18.1.25 Luke 2:41-52

18 January

Prepare

Father God, here I am, I open myself to you. Please reveal yourself to me today, grab my attention by your spirit. Amplify your word and supernaturally highlight the places you want me to find you. Take these moments, pockets of my day and help me grow in new levels of faith. 

Take a moment to be still. 

Read – Luke 2:41-52

 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom.

After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day.

Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him,

“Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

“Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”

But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.

But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

Reflect

It may be easy for us to read this and judge Mary and Joseph’s parenting for not being aware of Jesus’ whereabouts but it would have been customary for large groups to make pilgrimages at feast time!

What I find interesting about this text, is that Luke tells us Jesus grew.  He grew physically, mentally and spiritually.  Luke tells us that he grew in wisdom.  He needed to learn things.

Growth is the opposite of comfort. For some of us, the riskiest thing we can do is stay as we are.

Growth requires opening up to new ways of looking at things. Jesus was growing, and this meant that he needed new relationships, new teachers.

Mary and Joseph did not have everything he needed. The synagogue back in Nazareth did not have everything he needed.  He took this unscheduled opportunity to interact with people of deeper knowledge.  

For a plant to grow and flourish it needs the right conditions – good soil filled with nutrients, fresh water every day, sunlight and protection. What are the best conditions for you to grow in faith today?  

Be 

Thank you Father God that you desire the best for me, that you want me to grow deeper in my love and knowledge of you.

I give you my heart, my mind, my time and my attention.

Fill me with your love.  

Become 

God, don’t let me remain in the same place of faith.

I want to grow as Jesus did, I want to learn and live your way.

Please remove whatever and whoever is keeping me from growing in You.

Add whatever and whoever encourages me closer to You.  

Do

Who could you meet with to encourage in faith?

Give some of your time to invest in someone else’s growth this week.  

Practice:

Take time today to consider what your soil, water or sun might be practically speaking – what will enable your faith to grow?

Perhaps in this season of growth you need friendship, perhaps you need someone to encourage you

Perhaps it is about digging deeper into scripture or taking time aside to be still in God’s presence.

Whatever it might be, don’t put it off. Be intentional in your growth.