Luke 2:41-52

content/bible_journal/luke_2:41-52.md

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+title = "Luke 2:41–52"
+date = "2022-10-25"
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+
+### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Lk2.41-52)
+
+Fast forward twelve years. Mary and Joseph take their family to Jerusalem to
+celebrate the Passover, as they have done every year. When the feast is over,
+though, they accidentally leave Jesus behind. They get as far as stopping for
+the night with the group they are traveling with and finally realize he isn't
+there.
+
+They go back to Jerusalem to search. "After three days" could mean they spent
+three days searching, or that he was separated from them for three days. This
+sequence makes sense to me: a day of travel out, a day of travel back, and a
+day of searching before looking in the temple courts. But that is where he is,
+discussing with the teachers. The teachers are amazed at his answers, but Mary
+comes in and tries to bring a guilt trip on him. (Understandably. I'd be upset
+too if it took me three days to find my child.) Jesus doesn't get defensive,
+but merely states that he was doing what was necessary.
+
+It's like he expected them to know where he had been the whole time. Usually I
+have heard this interpreted as "he's the Messiah, of course he needs to be in
+the temple doing God's work. Why didn't Mary and Joseph remember that?" There
+might be an element of that, but I don't think there were constant reminders
+that Jesus was special in his everyday life. He was perfect and sinless, yes,
+but the Magi visited about ten years ago, and things had settled down since the
+family vacation in Egypt. More likely, I think, is that Mary and Joseph had
+their plans, Jesus had his plans, and somehow these things were not
+communicated clearly enough. It's hard to tell when Luke doesn't tell us all
+that was said. But in the end Jesus returns home with his parents and obeys
+them as he should.
+
+* * *
+
+Help make it so that learning about You is the normal, expected thing for
+people to do.