Luke 2:45-52

The next time we read about Jesus is when He was twelve years old. His parents traveled every year to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. This particular year, unbeknownst to His parents, He stayed behind. As Joseph and Mary were on their way back to Nazareth, they didn’t miss Him at first, thinking He was with the other travelers. It wasn’t until that evening, when He didn’t show up for dinner, that they realized He was missing.

Can you imagine what was going through their minds and hearts?

I remember one time when we were on vacation and went to a large restaurant with many rooms, and we had quite a walk to our table. Once we arrived, we realized that our son, Joey, wasn’t with us. He was about three at the time. Everyone assumed someone else had him, so I went flying up to the front of the restaurant, where I found him with several “moms” surrounding him, asking if he was lost. What a relief to see him — but I can’t even explain what tore through my heart in the moments before.

Now imagine Joseph and Mary: they were a day’s journey away from Jerusalem on their way back to Nazareth — a three-to-five-day journey by foot — and now realized their Son (God’s Son!) had gone missing on their watch. I have no words.

As the Scriptures state, it was three days before they located Him. What lasted only a few minutes for me lasted three days for them. And remember — we know how the story ends. They didn’t.

So where do they find Jesus? In the Temple. And His words to them are quite telling:

“But why did you need to search? Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

It is safe to say that Jesus knew who He was at this point. And notice that Mary stored these things in her heart.

Fear causes us to think illogically at times. In Jesus’ mind, the Temple was the first place they should have looked, yet after a day’s journey back, they spent two more days searching before finding Him there.

Fear can grip us in the worst ways, playing out all kinds of scenarios in our minds. But we must calm ourselves and seek God so we can hear and see clearly. Easier said than done in the moment, but absolutely necessary.

(Ps. I am going to continue writing devotionals chronologically on the events in Jesus’ life as recorded in the Gospels.)