Holy Boldness

Jesus could have started out and probably fared well as a minister but not as a son. And this is the issue, isn’t it? It is not the issue of ministry but the restoration of sonship that is critical to everything. Jesus was still walking out His submission to create the platform that would lead to ultimate ministry. He was establishing the foundations of His apostleship as one who was sent. He was a pioneer for us and therefore had to endure many hardships. At the same time, as a person grows in the fear of the Lord it will cause him to lay hold of realities about themselves and their own calling that others simply miss. This aspect is also part of this story. Jesus knew things about himself and His calling that His parents were not fully aware of even though they had been a part of the story from the beginning. I would think that one of the premier challenges of raising Jesus for Mary and Joseph would be knowing what God expected of them. We look at the story with the history of Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection in full view. But what would it be like to raise Him before having the benefit of all that we understand about Him today? Perhaps it was to their advantage not understanding the implications of all that Jesus was going to be and do. seemingly, Mary and Joseph were walking down a road of mystery and limited understanding of no fault of their own. The full meaning of Jesus’ response was apparently not under stood by them. Nevertheless, it was remembered. The only response recorded to Jesus’ reply was that Mary pondered His words in her heart. Even though Mary and Joseph did not seem to understand what Jesus was saying to them, this fact did not negate their place as his par ents. The next verse in the story is revealing: “He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them..” (Luke 2:51) This is also an aspect of the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord will cause a person to submit to the authority one has been placed under even if those persons do not understand one’s calling and destiny. Think of it. Jesus submitted to his parents who did not fully comprehend his purpose. Can such a thing be God’s design? Misunderstanding is part of the process of everyone being called by God. It is critical to a person’s calling and purpose and one’s development in the fear of the Lord. A person must learn to know his or her identity even when others misunderstand includ ing those who oversee one’s development.

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