Boy Jesus

 There are a few apocryphal stories about Jesus as a child.  However, in the Bible there is very little said about Jesus’ childhood.  Yet as little as there is, much is revealed.  In Luke 2:41-49, when Jesus was 12, we are told that Jesus went “AWOL”.  After a day had passed, Mary and Joseph realized that Jesus was missing.  They searched for Him for three days before they found Him in the temple courts.  Much can be said about these nine verses; however, there are three things that attract my attention in the next three verses.

 The first one is in verse 52, where Luke writes, “And Jesus grew…in favor with God and man.”  How does one gain the appreciation, admiration, and esteem from others?  One way is through coercion and manipulation.  However, this will not win the approval of God.  There must have been something in Jesus’ nature or character that won the regard, respect, and honor of others and with God.

In verse 51, after Mary and Joseph found Jesus, Luke writes, “He went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.”  This is an amazing statement.  The Son of God, the One who spoke the universe into existence, the One who sits at the right hand of the Father was obedient to His creation!  Luke’s astonishing statement is a prelude to another much more mysterious statement, “He learned obedience from what He suffered…”  (Hebrews 5:8).  Even as a youth, Jesus teaches me that there are seasons in my life when I have to submit myself to the authorities in my life.  Whether at school, on the job, or at home there are times when I will have to “suffer.”

Finally, in verse 50, after Jesus told Mary and Joseph, “Didn’t you know I had to be in My Father’s house?” Luke said, “They did not understand what He was saying to them.”  Jesus was not only an unusual child, but He was an enigma as an adult.  Jesus was problematic to the Pharisees.  Jesus puzzled His disciples.  And Jesus often confuses me.  There are a lot of things about God, Scripture, and life that are confusing and problematic.  There are a lot of things that I don’t know and will probably never understand; yet, there is one thing that is very clear to me and that is the Bible’s message of, “Trust and follow Jesus.”  The question that I continually ask myself is, “Am I willing to take that risk?”