Merry Christmas! In the bustle and confusion of getting ready for Christmas, have you ever forgotten something? How about driving to the store, and coming home only realizing you forgot maybe the main ingredient, or special gift? So in todays reading, we do find Mary and Joseph was faced with that exact dilemma, in addition we have a timeless truth of the young Jesus having Gods favor, and its by this event in the Gospel of Luke that sparks the realism to both Mary and Joseph, just who Jesus really is.
So starting off with the story, “His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up there according to the custom of the feast.” So first off, I want you to understand, Jesus, being the age of 12, in Jewish Law, the child is now responsible for their own actions and can decide for themselves how they would like to practice Judaism. The ceremony we know today as ‘Bat Mitzvah’. This also means, the child has authority in reading and siting scripture from the Torah, in which case we will see Jesus doing this in a moment.
In a summary, Mary and Joseph lost Jesus on their travels back to Nazareth. So finally realizing it, they returned to Jerusalem frantically searching, not just a few hours, but three days later. Think about that! Searching all over, and scripture says they was anxious; not to mention thinking when they found Jesus, they probably wanted to ring his neck for putting them through this.
So lets read on, “Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. When Joseph and Mary saw Him, they were bewildered; and His mother said to Him, Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You!”
Now at this point, I could just see the look on both Mary and Josephs face, in both feeling relieved and angry at the same time, in after searching three days, finally finding Jesus. So did Jesus say “Mom and Dad, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to do that, and it will never happen again!” No sir, he did not. Listen to Jesus response, And He said to them, Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”
But amongst all of this, Mary learned something new; lets read on, “And yet they on their part did not understand the statement which He had made to them. And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued to be subject to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and people.”
Favor! What a wonderful concept! The dictionary states Favor is an act of kindness beyond what is due or usual. Its an extra effort, on part of someone, to be found favored. In Greek, used in this part of scripture, its called ‘charis’ meaning grace, as a gift or blessing, freely extended to give Himself away to people.
Some years ago, I listened to a local radio station that had a gentlemen who on every broadcast made the statement that he was ‘Blessed and Highly Favored.” I found this statement at the time to be revolting! Yet, as I grew more as a Christian, I became more understanding of what it actually means, to have Favor with God.
In the beginning of the Nativity story, did not the Angel of God say to Mary, Greetings, favored one! You see, being favored, is something very special and prominent to obtain. Its actually an honor to be Gods favored people, of all whom know him and call him Lord and Master of their lives.
Does not Romans tells us “Blessed and happy and favored are those whose lawless acts have been forgiven, And whose sins have been covered up and completely buried. Blessed and happy and favored is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account nor charge against him.”
For those that do not know God, and even choose not to, they do not have a chance. They can scramble, much like Mary and Joseph did to find Jesus, but they will not find him. You know why? Jesus says it best in the Gospel of John, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘And they shall all be taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.”
Where is Jesus to be found? Amongst his fathers house, in amongst his fathers business! What God was making clear to Mary and Joseph is I am the Living God, do you not know that?
Friends, God is calling each of us to seek him out, knowing all too well, we each have a priority problem in our lives. Where do we first go to when we have pain and suffering, it should be Jesus. Where do we first go to when we have anxiety and worry, it should be Jesus. Where do we first go to when we have family or marriage problems, it should be Jesus. Where do we first go to when we simply can’t pray, it should always be Jesus! Stand, sit or kneel before his Throne, lift up your heart, open your mind to his presence, and simply, have a little talk with Jesus, as the hymn tells us; its just that simple. You don’t have to fully understand God to go to him, you have to have a willingness, to open the door to let him in. As we continue to celebrate Christ’s birth, we all need to remember, Jesus came to this earth, God incarnate, to Live with us, to Die for us, and to be resurrected for eternal Faith, Hope and Love. Its not just during Christmas that we celebrate the Gospels, or Good News of Christ, Not just when things are sour do we seek him, but in our everyday and every area of our lives. The very thing that Rev. Billy Graham has always stated, for Christ to reign as Lord and Master in our lives. In return, we each will be ‘Blessed and Highly Favored’, Amen.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION