"And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.
But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.
And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.
And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions."
Luke 2:43-46
I can't imagine what any parents would go through, not being able to find their son for three days. That would be so scary. Maybe the fact that he was staying behind for something really good mitigated the whole thing afterward, and maybe knowing who he was, they had a much higher confidence, at least subconsciously, that they would find him safe. Still, I can't imagine that it made it easy.
On the other side, though, Jesus was an amazing kid. He wasn't stirring up trouble or playing games with his friends. He saw an opportunity for education... probably two way education, he teaching the doctors, and them teaching him... and he took it. How many children would run away in order to go to school? I think Jesus had to learn something here... he wasn't born knowing all of the lessons of life. He had to progress as we have to... he just probably did it amazingly faster. I think he learned a lot by staying, but he probably also learned to respect his earthly parents' perspective a little more, seeing how sad they were, which is why in a later verse it says that he was subject unto them. And I think that his parents learned a lot too. Maybe they started to understand that such a spiritually gifted child needed to have more regular access to the temple, or understood that he needed more resources in order to learn the things that he needed to learn.
Maybe we can learn something here as well. ... Being perfect, as Christ was, doesn't mean knowing everything from the beginning. It means learning, and growing, and becoming better. It's a progression, and it takes time to learn to understand people and things. Ignorance is not sin, although I think we treat it that way often. Asking questions and learning doesn't make us look weak. It makes us wise... because that is how we learn the answers: through asking, and through teaching others, because we have to know it really well to teach it. :)
Today, as we go through our lives and make mistakes, as we are bound to do, let's not be ashamed or try to hide. Let's just explain what we were thinking, learn, and move on. And if we sin, yes, that's worse, but we can still repent, also learn, and also move on... either way, coming out better, stronger, and wiser than before we had those experiences. The real mistake is to stop moving and progressing and learning. To give up and sit in the dust. No matter how bad things seem today, let's remember Christ, and follow his example of learning and moving on. Let's stand up and continue on the path to being better people.
But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.
And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.
And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions."
Luke 2:43-46
I can't imagine what any parents would go through, not being able to find their son for three days. That would be so scary. Maybe the fact that he was staying behind for something really good mitigated the whole thing afterward, and maybe knowing who he was, they had a much higher confidence, at least subconsciously, that they would find him safe. Still, I can't imagine that it made it easy.
On the other side, though, Jesus was an amazing kid. He wasn't stirring up trouble or playing games with his friends. He saw an opportunity for education... probably two way education, he teaching the doctors, and them teaching him... and he took it. How many children would run away in order to go to school? I think Jesus had to learn something here... he wasn't born knowing all of the lessons of life. He had to progress as we have to... he just probably did it amazingly faster. I think he learned a lot by staying, but he probably also learned to respect his earthly parents' perspective a little more, seeing how sad they were, which is why in a later verse it says that he was subject unto them. And I think that his parents learned a lot too. Maybe they started to understand that such a spiritually gifted child needed to have more regular access to the temple, or understood that he needed more resources in order to learn the things that he needed to learn.
Maybe we can learn something here as well. ... Being perfect, as Christ was, doesn't mean knowing everything from the beginning. It means learning, and growing, and becoming better. It's a progression, and it takes time to learn to understand people and things. Ignorance is not sin, although I think we treat it that way often. Asking questions and learning doesn't make us look weak. It makes us wise... because that is how we learn the answers: through asking, and through teaching others, because we have to know it really well to teach it. :)
Today, as we go through our lives and make mistakes, as we are bound to do, let's not be ashamed or try to hide. Let's just explain what we were thinking, learn, and move on. And if we sin, yes, that's worse, but we can still repent, also learn, and also move on... either way, coming out better, stronger, and wiser than before we had those experiences. The real mistake is to stop moving and progressing and learning. To give up and sit in the dust. No matter how bad things seem today, let's remember Christ, and follow his example of learning and moving on. Let's stand up and continue on the path to being better people.
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