The Shepherd’s Voice
Archive for December, 2009
Readings for Thursday, December 27th
1 Sam 2:18-20, 26
Ps 148
Col 3:12-17
Lk 2:41-52
What Are You Searching For? – The Shepherd’s Voice from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church on Vimeo.
It’s amazing how life zooms forward in a few short days. Last we were together we were celebrating the birth of a child. An event so mysterious, so miraculous, so marvelous we could hardly contain our joy. Now, Jesus is twelve, what happened?
Christmas is not over, in fact Christ Mass, mass from the late Latin word missa (dismissal) is really just beginning for Christians. The Lutheran Book of Concord talks about the Mass as not something to be eliminated, it’s really a worship experience to be retained and celebrated with the highest of reverence. So, Christ’s Mass, Christmas is indeed NOT something that ends when Christmas day is over.
In fact, if you heard the Christmas Eve message you would know, Grandma said that it’s time to put down the book and pick up the baby, embrace the baby, love the baby. Stop making excuses about life and pick up the baby, the incarnation of God’s grace to the world.
In our gospel text today you can see that Jesus’ parents have long embraced the baby Jesus who has now become a bright, engaging twelve year old. This young appealing person is able to answer tough questions that the rabbi’s have for him in the temple. People were likely thinking this Jesus would have a significant future as a rabbinic teacher. With some children, people can see greatness at an early age.
There is a story told about Mozart who when he was two years old, was taken to visit a farm. When he heard a pig squeal, the young Mozart called out “G-sharp.” Anxious to see if he was right, someone ran inside to a piano and struck G-sharp. Everyone was amazed to discover that little Mozart was correct. All who heard him were amazed at his intelligent answers.
We don’t have a lot of information about Jesus’ early life and maybe the stories that were told were a little like that one. We only have very few small tidbits of information through scripture about Jesus’ young years; our gospel text today is one of them.
Now this event or pilgrimage that Jesus’ family went on was common for Jewish people of this era. They went every year to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover our text says. Jesus was being raised in a devout, Jewish, household or family that followed Jewish customs.
Perhaps, you are much like that. Our family growing up was and our family today does have Swedish, German, and Norwegian roots so we make Lutefisk, lefse, Swedish meatballs, and we rice potatoes. When I was very young my mom used to make brunost, and a variety of other Swedish cheese specialties, many names of which I could barely pronounce.
Customs can be good. They can give us roots, an identity. Jesus’ family used to go every year to the festival of Passover in Jerusalem; this helped give Jesus the human roots, the Jewish roots and heritage that sustained him in his life and teachings.
However, it wasn’t the fact that Jesus family went to the Passover festival that stands out about this text. It’s what Jesus, the twelve year old, was doing on this trip.
Ok, his parents, seemed to have been a little derelict as they began their journey back home. Again, it wasn’t too unusual that Jesus was not with them as they traveled with lots of friends and relatives for safety purposes and a twelve year old can be, well pretty independent.
Never-the-less a day into their journey they find out Jesus is missing. As a parent, that would be pretty mind blowing, as a parent I would be devastated. I’m sure many parents can relate to losing sight of a child at a mall or other large venue for a moment or two. It’s scary!
One time when our children were fairly young, maybe 8 or 9, our family was traveling together, on our way to Minnesota. We needed to go through Houston, Tx on our way and it’s kinda fun to ride the trains/shuttles between terminals there. While as we were getting off at one of the exits, Sharon, Wendy and I got off with our bags, but Josh pauses for a moment and the doors close.
There was no way to open them, Josh stood there behind the door and meanwhile on our side we were panicked. Our hearts stopped. We had no idea what to do as the train started moving down the tracks. Fortunately, Josh didn’t panic, stayed on the train and got off at the same place we were at. Mean while I had jumped the next shuttle to look for him at each stop along the way.
Once it was discovered that Jesus was missing, the parents look for him among the friends and relatives, but he is not with any of them. So they do what most parents do, they retrace their steps and after three days they find him in the temple.
Many who saw him (Jesus) in the temple, answering questions, talking with the Rabbis were amazed at his understanding and his answers. However, for Jesus, now the jig is up.
His parents see him and say, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” This is not the language I might have used, it’s likely cleaned up language. I don’t think my parents would have said I have been searching for you in great anxiety. I can understand the blaming, the first part of the response.
Next we hear Jesus say something that seems quite amazing, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
These questions take us right to the heart of the text.
On Christmas Eve we talked about fear, but than we were also surprised by joy. A new baby is born, announced by angels and everyone involved is in some way fearful, even the mighty King Herod, afraid, but the result for most is a spirit of celebration.
Now, only a few short years later and we see Jesus’ parents searching for him. Could this be a precursor, an unintended semaphore pointing us toward Christ?
In searching for Jesus, might this story also be leading us toward what it means when we put down the book and pickup the baby? How might this change our lives, our being, who we are in this world?
Oswald Goulter was an agricultural minister in China and when the Communists began taking over in 1938, he was put under house arrest. Finally he was freed in the mid 1940s following World War II; he was given a check by his mission board and sent to India from which he was supposed to leave to return to the States. In the 1940s there were boatloads of Jews who had no place and no one would allow them to land. But, at one coastal town in India the boat was allowed to dock and the Jews were allowed to be in barn lofts and back buildings for a brief period of time before they were placed back on the boat.
Oswald Goulter saw what was happening and went to them and said, “Merry Christmas.” They said, “We’re Jews.” Goulter said, “I know! Merry Christmas. What would you like for Christmas?”
They again replied, “We’re Jews.” And again Goulter said, “I know, but what would you like for Christmas?” To get rid of him the Jewish council said, “Oh, how we’d love some German pastry.” Oswald cashed his check and went throughout that town in India and found a bakery and he bought racks and racks of German pastry and took it back giving it to those Jewish people who had no place. Years later, a seminary student asked, “Mr. Goulter, why would you do that? They’re not even Christians!” To which Oswald Goulter responded, “Yes, I know. But, I am.”
What are you searching for this Christmas? Are you searching for Jesus, a Jesus that makes no differential between Jew and Greek, a Jesus who welcomes sinners? And when you find Jesus are you going to blame him for being lost like his parents did or will you see beyond that.
We didn’t have a lot to say about being born, with a sinful nature, a baby ourselves, into a sinful world. (Rom 3:23) Paul tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. I don’t think I need to define ALL! It’s not a case of what is, is. All, is simply you and me, all of us. When we compare ourselves to a righteous God we all sin.
Goulter again – They said, “We’re Jews.” Goulter’s response, “I know! Merry Christmas.” We are all were sinners, lost in the depravity of life and if you think not me, I was never that bad, than look at yourself in the mirror, one more time. The law convicts all of us.
When Paul was writing to the church in Rome fortunately he didn’t blame the sinner, the lost, the ones who were not Christian. Their condition was not the problem. So, what are you searching for today? What kind of Jesus did you find in the manager?
Have you been a little derelict in life? I was, all of us are from time to time. However, the really good news here is that we don’t have to search for Jesus because Jesus is searching for us. Jesus is here, calling us, wanting us to find the God of scripture, the one who loves us, accepts us as we are, and desires that we embrace the baby in the manger. God knew us, knew we couldn’t do it on our own, God our state of depravity. Paul told the Roman church, (Rom 5:8) 8 But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.
From our second reading (Col 3:12-17) today we see Paul encouraging the church at Colossi telling them that 12As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. When Jesus finds us, this is what we are given.
You say, ‘yes, but I’m a sinner,’ and I say “I know! Merry Christmas.”
Amen
Podcast (audio_feed): Play in new window | Download
