Aren’t You Forgetting Something?
Luke 2:40-52
Illustration
Many of us have watched the one or more of the Home Alone films. Home Alone is a 1990 American Christmas family comedy film. The film stars Kevin, an eight-year-old boy who is mistakenly left behind when his family flies to Paris for their Christmas vacation. Kevin initially relishes being home alone, but soon has to contend with two would-be. As of 2009, Home Alone was the highest-grossing comedy of all time. It spawned a successful franchise, with four sequels and three video games, with the main cast reprising their roles for Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
Recently on a trip, I forgot my iPad at home while I took the charger with me. If it were the charger I left behind, I probably would have found someone who could loan me his charger but alas, my iPad was left at home some thousands miles away.
We sometimes thought we have parked everything we need for a journey only to discover halfway that something is amiss. Our pain would be minimised if we had not gone too far to turn around to go and get what we forgot behind, but something the journey is far too gone ahead to turn back. My prayer is that it shall never be too late for you to retrieve / recover whatever glory who have inadvertently missed, in Jesus name.
How have you felt when you realise that you had forgotten something that you ought to have done, brought along, etc? This was the situation with the parents of Jesus in this story. We have just celebrated Christmas this past week, but you might be surprised that some would have forgotten Christ so soon afterwards.
Text Review:
All Jewish men must present themselves before the Lord for 3 special feasts every year. These festivals are Feast of Passover, Feast of Pentecost and Feast of Tabernacle/Booths (Deut 16:16), but women are not so necessarily obliged except at the Passover. A boy becomes a “son of the Law” at 13 and his preparation starts as soon as he turns 12. This was the background of Joseph and Mary taking Jesus on this occasion to Jerusalem. Jesus had a perfectly normal development, even so an accelerated growth mentally and spiritually. Other children who grew likewise are Samuel (1 Sam 2:26), and John the Baptist (Luke 1:80).
Prayer: v.40: Father, as the child Jesus grew, Let me and all my children experience accelerated growth in body, in Spirit, in wisdom and in grace.
In verse 41: The parents always go to the house of the Lord, even though they were not so rich. Please parents show who children your commitment to the things of God so that they will imbibe that virtue from you. Samuel parents always appeared in Shiloh (1 Sam 1:7,26-28).We need to teach our children to cherish the presence of the Lord, the house of our God, the fellowship with other believers. Remember the Timothy story (2 Tim 3:15).
Verses 42-43. How can the parents not know that they were missing someone? It has been said that probably the mother thought he was with Joseph or any of their friend/family and the mother thought similarly he was with Joseph. We can speculate the reasons why they lost Jesus: (i) they lost sight of him (Heb 12:2); (ii) Indifference / Hurry – Life in the fast lane; (iii) taking him for granted and (iv) Drifting away (Heb 2:1)
Prayer: Luke 2:43 Father may I not be far from you that I would not recognise that you are no longer in my company.
Verse 44: Here we have what is known as Presumption. We can presume either good things ( , or bad things ( ) while aren’t necessarily true. Like a former American president Ronald Reagan would say ‘Trust but verify’. For those things we can confirm, that do not negate faith, let us be fully persuaded of established fact/truth. The Berea Christians (Acts 17:10-11) would review what Paul had told them. Let us never suppose that we are in the company of Jesus, when, in fact, we may have lost Him. Never rest till you and He have found each other! (2 Cor 13:5). Beware that we do not follow Samson presumption error, thinking the Lord was still with him when God had left.
The seeking was recorded in verse 45. Certain questions are pertinent here –
Who do you seek? (John12:21) - Jesus and no one less.
Why do you seek him? (John 6:26; John 8:37) – seek his companionship. Seek his Presence and not just His presents!
How are you seeking him? (Jer 29:13; Luke 15:8-9)
How dearly do you seek him – imagine for 3 days the parents were still seeking him. Would you easily give up on the search for Him?
Lastly we examine verses 46-47. Jesus was listening, being asked questions as well as asking questions. Jesus the wisdom of God, the Creator, was humble enough to listen. A teachable spirit is very important – never under-estimate anyone that you can’t learn from (Jam 3:17). It is instructive that the Doctors at Law (today’s Professors and PhDs) were astonished by the type of questions Jesus was asking. It has been said that “You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions.” Naguib Mahfouz (Egyptian novelist and screenplay writer 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature). This level of deep wisdom is evident of Verse 40 that he grew in wisdom and grace. Pray that prayer again that God will make you experience superlative growth in all areas of life.
V49. If we are looking for you, would you be about the Father’s business. Would you allow the zeal of the Father’s house to consume your whole being? (Psm 69:9, John 2:17).
V50. What do you lay to heart?
In summary:
1. Parents have a duty to train up their children in the way of the Lord. Let the zeal of the Father’s house consume everyone in the household. Never forsake the assembly of the saints.
2. Repent of all false/wrong presumptions. Prove things, hold on to only the truth.
3. Seek Him diligently, for the right reasons, and never rest until you have confirmed you have found Him, and He you.
Prayer Points:
Exo 33:14-15: Father I don’t want to go into the new year 2014 without your Presence. God please be my helper and companion.
Luke 2:40 Father as we enter new year, cause me to experience superlative growth in all areas of life.
