Be About Your Father's Business

Luke 2:49-52 -   “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you realize that I would be here at the Temple, in my Father’s House?”  But they didn’t understand what he meant. Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them; and his mother stored away all these things in her heart.  So Jesus grew both tall and wise, and was loved by God and man.

 

They had gone to the Passover celebration in Jerusalem the year that Jesus was 12. They realized he had not returned with them the first night they stopped to camp for the night…and searched for 3 days more before they found Him in the Temple…soaking up all the discussions of scripture He could. He had obviously spent time with His Heavenly father discussing them too…for he was full of wisdom and insight for a boy His age.

 

His earthly parents had let the fact that Jesus was God’s son slip to the back of their memory…but Jesus was letting the fact that He was God’s son lead Him in a passionate search for all He could learn about His Heavenly Father. It wasn’t quite time for Jesus to fulfill His mission of salvation….so he returned home with His parents and grew in wisdom and physical stature for the twenty-one years God would continue to prepare Him for the purpose He was sent to Earth in the first place.

 

I admit that I am more like Mary and Joseph in this story than Jesus.  I tend to forget that I was not put in this world to make myself happy and content…but rather to fulfill some task or purpose that God predestined for me to help Him with. Just read Romans 8:28-30 …. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

 

I need to be more like Jesus in this story….studying….sitting with the ones He gave wisdom to before me…learning all that I can so that the ministry He sent me here to do can be full and rich and make the biggest impact for his kingdom as it can.

 

Father….thank you for the reminder that I am to be about my Father’s business.  Forgive me for the times that I have let the earthly pressures of life distract me from learning as much about you as I should.  Give me a heart like Jesus had at 12..that realized fully who he was…an knew that He needed to study and know the Bible for all it would give Him in support when He was 33. Amen.