Holy Boldness

retelling the stories and celebrating those great and reoccurring events. They went about their lives as normally as possible while keeping the Jewish traditions, such as traveling to Jerusalem during Passover . These traditions kept the story of Israel’s existence and unique purpose alive, open, and unending. There is very little about Jesus’s childhood recorded in the scriptures. We have the birth narratives and the story of His second visit to the temple in Jerusalem when he was 12 years old and that is all that is recorded in the Gospels until He was 30. But there is much to be gleaned from the one story of Jesus as a boy. This story is recorded in Luke 2:41-52. When Jesus was 12, his parents took him to Jerusalem during one of the feasts. On the return home, Jesus remained in Jerusalem and his parents were unaware of it. Perhaps they assumed that their eldest son was with friends. When they discovered that he was missing they returned to Jerusalem and found him after three days. He was in the Temple talking with the religious leaders and astounding the people standing by with his questions and insights. Mary, however, was confused and upset by his failure to inform them about His whereabouts. According to Luke, she asked him directly and confrontationally, “Son why have you treated us this way?” (Luke 2:48) Such a question implies wrongdoing on Jesus’ part. Jesus’ response showed that He too was surprised by their alarm; “Why were you seeking me? Did you not know that I must be about the things of my Father?” (v. 49) It is fascinating that the first recorded words of Jesus expose a misunderstanding between Him and his parents concerning His calling and obligations to family. His answer to His parents revealed that He was seeking to fulfill His felt obligation to God. It is clear from Jesus’ response that He was not attempting to be in rebellion but to be about the will of God. He might have been trying to assert His independence or perhaps He thought that His “time had come” . Perhaps, Jesus felt that it was time for Him to launch out on His mission or at least take the opportunity to facilitate His preparation. Miscommunication: Jesus at the Temple

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