Saturday, September 15, 2012

Jesus in seventh grade (Luke 2:41-52)


Every year, Jesus' parents go to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.  We can assume that there were no incidents for the first eleven years of Jesus' life.  However, he Jesus is twelve, he stays behind in Jersualem after his family leaves to return to Nazareth.  Remarkably, they do not discover his absence for an entire day of traveling.  This would require that his family traveled with other families with adolescent boys, Jesus' now has other brothers and sisters, or both.

When they discover that Jesus is not among them, they head back to the temple and find him among the teachers.  Everyone is amazed at Jesus' understanding and answers.  

His mother asked him why he treated them this way and he replies that he had to be in his Father's house.  

After this, he was obedient to his (human) parents while his mother treasured all these things in her heart.

I get the impression that this was the first thing that Jesus did that was "abnormal" since everything that occurred in the Nativity accounts.  He was born and lots of miraculous stuff.  Then, he lived the life of a normal child and his parents seem to take it for granted.  Finally, when he becomes 12, his life becomes abnormal again.  Several major things happen.

He impresses the temple teachers with his understanding.  Further, if Jesus is amazing teachers of the law with his understanding, it stands to reason that this is why he stayed behind in the temple.  He has a higher understanding of the Scripture and his role in it.  Hence, he must stay behind.  At the very least, he is being instructed and refined by the people who can mentor him - temple teachers.
Likewise, he takes initiative to follow his "Father".  I think a reasonable inference from this last statement is that there was no prior conflict between his human parents and his "Father".  Now, we have one and Mary treasures it in her heart.  A similar statement occurs in Matthew at the end of the Nativity sequence.  Whether Luke was aware of this, we can only speculate, but it reminds a reader of both Gospels that Mary quietly took everything in.

Having a normal adolescence would help Jesus a lot given that groups of people tried to kill him as a child.  Here, it seems that Jesus is hidden away and allowed to grow up.

Finally, the story occurs at Passover.  We can probably infer that his family visited Jerusalem at other points in the year, such as the fall harvest festivals.  However, his central event happens at Passover, which connects the story with the role of Jesus as the Passover lamb. 

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