Jesus "lost" and found

Sermon for 27th Dec 2009 Crows Nest Lutheran Parish (W.Logan)

Luke 2:41-52   (The Message)
(41)  Every year Jesus' parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. (42)  When he was twelve years old, they went up as they always did for the Feast. (43)  When it was over and they left for home, the child Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents didn't know it.
(44)  Thinking he was somewhere in the company of pilgrims, they journeyed for a whole day and then began looking for him among relatives and neighbors. (45)  When they didn't find him, they went back to Jerusalem looking for him. (46)  The next day they found him in the Temple seated among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. (47)  The teachers were all quite taken with him, impressed with the sharpness of his answers. (48)  But his parents were not impressed; they were upset and hurt. His mother said, "Young man, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been half out of our minds looking for you." (49)  He said, "Why were you looking for me? Didn't you know that I had to be here, dealing with the things of my Father?" (50)  But they had no idea what he was talking about. (51)  So he went back to Nazareth with them, and lived obediently with them. His mother held these things dearly, deep within herself. (52)  And Jesus matured, growing up in both body and spirit, blessed by both God and people.

Some years ago when our children were small we took them to a another town where there was a special show day. (Like ‘Crows Nest Day’). We met up with some family friends who lived nearby, and enjoyed the sights and sounds. After the parade we moved with the crowd along the main street, towards the main show area. We were in two groups. (You know what happened!) The group I was in was sure that one of our children was with my wife in her group. We caught up with each other and found that her group assumed our youngest was with us. It was a terrible realization! Fear, panic, devastation! Where was he? Would we find him? What if something happened to him? He was only about four. We rushed back the way we came, pushing against the flow of the crowd, calling his name. After about ten frantic minutes and much desperate praying as we searched, a message came over the public address speakers, calling our name. We were so thankful! The lost was found!

Joseph and Mary must have had similar feelings of alarm when they found out that Jesus was not where they thought he would be. They assumed he was travelling with other relatives and friends. They were wrong. By their wrong assumption, they had lost Jesus.

The good news was that he wasn’t lost. He was where he should be: talking with people in the temple about God his Father. ‘Why were you looking for me?’ he asked. ‘Didn’t you know that I had to be here, dealing with the things of my Father?’

Jesus knew where he was. He was in the temple talking with people who were interested in God. His earthly parents (i.e. Mary and his adopted father, Joseph) didn’t think of looking there first.

They assumed he would be somewhere else. By their wrong assumptions, they were prevented from finding Jesus.

We too can make assumptions about Jesus, and our children. We might assume that they are not spiritually aware. But we bring them to be baptized, and are told from God’s Word that when we are baptized, God gives us his Holy Spirit. Act 2:38,39 Peter said to [the crowd on the day of Pentecost] "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." Can children repent? Can children receive the blessing of God? Certainly!
Mark 10:13-16 GNB
(13)  Some people brought children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples told them off (‘scolded’). (14)  When Jesus noticed this, he was angry and said to his disciples, "Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (15)  I assure you that whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it." (16)  Then he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on each of them, and blessed them.

Can a child receive? Certainly! Jesus holds up children as examples of faith. Faith is personal confidence and trust in him. As we grow, we become more aware of who God is, what he has done, and what he is like, so there is a place for teaching and learning, but the core of simple trust needs to remain the heart of our faith.

Jesus’ parents assumed that he would not be at the temple. But he was there. Specifically, he was where people were discussing God’s Word.
Do we make the opposite error, and assume that Jesus can only be found in a big church building, in the midst of all the rituals and the flowing robes and all the complications of worship that we have developed over the centuries?

Jesus said, (Mathew 18:20) “For where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them." 

Church means ‘a gathering of God’s people.’ Where there are two or three people gathered, with God’s Word, there the church is. The full expression of the church is where we gather around the Word and the Sacraments of baptism and holy Communion. But church is not restricted to this building, and this group of people. As we live together and interact in our homes, that is church, too. It doesn’t have to be formal and ritualistic, although some simple rituals can be very helpful: For example: Table grace: saying a prayer of thanks before we eat, or giving our children a simple blessing when we tuck them in – or if they are older, when we say ‘good night’ or ‘good morning.’

Do we assume that Jesus is not with us, in our homes?

Just before returning to his Father in heaven, Jesus said this (Matthew 28:19-20
Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age."

Where and how does this teaching happen?

A bit might happen in our Church services (although this tends to be very little for children, because we get them out quickly, to go to Sunday school?!… still, Sunday school can also be part of our experience of ‘church’). Most of our learning, especially in our early years, happens in our homes. And most of it happens informally. As children we learn by watching and experiencing life with our parents and other family members. We learn what is important in the family. Such as the cricket broadcasts on the radio when I was growing up in New Guinea. My father loves sport, especially cricket, and we soon learned that we must not make a sound during the day’s summary of cricket!

Little things can be big things. Saying grace  (giving thanks) before or after a meal, especially when it comes from a genuinely thankful heart, speaks volumes. What is communicated to our children when instead of defending ourselves or trying to justify ourselves after we’ve done something wrong or had an argument, we say, ‘I confess I sinned against you. I was not considerate. I should have spoken or acted differently. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.’ Then the other person says, ‘There is good news: Jesus died for all our sins, this too. In Jesus’ name, I forgive you.’

What would a child learn in such a home?

Somewhere down through the centuries, Christian people came to assume that only what happened in the church building was important. Only what a priest does, is important. The reformation changed this for a time, by calling us back to the truth that as Christians we have only one priest: there is only one person we need to represent us to God, and that is Jesus, God himself! So we are not held at arms length from God! The barriers we put up by our sins and our misconceptions, can all be taken away: our sins are forgiven, and God’s Holy Spirit gives us confidence to come to God’s throne of grace,  with the confidence of children who have a wonderful relationship with their mother or father.

Jesus went home with Mary and Joseph. He continued to live with them, and submitted to them, in love and respect. As we worship together here in our big church gathering, we celebrate Jesus’ presence. As we go home, Jesus comes with us. He stays with us. He promises us, “I will be with you always, to the end of the age."

What assumptions have you made about Jesus? Where can you find Jesus?

He can be found in our homes as well as in our ‘temples,’ our places of corporate worship. Where two or three gather in his name, he is there with them. Whether you have the pastor with you or not. God gives you a pastor to do some of the formal, public ministry things, but one of his key roles is to support you in being disciples, and making disciples of Jesus.

May you know the presence of Jesus in your homes and in your daily life, as well as in our times of worship. Amen.