It was the Feast of the Passover in Jerusalem. People flooded the city from all over the land of Israel. There were a lot of happenings in the city.The family of young Jesus also decided to be part of the festivities as was their custom every year.
The Joseph's family spend an entire week in the city having been part of all the festivities.Now it was time to go home. The children complained to Joseph "Dad, Is it already time to get back?. We were just getting to know our new friends here in the city. We don't want to go home. The city is so much fun.". But there was no use complaining to Dad as he had already started packing the luggages. Mom intervened and whispered to the children, " Don't worry. We will get back here next year too. Guess what..We are stopping at Simon's hotel on the way to have grilled fish and yummy z'aatar ." Mommy's promise silenced the kids and they all began to pack up, excited about their stop on the way.So as the family packed up and was on their homeward journey for about a day, they notice that Jesus was missing. This would have been the last thing Joseph and Mary would have wanted to know.They enquired with their neighbours from the village who were also along with the family in the journey. Now they asked young 'Yohan' who was also a friend of Jesus. "I haven't seen him for a while", complained Yohan. The entire family was worried. Where could he possibly go?. He was not with his friends. He was not found with any of his relatives as well. Mary started to weep and cry miserably. Was he kidnapped?. Did he lose his way? Weren't I supposed to take care of God's precious gift to me?.Many thoughts ran through Mary's mind."I need my Son, I need him. " cried Mary to Joseph.
Joseph needed to make a decision. They decided to travel all the way back to Jerusalem to search for him in the city. They enquired at the inn they stayed in , went to the children's playground, the Jerusalem market, at their relative Zachariah's house. He wasn't there anywhere. They asked everyone they saw on the way if they had seen the young Jesus.It was so hard to find a person in the city, save a young child. The children were happy they were back in the city but were worried about their elder brother whom they called 'Yeshua'. " Now what do we do", cried out .James. Two days had passed and there was no sign of Jesus. They decided to spend one more day in the city. That night Mary wept bittterly and prayed "O Lord God only if you could show us where Jesus is, we promise to take care of Him so dearly and lovingly for the rest of our lives".
The next day morning, Joseph and Mary decided to go to the temple to pray. Now as they entered the temple, they found a familar face sitting along with the priests and scribes. Wasn't it Jesus?. With tears of joy,Mary hurried to Jesus. Jesus was found listening to the teachers and asking them questions."Jesus", cried out Mary and ran to embrace him. "Son why have you done this to us. We were so worried about you", said Mary.
Jesus answered, "Why did you seek me? , Did you not know that I must be about my Father's business". The answer surprised Jesus parents and they did not understand why he made such a statement. They did not have time to think about it. They had to travel back a long distance. They started on their backward journey. Everyone was so happy. Mary made sure that she did not make another mistake and always kept an eye on Jesus on the way back. But what Jesus said continued to stir her thoughts. Why would he say like that? What was going on at the temple?
The answer continues to ponder our thoughts even today. The young Jesus was so bold in his statement to his parents. As a young boy, he had so many other things that he could have done in the city. But he chose to be at the temple of God with the priests and scribes. What an unlikely place for a young boy to be?. But Jesus knew his priorities. Even at his young age, he was careful to make the right choice.As young men of God, we have a lot of choices with us today. There is a lot of business happening around us that continue to attract us more than the business of God. We rush through each day trying to meet our ends, worried about our children's future, investing in the pleasures and passions of this world, busy with everything that we can possibly be with except the things of God. We complain that we have no time. But we care to find time for everything that we like from entertainment to sports and what not. Do we show the same dilligence for the things of God?. We too can observe the Feast of the Passover just like Jesus parents did. They observed the feast and had all the fun. But the most important part was missing, to remember the God of the Passover.
Do we forget the God of the Passover today?. We might go to worship meetings each week and remember the Lord as a custom. But what God requires is truly more than that. Do we truly go about the Father's business like Jesus?. He knew his priorites. He had a mission. He had no time to waste.In the hue and cry to meet our livelihoods, do we miss doing the father's business?. All other business is of the world and perishes just as the world. Are you found today busy in the Father's business?.
The Joseph's family spend an entire week in the city having been part of all the festivities.Now it was time to go home. The children complained to Joseph "Dad, Is it already time to get back?. We were just getting to know our new friends here in the city. We don't want to go home. The city is so much fun.". But there was no use complaining to Dad as he had already started packing the luggages. Mom intervened and whispered to the children, " Don't worry. We will get back here next year too. Guess what..We are stopping at Simon's hotel on the way to have grilled fish and yummy z'aatar ." Mommy's promise silenced the kids and they all began to pack up, excited about their stop on the way.So as the family packed up and was on their homeward journey for about a day, they notice that Jesus was missing. This would have been the last thing Joseph and Mary would have wanted to know.They enquired with their neighbours from the village who were also along with the family in the journey. Now they asked young 'Yohan' who was also a friend of Jesus. "I haven't seen him for a while", complained Yohan. The entire family was worried. Where could he possibly go?. He was not with his friends. He was not found with any of his relatives as well. Mary started to weep and cry miserably. Was he kidnapped?. Did he lose his way? Weren't I supposed to take care of God's precious gift to me?.Many thoughts ran through Mary's mind."I need my Son, I need him. " cried Mary to Joseph.
Joseph needed to make a decision. They decided to travel all the way back to Jerusalem to search for him in the city. They enquired at the inn they stayed in , went to the children's playground, the Jerusalem market, at their relative Zachariah's house. He wasn't there anywhere. They asked everyone they saw on the way if they had seen the young Jesus.It was so hard to find a person in the city, save a young child. The children were happy they were back in the city but were worried about their elder brother whom they called 'Yeshua'. " Now what do we do", cried out .James. Two days had passed and there was no sign of Jesus. They decided to spend one more day in the city. That night Mary wept bittterly and prayed "O Lord God only if you could show us where Jesus is, we promise to take care of Him so dearly and lovingly for the rest of our lives".
The next day morning, Joseph and Mary decided to go to the temple to pray. Now as they entered the temple, they found a familar face sitting along with the priests and scribes. Wasn't it Jesus?. With tears of joy,Mary hurried to Jesus. Jesus was found listening to the teachers and asking them questions."Jesus", cried out Mary and ran to embrace him. "Son why have you done this to us. We were so worried about you", said Mary.
Jesus answered, "Why did you seek me? , Did you not know that I must be about my Father's business". The answer surprised Jesus parents and they did not understand why he made such a statement. They did not have time to think about it. They had to travel back a long distance. They started on their backward journey. Everyone was so happy. Mary made sure that she did not make another mistake and always kept an eye on Jesus on the way back. But what Jesus said continued to stir her thoughts. Why would he say like that? What was going on at the temple?
The answer continues to ponder our thoughts even today. The young Jesus was so bold in his statement to his parents. As a young boy, he had so many other things that he could have done in the city. But he chose to be at the temple of God with the priests and scribes. What an unlikely place for a young boy to be?. But Jesus knew his priorities. Even at his young age, he was careful to make the right choice.As young men of God, we have a lot of choices with us today. There is a lot of business happening around us that continue to attract us more than the business of God. We rush through each day trying to meet our ends, worried about our children's future, investing in the pleasures and passions of this world, busy with everything that we can possibly be with except the things of God. We complain that we have no time. But we care to find time for everything that we like from entertainment to sports and what not. Do we show the same dilligence for the things of God?. We too can observe the Feast of the Passover just like Jesus parents did. They observed the feast and had all the fun. But the most important part was missing, to remember the God of the Passover.
Do we forget the God of the Passover today?. We might go to worship meetings each week and remember the Lord as a custom. But what God requires is truly more than that. Do we truly go about the Father's business like Jesus?. He knew his priorites. He had a mission. He had no time to waste.In the hue and cry to meet our livelihoods, do we miss doing the father's business?. All other business is of the world and perishes just as the world. Are you found today busy in the Father's business?.
