Being About My Father's Business
If you’re a “movie buff” like me, you might think you’re reading the original script for a seasonal classic like Home Alone. For Luke 2:46-50 (which I’ve quoted later on) tells us about 12-year-old Jesus, who was even then full of wisdom and grace, as evidenced by the “teachers” of the temple who marveled at His discourse. In this particular scene, Jesus had just attended the Feast of the Passover in Jerusalem, and was thought by his parents, Mary and Joseph, to be amongst an entourage of their family and friends who were making their way back home to Nazareth.
This is where the parallels to the movie, Home Alone, become evident. It wasn’t until Mary and Joseph sensed he was missing that it even occurred to them to look for Him. You may insert your own “parenting judgement commentary” at this point in the story, but don’t forget that there is also a supernatural element at play because of the “God presence” echoed in Jesus’ poignant words, as underlined in verse 49 of the following passage:
“Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at his understanding and answers. So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said unto Him, Son why have you done this to us? Look, Your farther and I have caught You anxiously, ‘Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?’ But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them. ”
In respect to His family, Jesus was then figuratively “home alone.” The temple was His home. Despite the lingering awe that his earthly parents had carried from the time the Angel of the Lord declared the promise of Mary’s delivery of the Messiah, Luke suggests that they were still baffled by our Lord’s affirmation of His focus and purpose on earth. While referring to “His Father’s business,” and as evidenced by His temple diversion, Jesus was clearly not speaking of Joseph and the family business of carpentry.
It’s here that the “rubber hits the road,” giving way to a journey and destination that few would initially understand…even (and perhaps especially) His earthly parents who had already raised Him from infancy for 12 years. One undoubtedly would have wondered… “Then exactly what is His Father’s business?”
Jesus, even at this young age, was already attuned to His Heavenly Father’s plans and purposes, and was quickly gaining wisdom and favour in and through His advanced spiritual formation. I envision that, by this time, Jesus was already forming a maturing partnership under the commission of His Heavenly Father, and that (to use a legal metaphor) they were entering into a “joint and several” agreement whereby both parties were inextricably bound and wholly liable for the outcome of God’s purposes.
His Heavenly Father’s purposes, therefore, from which Jesus would simply not be deterred, included the provision of the only adequate sacrifice required to save a sin-infested humanity, restoring on the cross of Christ the pure intimacy of His desperately desired relationship with those who would wholly and simply believe in Jesus. Christ’s focus was evidenced in His passion to fulfill His destiny on the cross and His obedience to its required outcome.
This, then, is the story of Easter which we’ve once again recently celebrated…a story that dawned upon Christ’s own heart at a tender age when He was old enough to choose to pursue His eternal destiny.
Jesus was never truly alone, as He was always “home” in His Heavenly Father. Our loving God felt every blow of the nails that pierced His only begotten Son’s body. God’s wrath against sin, and His inability to have any fellowship with it whatsoever, was fully dispatched upon His Son. This was to ensure that every sin ever committed – or yet to be committed – was fully expunged from the record forever upon our sincere repentance and our acknowledgement and proclamation of Christ’s death and resurrection, in defiance of, and victory over death for all time. All praise and glory to Jesus and to our Heavenly Father….
May you and your family enjoy the peace, protection and provision of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice as you reflect on this time of remembrance and worship.
- Doug
