My Father's Business
This morning we had 15 men at 5 AM to study Luke 2 where Jesus went to the Temple at age 12 for the Passover feast. We had a great time, as always. These men energize me with their love for the Lord and His Word.
This account is the only thing we know specifically about the boyhood of Jesus until His ministry started at age 30, so it is very significant. When He went to the Temple at age 12, He was becoming a man. The Jewish people have the Bar Mitzvah to show that a young man is responsible for keeping the Law. It means a "son of the law." I think that is what Jesus was doing at the Temple when He was 12. He was taking the Law seriously, and like He told Joseph and Mary, He was about His Father's business. That was the business of redeeming mankind from sin. It was the most serious business of all time. Only Jesus could have done it, and He had to make sure and do it right.
However, Joseph and Mary did not understand why He tarried in the Temple with the teachers of the Law. They were disoriented to the mission of Jesus. Perhaps, in the 12 years since His birth some of the memories had faded. Maybe, seeing Him grow up as a normal boy caused them to forget His mission to save His people from their sins. Anyway, they did not understand Jesus and His desire to do the will of His Father.
Most Christians are the same way today. They go to worship, but they are not seeking to be about the Father's business for their lives. God's will is a side light for their lives. It is not the main thing. Consequently, their lives are basically wasted in relatively meaningless pursuits. When they stand before the Lord, He will ask them why they neglected the Father's Business. I pray that we will all realize this truth and seek the Lord like the boy, Jesus, until we know God's will for our lives and do it.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Kings 19-20 and Luke 23:1-25.
This account is the only thing we know specifically about the boyhood of Jesus until His ministry started at age 30, so it is very significant. When He went to the Temple at age 12, He was becoming a man. The Jewish people have the Bar Mitzvah to show that a young man is responsible for keeping the Law. It means a "son of the law." I think that is what Jesus was doing at the Temple when He was 12. He was taking the Law seriously, and like He told Joseph and Mary, He was about His Father's business. That was the business of redeeming mankind from sin. It was the most serious business of all time. Only Jesus could have done it, and He had to make sure and do it right.
However, Joseph and Mary did not understand why He tarried in the Temple with the teachers of the Law. They were disoriented to the mission of Jesus. Perhaps, in the 12 years since His birth some of the memories had faded. Maybe, seeing Him grow up as a normal boy caused them to forget His mission to save His people from their sins. Anyway, they did not understand Jesus and His desire to do the will of His Father.
Most Christians are the same way today. They go to worship, but they are not seeking to be about the Father's business for their lives. God's will is a side light for their lives. It is not the main thing. Consequently, their lives are basically wasted in relatively meaningless pursuits. When they stand before the Lord, He will ask them why they neglected the Father's Business. I pray that we will all realize this truth and seek the Lord like the boy, Jesus, until we know God's will for our lives and do it.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Kings 19-20 and Luke 23:1-25.