Today's Scripture
The Father’s Business – Luke 2:41-52
41 Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43 When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44 Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” 49 He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.
RJ's Devotion
What the passage says
V. 41-43 Jesus’ household was faithful to the Jewish Tradition. Normally, the Jews were observing a tradition to travel to Jerusalem, three times a year. However, they reduced this obligation to one a year, and we see that this festival was the Passover.
V. 44-46 One the most horrifying nightmare happened to Joseph and Mary. You lost your child, in the crowd. He is not only your child but the child of God. The severity of this matter led them to forget who this child belong to.
V. 47-52 Jesus was found in the temple, talking and discussing with the teachers of the law. All were astonished by his teaching. His parents were dumbfounded to see him at the temple, but Jesus says,”Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (v. 49 NRSV). This should have reminded them who he really belonged to, but it didn’t
What does the passage say to me/us?
“Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
Coming to the presence of God should be a joy, not an obligation. Coming to the presence of God should be experienced beyond the four wall of our church, and in our daily life. However, we cannot discredit the presence of God we experience in our Sanctuary.
Sanctuary is a sanctified place. God had set it aside so people can meet God. There are times when we need to meet God in a special area. For example, in my marriage, there is a need for my wife and me to be on a date night. I might be with her all the time, but there is a moment when we need to be together in a unique place, where we are reminded of our love.
That would be a reason for us to come to church. That would be a reason for us to set aside a day to come and be in the presence of our Lord. (Remember, our Sanctuary is opened for prayer during the week.) That is also a reason why we need to retreat from the world, and set aside a time to our Lord. When we desire to be in our Father’s house, we will continue to remember who we really belong to.
Prayer
Lord, helps us to seek your presence in our lives. Help us to desire your presence every day. Grow us to be more like you. Use us for your glory.
In Christ name, we pray, AMEN
Click to subscribe to our Daily Devotion.
You will receive a devotion in your inbox every morning.