Father's House

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 

Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers.

When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them. (Luke 2:41-51)

I’ve always wondered why this is the only Synoptic Gospel reference to Jesus when he was a boy, and why 12 years-old.  Moreover, there is another reference to three days.  Consider: (begin) The story notes that Mary and Joseph were quite anxious about Jesus’ whereabouts, but after 3 days they found him.  The three-day timeline matters to the biblical narrative because it is the special day on which God creates new life and activates his covenant with humanity. This understanding is drawn from the Hebrew Scriptures as well as Jonah 1:17 (Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for 3 days).  Hosea (6:1-2) noted God’s resurrecting work for Israel as occurring on the third day. While these are worthy texts to consider, this pattern of resurrection on the third day begins even earlier in the story.  The creation story in Genesis 1 has new life appearing on day 3 and God is revealed at Mount Sinai on the third day.  Then there is the obvious New Testament example of the resurrection of Jesus on the third day (a story that at this time is yet to come). (end)  

More likely is that Luke’s reference to the search and Jesus’s time in the temple for three days was creative narration consistent with the 3-day theme.  Moreover, why did Luke only give an account of just this one story of Jesus as a boy?  Perhaps it was to further Jesus’s connection to Jonah, Hosea, Genesis, God’s revelation, and the resurrection?  

I’m also surprised that Mary and Joseph didn’t understand Jesus when he allegedly said: “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Both, especially Mary, would have understood considering the appearance of the angel, the virgin birth, etc.  Perhaps they were surprised Jesus knew the identity of his birth Father – God.

Do we know who is our real Father and the location of the Father’s house?  Matthew (7:24-29) provides the clue: “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.” When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.” Note that “the crowds were astonished” just as “all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers” in the temple.

Let’s make sure our own houses are built on rock, and we will be wise not as 12-year olds, but as critical-thinking, faith-filled adults who listen to and act on the Word of God.

Deacon David Pierce