Though we are well into January, I wish that Christmas was still on people's minds. Maybe if we can't think of baby Jesus anymore, we could at least think about what He was like as a twelve-year-old.
When it was over and they left for home, the child Jesus stayed behind in
Jerusalem, but his parents didn’t know it. Thinking he was somewhere in the
company of pilgrims, they journeyed for a whole day and then began looking for
him among relatives and neighbors. When they didn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem looking for him. (Luke 2:43-45)
Can you imagine how Mary and Joseph must have felt when they realized
their Son wasn’t with them? It wasn’t only their Son whom they had lost, but
the Son of God. Did they panic, fearing the wrath of God, or did they
understand that God was looking out for His Son?
They had already journeyed out of Jerusalem for a day. Now they had to
turn around and go back to look for Jesus. Surely, they turned this problem
over to God, asking for His guidance and provision.
Have you ever lost a child or someone
you were with while in a store? You looked up and down every aisle, worried
that something had happened to them. You may have gotten to the point of
contacting store security. Hopefully, about that time you found your child
hiding under a clothing rack, or your friend coming out of the restroom.
What thoughts went through your mind
while they were missing? Did you pray that God would keep them safe and return
them to you? Did you praise God when they were found?
(From "The Early Life of Jesus in 40 Days")
No comments:
Post a Comment