Remember Joseph’s dreams that guided us to Egypt and back. Remember the three men from the East, their gifts, and adoration. Angels praising God, shepherds glorifying God. It is as if he is saying, “Remember, the angel told you I would be the Son of God. “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Jesus is telling Mary she should have known where he was. “Why were you searching for me?” he asks. She had put herself and Joseph at the center of Jesus’ world. That is exactly what Jesus’ question to Mary does. They challenge us to look at our world, our lives, and ourselves in new, different, and sometimes painful ways. Children have a way of doing that to their parents. He is the one who will grow up Mary and Joseph. It is really about moving into deeper and more authentic relationships with God, our world, each other, and ourselves. Today’s gospel is a story about growing up but it is not Jesus’ growing up. Mary and Joseph are the ones who are lost. Mary’s first words are, “Child, why have you treated us like this?” What I really hear is, “Where have you been young man? Your father and I did not survive angel visits, birth in a manger, and living like refugees in Egypt only to have you get lost in Jerusalem.” But Jesus isn’t the one who is lost. Three days later the one who was lost has been found. With great anxiety she and Joseph search for him. So it is no surprise that Mary would be in a panic when she discovers that Jesus is not with the group of travelers. This may be a geographical move, but most certainly it involves psychological and spiritual moves. Ultimately, growing up means moving out and finding a new home. Along the way we make mistakes, get lost, backtrack, and sometimes just need to start over. We must choose values and beliefs that structure our lives. It involves creating relationships, setting priorities, making decisions. Growing up means establishing our identity and figuring out our place in this world. We all need someone to guide and guard our growing up. We are to protect and teach them, nurture and nourish their lives, ensure their health and safety. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.Īs parents, relatives, teachers, guardians, and friends of children we are, and rightfully should be, concerned for their well being. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. 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.” He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. So this year I choose Luke 2:41-52 as our gospel text. My parish will be celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6. They are not to be used in any context where the accompanying message is undermining of the Christian faith and gospel.The lectionary offers three options for the Second Sunday After Christmas. Downloaded pictures can be used in the retelling of Bible stories and narrative that are faithful to the Biblical account.You cannot redistribute this set of images online but you can create a link to the relevant page on to allow others to download these images under the same Terms of Download.These images cannot be sold under any circumstances or used in any format for commercial gain.
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