The Obscure Years IX

In some ways the story of Jesus sticking around in Jerusalem for some personal Temple time when He was only twelve years old is an open window which enables us to see something of His family life.  It seems obvious that Mary and Joseph did not keep a tight rein on their oldest son.  Perhaps, the reason for this had to do with the trust He had earned with them over the years.  Regardless of the possibilities, the reality is that He was gone for a day before they realized He was not with them and then it was three more days before they found Him in the Temple.   Had they had the kind of rein on Jesus that many of today's parents try to keep on their children, none of the drama of those days would have taken place.   

It is also interesting that when they realized Jesus was missing, they looked for Him among friends and relatives.  This suggests to us that such a place would have been a natural place for Jesus to be.  Perhaps, back then it was more obvious than it seems to be now that a village is required to rear a child.  I remember as a teenager living in a small town where everyone knew everyone else's business and no adult seemed shy about saying a corrective word to a child or young person who might need it.  It seems that it was to this kind of community that Mary and Joseph entrusted their child.    

And finally, it is significant where Jesus was when He was found.  He was in the Temple.  Jesus was reared in a home where faith practices were observed, stories of faith were shared, and trust in God guided every move.  Both Mary and Joseph knew that God was doing something extraordinary through the life of this oldest son.  They knew He had been marked for the Father's business and they did everything possible to make sure that the center of their home gave support to what God was seeking to do in the life of His Son.