In My Father's House

“In My Father’s House” 

 Luke 2:40-52

     Did you ever have the opportunity to participate in a “Take Your Child to Work Day”?  Many companies have a day when employees are encouraged to bring your child along for the day to see what Mom or Dad do when they are at work all day.  I suppose there are several reasons for doing this.  It gives the child an appreciation for what their parents do when they are away from home.  It also might get them interested in thinking more about that kind of vocation when they grow up.  It is also a good time from the child and the parent to bond in a different environment that just a home among the rest of the family. 

     Our Gospel lesson for today tells us about the only event in the life of Jesus from the time of His birth and the events surrounding that until the time He would begin His ministry as a teacher.  He is twelve years old.  It was time for them to make the annual trip to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.  It was the time when they would remember the release of their ancestors from their slavery in Egypt.  The last plague that caused the Pharaoh to let the people go was the visit of the angel of death that killed the first born in all of Egypt.  The people of Israel were saved by the blood of the lamb that was spread on the door posts of their homes.  The annual observance would include the Passover meal as it had been done according to God’s direction.  How fitting that Jesus and His family would be in Jerusalem at this special time of the year.  It would be this same Feast of the Passover that would bring Jesus and His disciples to Jerusalem thirty-one years later when Jesus would be arrested, put on trial, crucified and then would rise again on the third day.  All of this would be according to His Father’s plan for the salvation of the world.  Just as the blood of the Passover Lamb would spare the lives of the people of Israel in Egypt, so the blood of Jesus would be shed to set us free from our slavery to sin and its punishment.

     It must have been a fascinating journey for a twelve year old boy.  The excitement of going to the big city of Jerusalem to see the Temple and all of the hustle and bustle of Passover time with all the extra people around would have overwhelming.  There would be so much to see and so much to do.  Jesus was not your typical twelve-year old.  While He was certainly curious, He was also aware of His purpose in being here and that gave a different focus for His curiosity.  It led Him to the Temple where He would be able to be in the presence of the teachers of the Law.   These were men who devoted themselves to a knowledge of the Scriptures and the interpretations and applications of the Scriptures to the lives of the people.  If there were any people in Israel who could discuss the Scriptures with some degree of authority it would be these teachers in the Temple.  They were like a magnet for young Jesus.  We aren’t told that He went to check out the carpenters in Jerusalem.  Perhaps Joseph did.  Jesus was so into the discussions with the teachers at the Temple that when it came time to head back to Nazareth, Jesus stayed behind.  He remained to spend more time listening to them and asking questions and at the same time, the teachers were amazed at the wisdom that He demonstrating in the answers that He gave them.  They didn’t realize who this young man was standing among them.  He was truly in His Father’s house. 

     That was the answer that He gave to His parents when they finally found Him.  “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house.”  From the accounts of Mary’s visit by the angel and by Joseph’s dream when the angel told him about the child that Mary was carrying, we know that they had been told that this child was the Son of God and that He would be the Savior.  When He mentioned that He had to be in His Father’s house, I can imagine that they looked at one another with an understanding smile, almost as if to say, “He’s right, you know.”

     Jesus knew that God was His Father.  He knew that He was sent by the Father to carry out the Father’s plan for the salvation of the world.  He knew that part of that plan was to call people to repentance, just as the prophets of old had called people to repentance.  We don’t really know the content of the discussions that Jesus had with the teachers but it surely had something to do with coming to God with a repentant heart and seeking His mercy.  He may have spoken about the hypocritical attitudes that had become so prevalent in the many of God’s people.  He may even have pointed out some of the prophecies about the Messiah in order to alert the teachers that those prophecies would soon be fulfilled.  Again we don’t know what they said but we are told that they were amazed at His understanding and His answers to their questions.  Jesus had something that none of those teachers had.  He had divine wisdom.  His answers could not be refuted. 

     He was in His true Father’s house, doing His Father’s work, just as He would do later on when He began His ministry of teaching and healing that would lead to His suffering and death.  He was one in purpose with His Father and one in purpose as He lived out His life. 

     As you think about this event in the life of Jesus, you have to look at yourself.  The life of Jesus often provides examples of how you should live you life according to God’s will.  You might want to push back a bit when someone tries to compare you with Jesus because you know that Jesus lived a perfect life and you also know that you are not perfect.  It’s a tough comparison.  But every one of us is called to live a God-pleasing life.  You are given the power to resist temptation but you don’t always use it.  While Jesus was one in purpose with the Father, you are not always one in purpose with your heavenly Father because the temptations of the devil, the world and your sinful nature become overwhelming and you fall.  That sinful nature often shows itself in the way that you live your life.  Your religious life is often separate from your secular life.  You live a kind of split personality.  You live one way when you think that someone is watching you and you live another way when you think that no one can see.  It can become a real struggle sometimes.  In fact, sometimes you find yourself obsessed with hiding your secret sins.

      That is where the comparisons between you and Jesus have to end.  But that is where the need for Jesus becomes more apparent.  When you admit your sin and come to the Father for forgiveness in the name of Jesus, you can be assured that the heavenly Father, in His mercy, hears your prayer and for Christ’s sake, forgives your sins.  Because of Jesus and His suffering and death and resurrection for you, you are reconciled to God.  You are given a fresh start and you can again follow Jesus’ example of being in the Father’s house.

       It is in the Father’s house that you can continue to grow in wisdom about the will of God for your life.  It is there that you can grow in your understanding of how you can apply the Word of God to your circumstances, your temptations, and your desire to use your gifts to serve God’s purposes. 

      It is in the Father’s house that you can grow in the way that you identify with God’s people, your brothers and sisters in Christ, who understand your struggles, who understand the mercy and grace of God and who support one another in the ups and downs of life as a child of the same heavenly Father. 

     It is also in the Father’s house that you can grow in your faith through the Word and the Sacraments, the Means of Grace.  The Word not only gives direction but it is also a way for the Holy Spirit to strengthen your faith.  It has power.  St. Paul calls it the power of God when He says, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to all who believe.”  The Sacraments also strengthen us because they are the vehicles of the Holy Spirit’s power for our lives.  Through you Baptism, you are given the forgiveness of sins and brought in the family of God where you come to know your Father and His will.  In the Lord’s Supper, you receive the Body and Blood of Jesus in the bread and wine for the forgiveness of your sins and strength for your faith and the power to do the good works that God has planned for you.

     Jesus said, “I must be in my Father’s house.”  By God’s grace you have the privilege to be able to say the same thing.   Amen.

Rev. Gerald Matzke

Zion Lutheran Church

Painesville, OH  

The Second Sunday After Christmas