Today’s Post Written By: Rae Lynn DeAngelis
My brother and his family came in town for a visit, and so we decided to all meet up for dinner at a local restaurant. Afterwards, we piled into two vehicles and headed for my parents’ condo to spend some additional time visiting. Shortly after we arrived someone asked the whereabouts of my nine year old niece. A quick survey of the condo revealed that Sami was nowhere to be found.
It didn’t take us long to realize that Sami had been left behind at the restaurant. In a panic my sister-in-law made a mad dash for the car and took off down the road at lightning speed. With frantic tears streaming down her face, she bolted into the restaurant and began desperately scanning the dining room for her precious daughter. She didn’t have to look far. Sami was sitting at the counter with a very nice policeman eating a piece of pumpkin pie, seemingly unscathed by the incident.
How did this happen? While we were gathering up to leave the restaurant, my niece went into the restroom without telling anyone. When we got into our cars, I assumed that my niece was with her parents, and her parents assumed that she was with us. Perhaps you remember another story of a child getting left behind.
“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.” (Luke 2:41-44a)
We might begin to question Mary and Joseph’s parenting abilities. How could they have left their twelve year old son in Jerusalem for an entire day and not realize it? “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2)
Before we begin to judge the situation, we need to understand a few things. At the age of twelve, Jesus was teetering between manhood and childhood. Since women and children often traveled in the caravan together separate from the men, it is believed that, because of His age, Jesus could have just as easily traveled with either group. Mary assumed Jesus was with Joseph, and Joseph assumed Jesus was with Mary.
“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.” (Luke 2:44b-46)
Jesus was missing for three days! Can you imagine the panic Mary and Joseph must have felt? My niece was only gone twenty minutes and we were frantic.
“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?’ [Jesus] asked. ‘Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’” (Luke 2:48-49)
I find it interesting that neither Jesus nor my niece were the least bit traumatized by their experience. According to Jesus, he wasn’t lost at all. He was right where He was supposed to be—with His Father.
I take comfort in knowing that God the Father was with my niece that day too.
