Connecting Point: Missing

Allow me to paint an all too familiar scenario with you for a moment. Families are out in the holiday rush, it’s festive and the crowd is quite large and pressing. In all the excitement it appears that a child (a son) is missing, but the assumption is he’s ok and close by with another family member. Dad and Mom fan out and start backtracking as anxiety builds. To the parents’ surprise, their son is, in fact, missing, nowhere among friends or family. Panic strikes and the search goes on, extending into several days. What would that situation look like for you?

A scenario similar to this is found in Luke chapter 2, where Jesus was the 12-year-old son missing. “Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them, and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, ‘Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you,’” (Luke 2:41-48).

Understanding the culture and context allows us to see the situation more clearly, otherwise we can mistakenly read into the text or draw inaccurate conclusions. First: Joseph and Mary were not neglectful. As imperfect parents, they loved and cared for Jesus well. After all, Jesus was twelve years old which in Jewish culture of that era is when a male child is considered to enter adulthood. The nearly three-day absence of Jesus is due to the primitive travel in the first century and the distance from Jerusalem to Nazareth, most walked or possibly rode a donkey or horse.

Second: Jesus was perfectly obedient. This scenario is not about a rebellious young man testing parental boundaries. Jesus was fully man and fully God, without any sinful nature. You could say he was the perfect child and that must have been quite astonishing for Joseph and Mary because they had other children. Luke goes on in verse 51 and describes Jesus's impeccable character as “obedient” to his parents. There was no back talk, scolding, or “you’re grounded young man” conversation.

Third: Jesus saw and understood the bigger picture of his life. Here are the first recorded words of Jesus mentioned in the Bible, “’ Why were you searching for me?’ he asked. ‘Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’ But they did not understand what he was saying to them,” (Luke 2:49-50). Jesus wasn’t some confused adolescent searching for reason and purpose, he was aware of his special connection to God. It is possible leading up to this moment in Jesus’ life that Joseph and Mary discussed with Jesus his unique birth and all the Messianic prophecies.

In conclusion, a text principle to cherish; Jesus doesn’t mistreat us when our emotions are raw. He understands all that we go through, while remaining faithful, trustworthy, and perfect.