Luke 2:41-52 (Sermon for the week of January 1st)
Luke 2:41-52
Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety." And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" 13 But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus advanced (in) wisdom and age and favor before God and man.
SERMON:
Happy New Year to all of you and may the Lord bless you, protect you, and grant you peace and serenity. May the sheep of His flock diligently work towards fulfilling His Good Works through our faith.We are channels for the only Good who is God to work through in these times of war, uncertainty, hatred, and evil. We strive to be brighter becons of the Light that shines forth from the King of Kings...Jesus the Christ!
Now for this weeks bible reading...In the first part of the reading we learn some interesting information about Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. We are told that:
"Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom".
This is the only canonical story of Jesus' boyhood, and the Gospel of Luke is the only Gospel with information about Jesus' early years. There are apocryphal stories that exist which may contain some truth, but some of the stories seem pretty far fetched. In one apocryphal story, Jesus strikes down children and raises them up again. Yes, the Son of God has this power, but why would the Messiah waste His time and resources to do something so juvenille? That is the point we want to reflect on. Jesus is 100% man and 100% God and at one time the 100% man was 100% a child. Where is the line on this child behavior? The early Church fathers agreed that a young God-Man named Jesus would not have abused His power by having fun by striking children just to raise them up again. There are some stories that are probably true, but they are surrounded by what I interpret as made up stories and assumptions from people in the past who did not know Jesus at the time of His youth and thus these stories were not placed as "approved" accounts of Our Lord's life. We learn in the first verse that Joseph AND Mary made the journey to Jerusalem EVERY year for Passover. This is unusual but shows the devotion Joseph and Mary possessed and was probably due to the fact that they knew from Divine experience that their son, Jesus, was the Son of God. Jewish males were obligated to keep three festivals: The festival of unleavened bread called Passover, the festival of booths or Tabernacles, and the festival of weeks or Pentecost. Jewish women were allowed but not required to attend these festivals. Adult Jewish males who lived within 20 miles of Jerusalem were required to attend Passover annualy, while others tried to do it once in their lifetime. The journey from Nazareth would have been costly and a significant trip to take. It was expensive and took a long time to get to Jerusalem from Nazareth. The trip would have taken at least two weeks in travel time alone. We learn that Joseph and Mary are very observant Jews for making the trip every year. We read that Jesus was twelve at this time and since His parents made the trip every year, Jesus would have made this trip yearly with them.
In the next verse we learn:"After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,"
It seems a little careless that Jesus' parents wouldn't have noticed Him missing for a whole day, but the way these journey's were completed allows us to understand the situation. When journeys like this were made the men stayed together with the men, the women with the women, and the children with the children. Times were simpler and the threat of harm did not exist as it does today. Children would play together and in a day's journey, they probably travelled less then 15 miles.
Then we read:"but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers."
Imagine the panic of parents searching for their child for three days! Jesus was sitting in the temple and sitting was usually a posture for teachers and for students. I don't think that Jesus was sitting in the temple teaching the teachers but he was as we read asking questions. A question and answer type of teaching environment was a staple of Jewish teaching and the Jewish teachers were obviously amazed at the questions AND the answers that came from a twelve year old boy. "All who heard him were astounded" Luke is telling us that even as a small boy, Jesus was already preparing Himself as a teacher who obviously possessed great wisdom and authority as we will later read in Luke. At this time, it must have astounded all who were present to hear the answers and the questions that came from a twelve year old.
Next we read:
"When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety." And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" 13 But they did not understand what he said to them."
There seems to be a different meaning in this portion of the reading between the reaction of the people in the temple and the reaction of Jesus' parents. The verse states that his parents were "astonished" and astonished means: "filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock". Indeed, his parents were searching for Jesus in Jerusalem for three days...I am sure they were a little upset. The question Mary asks Jesus seems to come out of anguish. It is also unusual for a Jewish mother to confront a son, usually the Jewish father would confront a son. Jesus' answer is interesting. Jesus states that HE MUST be in my Father's house. Jesus is compelled as the Son of God to be in the temple and appropriately gives the title "Father" not to His human father but to the Father, God. We see that with a few words, Jesus at a very young age is establishing among his peers that He is the Son of God and HE MUST fulfill the duty that the Heavenly Father has predestined. Wouldn't these words coming out of the mouth of a twelve year old shock you? I would be disturbed. It approached the line here that as a human boy who is not the Son of God, the Messiah is being disrespectful to his parents. However, if we know that Jesus is the Son of God, then His words are appropriate and right, for the Son of God is the Son of the Father in heaven, and His duty is to His Father, not to Joseph and Mary. We read that Jesus' parents "did not understand what He said to them". Even though Mary and Joseph were visited by Angels, and Mary was conceived by the Holy Spirit, it would have been difficult for any parents to lose their son and find him in a Temple "astounding" people. Mary and Joseph did not have the luxury of reading about their lives in the Gospels. They reacted as any human paretns would even if we had angelic visits, and it would have been confusing, difficult, and maybe even frustrating being parents to the Messiah. Even though Joseph and Mary have had Divine experiences, the full impact and reality of who Jesus was and what would take place, could not have entered their thoughts and minds. These events had not taken place yet.
We read:"He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart."
Notice that the verse says "went down" with them. Jerusalem was on a mountain which is a geographically high place but the temple was also spiritual high ground. I see this verse meaning two things and the most important being that as Jesus became "obedient" to his parents, He had to "come down" from the spiritually high place that He was at in the Temple, and come back to the reality that He was also a human man possessing a tent of flesh as the Messiah who had human parents. This verse shows that Jesus in no way dishonored his parents and broke one of commandments, becuase obedience is honoring one's parents. It might have seemed to be disrespectful to Mary and Joseph for leaving the caravan to go to the temple, but disrespect doesn't lead to sin unless one become disobedient. We know that Jesus is the Messiah and it makes sense that He is indeed in "His Father's house" which was the temple of Jerusalem, but those who do not believe in Jesus being the Messiah cannot use this verse to prove that Jesus sinned, becuase Jesus never dishonored His father or mother and was obedient to them.
Fianlly,"And Jesus advanced (in) wisdom and age and favor before God and man."
Jesus was 100% God and 100% man, but the "man" had to physically mature just as any human has to. We see the Son of God emerge at an early age, but we also see that Jesus had to develop and mature. Jesus did not emerge from the womb of Mary as a man, but he was born as a 100% human and was born as an infant as we are in order to be one of us. This was required for Him to redeem us...He HAD TO be born as one of us and HAD TO die as one of us. We read about His growth and know that Jesus matures into 100% man as He gets older. The verse tells us about the wisdom and favor Jesus is advancing in. What is wisdom? Wisdom is knowledge but goes beyond the understanding of facts. Wisdom involves values and priorities. It invovles understanding of just not what is, but what really matters. Divine favor comes from a realtionship from God, and human favor comes from realtionships with humans. We see that Jesus is growing and developing not only wisdom, but Divine and human realtionships as He possesses the tent of flesh. An amazing reading this week!
God bless all of you this year of Our Lord 2007!
Technorati:bible reading, bible, preaching, christianity, sermon, sermons
Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety." And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" 13 But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus advanced (in) wisdom and age and favor before God and man.
SERMON:
Happy New Year to all of you and may the Lord bless you, protect you, and grant you peace and serenity. May the sheep of His flock diligently work towards fulfilling His Good Works through our faith.We are channels for the only Good who is God to work through in these times of war, uncertainty, hatred, and evil. We strive to be brighter becons of the Light that shines forth from the King of Kings...Jesus the Christ!
Now for this weeks bible reading...In the first part of the reading we learn some interesting information about Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. We are told that:
"Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom".
This is the only canonical story of Jesus' boyhood, and the Gospel of Luke is the only Gospel with information about Jesus' early years. There are apocryphal stories that exist which may contain some truth, but some of the stories seem pretty far fetched. In one apocryphal story, Jesus strikes down children and raises them up again. Yes, the Son of God has this power, but why would the Messiah waste His time and resources to do something so juvenille? That is the point we want to reflect on. Jesus is 100% man and 100% God and at one time the 100% man was 100% a child. Where is the line on this child behavior? The early Church fathers agreed that a young God-Man named Jesus would not have abused His power by having fun by striking children just to raise them up again. There are some stories that are probably true, but they are surrounded by what I interpret as made up stories and assumptions from people in the past who did not know Jesus at the time of His youth and thus these stories were not placed as "approved" accounts of Our Lord's life. We learn in the first verse that Joseph AND Mary made the journey to Jerusalem EVERY year for Passover. This is unusual but shows the devotion Joseph and Mary possessed and was probably due to the fact that they knew from Divine experience that their son, Jesus, was the Son of God. Jewish males were obligated to keep three festivals: The festival of unleavened bread called Passover, the festival of booths or Tabernacles, and the festival of weeks or Pentecost. Jewish women were allowed but not required to attend these festivals. Adult Jewish males who lived within 20 miles of Jerusalem were required to attend Passover annualy, while others tried to do it once in their lifetime. The journey from Nazareth would have been costly and a significant trip to take. It was expensive and took a long time to get to Jerusalem from Nazareth. The trip would have taken at least two weeks in travel time alone. We learn that Joseph and Mary are very observant Jews for making the trip every year. We read that Jesus was twelve at this time and since His parents made the trip every year, Jesus would have made this trip yearly with them.
In the next verse we learn:"After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,"
It seems a little careless that Jesus' parents wouldn't have noticed Him missing for a whole day, but the way these journey's were completed allows us to understand the situation. When journeys like this were made the men stayed together with the men, the women with the women, and the children with the children. Times were simpler and the threat of harm did not exist as it does today. Children would play together and in a day's journey, they probably travelled less then 15 miles.
Then we read:"but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers."
Imagine the panic of parents searching for their child for three days! Jesus was sitting in the temple and sitting was usually a posture for teachers and for students. I don't think that Jesus was sitting in the temple teaching the teachers but he was as we read asking questions. A question and answer type of teaching environment was a staple of Jewish teaching and the Jewish teachers were obviously amazed at the questions AND the answers that came from a twelve year old boy. "All who heard him were astounded" Luke is telling us that even as a small boy, Jesus was already preparing Himself as a teacher who obviously possessed great wisdom and authority as we will later read in Luke. At this time, it must have astounded all who were present to hear the answers and the questions that came from a twelve year old.
Next we read:
"When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety." And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" 13 But they did not understand what he said to them."
There seems to be a different meaning in this portion of the reading between the reaction of the people in the temple and the reaction of Jesus' parents. The verse states that his parents were "astonished" and astonished means: "filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock". Indeed, his parents were searching for Jesus in Jerusalem for three days...I am sure they were a little upset. The question Mary asks Jesus seems to come out of anguish. It is also unusual for a Jewish mother to confront a son, usually the Jewish father would confront a son. Jesus' answer is interesting. Jesus states that HE MUST be in my Father's house. Jesus is compelled as the Son of God to be in the temple and appropriately gives the title "Father" not to His human father but to the Father, God. We see that with a few words, Jesus at a very young age is establishing among his peers that He is the Son of God and HE MUST fulfill the duty that the Heavenly Father has predestined. Wouldn't these words coming out of the mouth of a twelve year old shock you? I would be disturbed. It approached the line here that as a human boy who is not the Son of God, the Messiah is being disrespectful to his parents. However, if we know that Jesus is the Son of God, then His words are appropriate and right, for the Son of God is the Son of the Father in heaven, and His duty is to His Father, not to Joseph and Mary. We read that Jesus' parents "did not understand what He said to them". Even though Mary and Joseph were visited by Angels, and Mary was conceived by the Holy Spirit, it would have been difficult for any parents to lose their son and find him in a Temple "astounding" people. Mary and Joseph did not have the luxury of reading about their lives in the Gospels. They reacted as any human paretns would even if we had angelic visits, and it would have been confusing, difficult, and maybe even frustrating being parents to the Messiah. Even though Joseph and Mary have had Divine experiences, the full impact and reality of who Jesus was and what would take place, could not have entered their thoughts and minds. These events had not taken place yet.
We read:"He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart."
Notice that the verse says "went down" with them. Jerusalem was on a mountain which is a geographically high place but the temple was also spiritual high ground. I see this verse meaning two things and the most important being that as Jesus became "obedient" to his parents, He had to "come down" from the spiritually high place that He was at in the Temple, and come back to the reality that He was also a human man possessing a tent of flesh as the Messiah who had human parents. This verse shows that Jesus in no way dishonored his parents and broke one of commandments, becuase obedience is honoring one's parents. It might have seemed to be disrespectful to Mary and Joseph for leaving the caravan to go to the temple, but disrespect doesn't lead to sin unless one become disobedient. We know that Jesus is the Messiah and it makes sense that He is indeed in "His Father's house" which was the temple of Jerusalem, but those who do not believe in Jesus being the Messiah cannot use this verse to prove that Jesus sinned, becuase Jesus never dishonored His father or mother and was obedient to them.
Fianlly,"And Jesus advanced (in) wisdom and age and favor before God and man."
Jesus was 100% God and 100% man, but the "man" had to physically mature just as any human has to. We see the Son of God emerge at an early age, but we also see that Jesus had to develop and mature. Jesus did not emerge from the womb of Mary as a man, but he was born as a 100% human and was born as an infant as we are in order to be one of us. This was required for Him to redeem us...He HAD TO be born as one of us and HAD TO die as one of us. We read about His growth and know that Jesus matures into 100% man as He gets older. The verse tells us about the wisdom and favor Jesus is advancing in. What is wisdom? Wisdom is knowledge but goes beyond the understanding of facts. Wisdom involves values and priorities. It invovles understanding of just not what is, but what really matters. Divine favor comes from a realtionship from God, and human favor comes from realtionships with humans. We see that Jesus is growing and developing not only wisdom, but Divine and human realtionships as He possesses the tent of flesh. An amazing reading this week!
God bless all of you this year of Our Lord 2007!
Technorati:bible reading, bible, preaching, christianity, sermon, sermons
Labels: Gospel of Luke, Sermons
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