THINK TOGETHER.
Have you ever been lost? Was it because you didn’t listen to your parents.
READ TOGETHER.
Luke 2:41-49. 41Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. 43And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44but 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, 45and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 46After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48And 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.” 49And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
It’s worth reading this whole story from Luke’s gospel. After his birth, this is actually the only story about Jesus’ childhood in the Bible. It takes place when Jesus is twelve years old. In Jewish culture, this was actually the last year to be a kid. Right around twelve years old a Jewish boy would be considered a man. Before that, boys would spend all their time with their moms, but at twelve they would begin to spend all their time with their dads.
That might be why Joseph and Mary didn’t notice that Jesus was missing for so long. Maybe Joseph thought Jesus was with Mary, and maybe Mary thought Jesus was with Joseph. We don’t know for sure. But we do know that for a couple days, twelve-year-old Jesus was lost in the big city all alone.
But that’s not the amazing part of the story. The amazing part is where Joseph and Mary found Jesus – in the Temple discussing the Bible with the religious teachers. Have you ever seen the movie Home Alone, Lost in New York? When Kevin McAllister gets left behind in New York, he goes to toy stores and eats pizza. When Jesus gets left in Jerusalem he goes to the Temple. Why? Because, as he said, Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?
Jesus knew how old he was (twelve). He also knew that he was supposed to start spending his time with his father. But not Joseph the construction worker, God the Father. Young Jesus understands that he is the Son of God, and that he needs to obey God the Father and do the Father’s will. What is the Father’s will? That Jesus would save the world by dying on the cross.
When we trust in what Jesus has done for us on the cross our life is then connected to his. What does that mean? It means that we are now sons and daughters of God just like Jesus. And we too need to be in our Father’s house, church, doing the Father’s will for us – loving and serving him and others too.
Because of Jesus we can be sons and daughters of God when we trust in him.
With Jesus we can do the Father’s will – love.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Watch all or some of Home Alone, Lost in New York. Talk about what you would do if you were lost in the big city? What might mom and dad find you doing?
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus, show me how I can do God’s will in my church, loving and serving others. Amen.
TLICfamily 