Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, 42 and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. 43 After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44 Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45 but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, 47 and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. 48 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.” 49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus advanced [in] wisdom and age and favor before God and man.
Mary and Joseph were devout Jews and strictly adhered to the Law, so they went down to the Temple in Jerusalem for Passover (Ex. 34:23-26). In Jesus’ time it would take approximately 30 hours to walk the difficult 90 mile journey from Nazareth to Jerusalem. Luke began his infancy narrative in the Temple where the angel of the Lord appeared to John the Baptist’s (JBap) father, Zechariah, who was serving as priest (Lk. 1:8-11). John ended his infancy narrative with Jesus the child in the Temple.
Jesus had remained in Jerusalem when the caravan with his family left after the Passover. After searching for three days, his parents found him in discussion with the Teachers and they were astonished at his wisdom and understanding (Lk. 2:40); also (cf. Lk. 19:45-48). Jesus himself revealed who he was, “I must be in my Father’s house (v. 49).” The Temple was his home, but the Son of God lived inconspicuously with his parents in a very simple house in Nazareth. At that point in time his parents did not understand his relationship with God and that it would take precedence over his earthly parents. As an obedient child Jesus went back to Nazareth with them.
If Jesus was in his Father’s house (Lk. 1:32), then he was not lost. If Jesus was not lost, then it was Mary and Joseph who were ‘lost’ in their understanding of who Jesus was. They went searching for Jesus just as God wants us to go searching for Jesus so we can grow spiritually. Imagine the anxiety Joseph must have felt when he thought he had lost the Son of God. Mary and Joseph were holy and righteous people, handpicked by God to be the earthly guardian of Jesus. If they could misunderstand who Jesus was and how they should relate to him, how much more should we strive to understand Christ as HE wants us to understand him, and serve Him as HE wants us to serve him? We must do as Mary did and keep the teachings of Christ deep in our hearts as we are all lost and searching for Jesus. It takes time for us to understand the deepest identity of Jesus. We too must advance in wisdom and favor before God and man (v. 52).
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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Expanded Edition, Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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