respectful thing to do... yet, Jesus being Who He is, Emmanuel 'God with us', His ways are not our ways, nor His thoughts our thoughts! His calling was to be about His Father's business! His parents, being that of the Messiah's, had to expect (as much as this was possible) that He wasn't like any 'normal' child... well He was the Messiah...
Sometimes God does things in our lives that are hard to understand and even completely confusing and illogical to our human mind... We are just to trust Him; He knows what He's doing and why (in our lives and in this world).
He must have been amazing to listen to in the Temple. A 12-year old with such wisdom and understanding must have confounded the wise of this world and the elderly! It must have been quite an amazing sight, indeed!
Mary pondered all these things in her heart... I think we'd have done the same! Being the Messiah's mom must have been so overwhelming at times! He must have been hard to follow... Mary and Joseph's human thinking must not have always coincided with Jesus' Way of thought 'His ways our not our ways... His thoughts are not our thoughts...'
What's wonderful is to read how Jesus was obedient to His parents always... today's children should sooo follow His example!
Amen to your comments. I find it interesting that He just thought it should be obvious to them where He would be, but they did not understand. It must have been difficult, being only human to understand their God in flesh child, and keep up with His understanding. They must have been in awe on so many occasions.
Perhaps Jesus had to learn to understand what they did not understand. Then He was willing to obey human parents who lacked understanding! Wow.
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