On Being Twelve
1 Sm 1:20-22, 24-28
1 Jn 3:1-2, 21-24
Lk 2:41-52
Each time this Gospel is read, people always begin to question Mary and Joseph. How could they not know where Jesus was? How could they have lost their kid? Well, how many of you have ever dealt with a twelve year old? Twelve year olds have a disconcerting way of disappearing. They can vanish, making everyone think someone else knows where they are, until you realize no one knows where they are. Perhaps a better question would be, what was Jesus doing? Why would he have gone of from his parents that way? Certainly he had to know they were looking for him. The short answer is Jesus was being twelve. Now, of course there are differences between being twelve then and being twelve now, indeed under Jewish law Jesus was nearly an adult. An adult in a religious sense, much the way we see our children after confirmation. Adults in the faith, but not in much else. But, Jesus was simply being twelve. Twelve year olds may not be adults, but it is an age when they begin to stretch their wings, they begin to separate themselves from their parents, they begin to take the first step toward independence. Too often they like to think they are capable of that independence, but we know, and they may learn, that they are not. They still need their parents, the guidance, the protection, and the help. Jesus was just being twelve. When Mary and Joseph found him, and asked why he was doing this, his answer was vintage twelve year old. He was determined that he had to be about the work he came to do, but, he was not ready, it was not time. Obediently, he went with them back home, back to Nazareth, where he grew in wisdom and favor in the eyes of God and man.
All of us are twelve years old, all of us. We like to believe that we are independent, that we don’t need anyone or anything, but we do. We are twelve. We long to break free, to do things on our own without any help, but too often we find that as much as we like to think we are independent, we are not. We do things on our own and all too often make a spectacular mess of it. We are still dependent, we still need God. No matter what we do, we cannot escape our need for God. When we do break away, God comes to find us, to bring us home so that we may grow in wisdom and favor in the eyes of people, and in the eyes of God. We aren’t ready yet, we need God. When God finds us, and wants to bring us home, we must do as Jesus did, follow, and stay with God. After all we’re only twelve. We’re just not ready yet.
Deacon John
Feast of the Holy Family
Dec. 31, 2006
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1 comment:
Some who are mentally trying to be true Christians and also fall short in deeds might say something like this;
Hey! Jesus was God and who are we to question and/or even try to figure out any of His Thoughts?
Having said those words,let me put in my Canadian two cents worth and make a few statements and even ask a question as to what might have happened back then after He Jesus got separated from His Parents.(lol!)
In reality, back then, His siblings must have made fun of Jesus and Mother Mary plus Joseph must have spent a lot of time explaining to them who Jesus really was. They probably questioned Jesus also as to why He would do such a thing.
It would seem that Jesus was a very determine MAN and not even His Family could sway Him all the time.
Some might make a case by saying that after Jesus pulled that three day get away from His Family, this was the beginning of His true separation from His Earthly Family.
My question is while He preached to others in His Father's Temple, did He not in reallity tell everyone present who His real Family was?
I could go on and on babling as to what I think might have taken place back then but that's all it would be at this time. "Babling!"
The Good News is, I like to believe that after His Crucifixtion, His Parents and even His Siblings finaly saw "Eye to Eye" with "The Trinity".
Happy New Year Speakin' Deacon and thank you for keeping us in "Thoughts".
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