“Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Luke 2:49
Read Luke 2:41-52
Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”[a] 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
“Why didn’t you pick up my dry cleaning?”
“Why didn’t you make cookies for my class?”
“Why didn’t you play dolly with me?”
These are all questions my family members sometimes ask me. And, they often want to know where I was and what else consumed my time.
I wonder if my Heavenly Father ever wants to ask me:
“Why didn’t you pick up my word?”
“Why didn’t you make time for me?”
“Why didn’t you take time to praise me and appreciate my creation?”
I wonder if He’d further drive home the point ever so gently by asking, “Why were you so busy searching for me in accomplishments, in words, in relationships? Didn’t you know I would have to be found in your heart in those quiet moments when you can truly focus on me?
In this passage from Luke, Jesus knew where He needed to be. Geographically, He needed to be in the temple. Spiritually, He needed, needed for His soul, He needed to be discussing the Scriptures, needed time to contemplate, and give others something to contemplate. He needed to focus on His Heavenly Father.
In verse 51, we see Jesus doing what He was also called to do: obey his parents. He spent some time in the temple worshipping and teaching, and then if was time to fulfill another calling.
How much like our lives today! We each need to rejuvenate, refresh our souls with time spent with the Lord. And then we need to get back to the business of living. The difference is living as God calls us to live.
Reflections:
1)What consumes my time and attention, taking my eyes off Christ?
2) Do I REALLY need to complete my to-do list today, or am I better off listening to God’s list? God knows what you need to do today. He knows about deadlines, needing to cook for your family, needing to go to work for your family, needing to go to school. He will also help you find time for Him if you ask. He will help you order what truly needs to be done and what does not need to be tackled today. In the days I have truly tried to give my time over to God, the day never looked as I would have pictured. Yet, my family never missed a meal, or had no clean laundry. And, at the end of the day, I had such a peace that what truly needed to get done, got done. And, part of what needed to get done, was build a deeper relationship with God.
Thank you for reading! Please let us know what you are thinking! Feel free to resond to my email if you don’t wish to publish your thoughts here. You can find me at Stefanielynn#@gmail.com . Please return tomorrow for the next post.