Nota Bene: I always humbly send forth my sermons to God's people for
their edification, but this one especially. I found it a difficult
text, for one reason or another. Gazing into the mind of God through
the Holy Scriptures is a humbling endeavor, and one that brings much
joy. It is my prayer that God will shine forth His wisdom to us
through the preaching of Christ. +ceadda
St. Luke 2:40-52
Dearly beloved,
It is the Christmas season and we continue to rejoice over the birth
of the child, born to a woman, a virgin. Tuesday is the day of
Epiphany. The gospel which we have heard encompasses both festivals.
Christmas, of course, focuses on the incarnation and birth of Jesus
Christ, God in the flesh. Epiphany, historically, focuses upon God
making Himself known in the child Jesus. The gospel proclaimed from
the lecturn a few moments ago gives us a rare and only glimpse into
Jesus' boyhood.
Jesus was twelve, a boy, yet God. Everyone is in Jerusalem for the
Passover feast. The feast having concluded, everyone begins their
journey back to their homes. In those days people would travel in
packs. The families were large. Therefore, it is understandable that
St. Luke tells us that Mary and Joseph supposed Jesus to be with
cousins. They went a day's journey before they became truly
concerned, but once they failed to him, they turned back towards
Jerusalem.
St. Luke's gospel is important for us. Though we ought not question
the Holy Scriptures, a question naturally comes to mind. Why do we
get only this one account of the boyhood of Jesus? One cannot know for
sure on this side of heaven, because this view of Jesus as a boy of
twelve is the only account in the New Testament of His childhood.
Historic Christianity does understand the Scriptures in a very
special light and this influences the way we pastors preach. St. Paul
tells us how to look at the Holy Scriptures. He says in Romans 15:4,
"For whatever was written in former days was written for our
instruction, that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the
scriptures we might have hope." This verse alone gives us insight
into why Lutheran preaching is what it is.
This verse by St. Paul will also help us to understand why St. Luke
talks about Jesus staying behind and teaching. We can be sure that
Luke intends for the church to learn something through this account.
The account of Jesus in the temple gets interesting when Mary and
Joseph find Jesus. There are a few things said that are especially
Lukan. First, we are told that after three days they found him in the
temple. Being lost for three days goes hand in hand with "being lost
and then found." Luke's account of the prodigal son. At the end of
the parable of the prodigal son, it says, "your brother was dead and
is alive; he was lost and is found."
So, being lost then found and it being on the third day, gives us
early imagery of Christ's death and resurrection. So, even while
Jesus is just a boy, Luke wants us to remember that this boy is here
for a reason–to save mankind. There is a more pervasive theme at
work, which follows. We are told that Jesus was found in the temple,
sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them
questions. And all who heard him were amazed at His understanding and
His answers.
Though Jesus is a boy of twelve in human terms, we and His parents
are being reminded of His Godhead. He is no mere boy, but God. This
is the reason that this gospel lection has historically served as an
Epiphany reading–it reveals to the world that this boy is also God
with knowledge, wisdom and understanding. The lection goes on to tell
us that Mary says to Jesus, "Son, why have you treated us so?" And
Jesus, though a boy, reminds her of His purpose for being in the
flesh–"How is it that you sought Me? Di you not know that I must be
about my Father's business?"
This statement alone is as St. Paul says, "meant for our learning."
What is the Heavenly Father's business? What would a boy of twelve be
doing in the temple teaching a bunch of educated grown men? How we
answer this question, will also lead us to understand why Lutheran
preaching is what it is. Jesus is teaching the teachers of the Law.
Is it so that Jesus can show everyone how great He is? I don't think
so.
If we are going to get at the heart of what Jesus is doing in the
temple, an action that greatly distressed Mary and Joseph, we have to
think about all of the Old Testament. Proverbs is a great place to
start because the book of Proverbs is a continual monologue of sayings
which compare godliness and worldliness. We hear of wisdom and we
hear of folly. Jesus is wisdom in the flesh.
Proverbs demonstrates for us what each of these look like, and
chapter 16 says this: "The wise of heart is called a man of
discernment, and pleasant speech increases persuasiveness. Wisdom is
a fountain of life to him who has it, but folly is the chastisement of
fools. The mind of the wise makes his speech judicious, and adds
persuasiveness to his lips. Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
sweetness to the soul and health to the body"(Proverbs 16:21-24).
The words of Jesus are wisdom to their fullest and they bring life to
the thankful recipient. We see that Jesus, even as a boy, loves
mankind and He loves His people Israel. He has the mouth of wisdom
which makes known the way of salvation. We see the love and
determination of God to spread those words of salvation. In other
words, we see how merciful Jesus is. Many of the people who heard
Jesus speak were older than He, humanly speaking, and He wanted to
communicate the way of salvation to those who may not have lived to
see His miracles, to hear His sermons, or to witness His death and
resurrection.
Love is evident in Jesus. He is love and He wants to save. Looking
at today's gospel, we ponder His words to His mother, "Did you not
know that I must be about my Father's business?" True Lutheran
preaching, is not only Law and Gospel oriented, but it focuses in on
what is happening in the text. We study it, we muse on it, in an
effort to better understand who Jesus is for us. So, what do we find
when we look at this gospel?
We see the love that Jesus has for the Jewish people. We see His
determination to preach the day of salvation as it would come to pass
in Him. We see His unending desire to teach the ways of peace, and we
see that Jesus in the flesh was and is truly God. But what of us? Are
we worthy of Christ's gift or have we neglected it, like so many of
Christ's own people did? St. Paul says in the epistle that "in [Jesus]
we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our
trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished
upon us"(Ephesians 1:7-8).
Do we sit at the feet of the apostles and study the scriptures as we
ought? For St. Paul says, "[Jesus] has made known to us in all wisdom
and insight the mystery of His will, according to His purpose which He
set forth in Christ as a plan for the fulness of time....."(Ephesians
1:9-10). Do we sit at the feet of the evangelists and hang on their
every word because their words open up to us the heavenly mysteries?
Or have you failed to ponder all that Jesus has really done for you?
Christ Jesus even today means to be that great illuminator of truth
to all who will listen. Will you listen? Will you come? Will you gaze
into the heavenly mysteries and the ageless wisdom which flows from
the scriptures? For the glimpse into the boyhood of Jesus that St.
Luke affords us this one time, is meant to be a reminder to the extent
of Christ's love for you, the great extent of His desire to fulfill
His purpose on the cross, and to meditate on the blessedness of what
it means to be holy.
Your sins are forgiven, even those sins of diminishing in your own
life the love that Christ has for you. Jesus intends to gather us
around the altar each Lord's Day in order that we may behold His love
in the cup and in the bread, as we eat His body and drink His blood.
Jesus is always about His Father's business–that of saving people and
having fellowship with them. Amen.
--
Rev. Chad Kendall
www.frchadius.blogspot.com
Trinity Lutheran Church
Lowell, Indiana
www.trinitylowell.org
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