Scripture & Reflection: Sunday 29th December - the First Sunday of Christmas - and for the week ahead:

Scripture:

41 Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43 When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44 Assuming that he was in the group of travellers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, ‘Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.’ 49 He said to them, ‘Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 

52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favour. (Luke 2.41-52)

Reflection:

Is Jesus just being cheeky? Ought he not to say sorry? He had his parents very worried, after all.

I think, Jesus is just being a typical twelve-year old. He knew where he was. He feels completely at home in the Temple, with all the clever teachers of the faith. He belongs there. This is his Father’s house, after all. And he can’t imagine, or doesn’t want to think about, what his parents might be going through. What twelve-year old can?

And this is it. We must never forget, that when we talk about Jesus coming to Earth, to be ‘born like one of us’, then that must also mean that he went through all the normal intellectual and emotional development that humans go through. Yes, he was God. But also, he was human. What greater comfort can there be, than to know that God, to whom we pray, knows all about life as a human? God with us – Emmanuel.

Revd Ylva