Rise within us like the star
And make us restless
Till we journey on
To seek our peace in you
Song “Go tell it on the mountain” https://youtu.be/9rXLTgfWdPk
We say the Lord’s Prayer in our own language
Reflection on Luke 2v41-52
As he was 12 years old and in his thirteenth year an Israelite child had to apply himself to the Law of Moses. So Jesus' mother and father take their son to Jerusalem, to the temple, to fulfil his obligations.
In his visit to Jerusalem, even as a teenager, Jesus is about his father's business.
Luke lets us into a secret, Jesus is the Son of God, the messiah. But he is also a twelve year old boy, and he goes missing in Jerusalem. The scholars in the temple are amazed at his teaching. His parents however are underwhelmed!
Stories about a hero/heroines' youth are important in understanding their character, and in this story Luke provides the key to Jesus' character - he must be about Gods business.
Luke again centres Jesus in Jerusalem, within Jewish piety, under the law, the focus of this episode. (The story is also found in the gospel of Thomas, 19:1-5. , but gains no authenticity by its use in an apocryphal gospel) .The story has Aramaic undertones and it may be that Jesus' family or friends were the source.
Families from Galilee, made only one pilgrimage to Jerusalem each year on the Passover. A woman's attendance at the feast was a sign of great devotion. His parents used to go every year. The feast of Unleavened Bread/Passover was held on 15 Nisan, March / April. Celebrating the escape from Egypt. This would indicate Jesus birthday was April/May.
A pilgrimage to a religious festival was undertaken in a large group of family, relatives, neighbours and friends. The women and children would travel as one group, followed by the men. They would not all come together again until they met at a prearranged meeting place on the journey home. It was only then that Joseph and Mary discovered that Jesus was not with them. The family had stayed for the full seven days of the festival; another sign of their devotion. They had been travelling for a day away from Jerusalem when they went looking for him among relatives and friends.
When they did not find him they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. They found him in the temple impressing the teachers of the law with his understanding. During the festival and on the Sabbath, the teachers sat in the Temple precinct to teach their traditions and answer questions. It was in one such group that Joseph and Mary found their son listening and asking questions. The members of the teaching group were "amazed" at Jesus' understanding.
Mary and Joseph were shocked (as Acts 13:12) but also cross with him for treating them like this. They had been worried to distraction. Jesus responds by saying he must be about Gods business in Gods house, the temple. They did not understand. They went down from Jerusalem to the hill country, back to Nazareth. Mary is left with something to think about, v51. Jesus submits to them and grows in wisdom. We note his father Joseph is still alive at this point.
Song “Who would think that what was needed”
https://youtu.be/MwCyLamhFrk
Our prayers for others
Take us to Bethlehem
House of bread
Where the empty are filled
The poor find riches
And the rich recognise their poverty
Where all kneel, worship
And are fed.
Amen
© Pat Nimmo with thanks to Janet Morley and Bryan Finlayson