Read: Luke 2:41-52
We call ourselves “followers of Jesus” because we want to obey his teaching and live the way he lived. Paul, who taught in the markets while he made tents, told us we should be “imitators of me, as I imitate Christ.” But should we imitate the child Jesus? In this week’s account from the gospel writer Luke, we see the one story from Jesus’s childhood that we should definitely imitate.
Now [Jesus’s] parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him.
After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished.
And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.”
And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them.
And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. Luke 2:41-52 (ESV)
This is the only detail we have on Jesus’s life as a child. We learn that Jesus’s family celebrated the Jewish festival of Passover. God had appointed this annual feast to help his people remember their deliverance from Israel. This must have been a happy and trustworthy gathering since, as the family returned to Nazareth, Mary and Joseph did not keep track of Jesus’s exact location.
It took some time for Mary and Joseph to realize he was missing, but when they did, can you imagine their strain and stress? Just years before, the family had to escape to Egypt to keep Jesus safe from the murderous rage of Herod, the king in Jerusalem. And now they had gone as a family straight into Jerusalem. Herod the Great had been the murderer of innocent babies near the time of Jesus’s birth. Could his son, Archeleus, who now ruled, be renewing his father’s effort to kill Jesus?
But after three stressful days, in the very last place they looked, there he was: Jesus, in the Jewish temple. Let’s look closely at his actions and learn how we can follow.
He went to the place of teaching and discourse. “They found him sitting among the teachers.” Jesus went to the temple, a house of prayer, but he did not go just to pray. He must have walked past the bazaar where birds and goats were held on ropes and proceeded to the quieter places where teachers gathered discussing God’s word.
Jesus put himself into a place where he could hear and learn. Luke tells us Jesus actually grew: “Jesus increased in wisdom.” How mysterious that the creator of knowledge and the maker of wisdom itself, could take on human form and grow in that very same wisdom. How much more do we need help to learn and grow in wisdom! In previous generations, teaching always happened in gathering places. Now we can find teachers in books and online who tell us new things; teachers who claim to speak for God, but who never answer our questions; teachers who never ask us questions; and teachers on screens that we can pause, turn off, or ignore.
What about you? We learn so much by being in the room with teachers, but false alternatives are a great temptation. Are you willing to go to the places Bible teachers are so that you can learn? We gain so much by time spent with and around teachers. We who follow Jesus must walk with him into the places where teaching happens, so we can learn. Find out where teaching is happening and go there. Ask a trusted teacher for some time at lunch or on the phone.
He found teachers and spent time with them. He was “sitting among the teachers.” Jesus didn’t merely go to the place of teaching and lurk at the edges. He got right in the midst of them.
What about you? Distraction is the great enemy of engagement. Are you willing to engage in the teaching and discussion of God’s word? Do you go to a teaching and become distracted and disengaged? Let’s follow Jesus to the teaching, not to the edges, but right to the center of the discussion where we can best learn. Go to places of discussion and conversation of God, his Son, and his written word and focus intently.
He asked questions of the teachers. Jesus was “listening to them” and “asking them questions.” Jesus sought to hear what the teachers had to say. Surely this was to help them, but it was also to know it for himself. Later (twenty years, in fact) when teaching the crowds, Jesus quoted the teachers he had heard, sometimes approving of their words (“They sit in the seat of Moses, so do what they say…”) and sometimes correcting their teaching (“You have heard it said…but I tell you…”).
We who follow Jesus also need to be willing to ask questions – even those questions others may think are dumb. We need to be willing to admit out loud that we don’t know things. And we need to be willing to learn what we can from imperfect teachers, considering any answer we hear in the light of scripture.
What about you? Pride is a great hindrance for our ability to question. Are you thinking too much about how you’ll sound? Or do you struggle to believe you could actually learn from other teachers? Let’s follow Jesus in his willingness to ask questions, opening himself up to misunderstanding or ridicule. When you feel doubt or confusion, articulate your question so it can be heard, and so you can learn from the answers.
They asked him questions, and he answered those questions. All who heard Jesus “were amazed at his understanding and his answers.” We won’t dazzle others with our intelligence, but we can answer the questions put to us. Learning Christ isn’t a one-way endeavor; when we go to places of teaching, we not only listen and ask but also answer.
In North Wake’s Adult Discipleship teaching and discussion gatherings, I’ve heard great teachers turn the question around and ask the group for their input. This reflects the humility of the teacher and admits there may be more truth the teacher doesn’t know yet. It also indicates the teacher’s desire to learn. Yes, we study to know God more! We do this not just to show off our knowledge, but to help others move closer to Christ through our answers that are faithful to God’s word.
What about you? You are not Jesus, so sometimes you will give poor answers. Do you desire to know God more? Do you desire to be prepared to help others know Him more when discussions happen around your dinner table or in your Grow Group? We follow Jesus when we earnestly seek to grow in our love and knowledge of God and his truth, to enjoy him more, and to help others. Work to learn, grow, and study, and to follow Jesus to the places where you too can engage in discussion and offer your best answers.
Prayer: Jesus, please help me to follow you to the places where I can learn and grow in wisdom. Give me humility to listen and admit my weaknesses by asking questions. Help me set aside my distractions and focus. Grant me discernment through your Word and Spirit to believe what is true and set aside anything false I hear. Allow me to help someone else with my questions and my answers. Thank you for your example of going to places of learning.
North Wake’s Adult Discipleship Courses (ADC) are the ideal places to gather with teachers in order to learn, discuss, and answer. Almost every Sunday morning, in building 6, at both 9:00am and 10:45am, you can join with others who come to learn and grow as well as teachers who have been studying God’s word for weeks. These gatherings happen to equip the saints for the work of ministry. Please come and join us!
