I thought he was with you!

Posted by Jen Overly on May 7, 2010 in Daily Bread | 1 comment

I am sure there are deep spiritual meanings behind these verses, that allow theologians to have a field day, but they make me sort of snicker. I have only "lost" my kids for a few seconds at a time (so far) and those experiences leave my nervous system in a tizzy for hours afterward. Quick spurts of adrenaline that, at the time, are great for the fight or flight instinct, but leave your muscles like rubber and your heart skipping a beat for the rest of the day. I can’t help but play out the scene in my head while reading this adolescent Jesus story and fill in the blanks where the story feels empty. Mary and Joseph, after walking all day long, finally getting ready to pitch the tent and head to bed, look at each other and ask, "So, where is Jesus?"

"I thought he was with you!"

"Well, I thought he was with YOU!"

I know what Mary’s heart did. Panicked. Fear set in, and images of the absolute worst started going through her head. Adrenaline pulsated through her veins and she ran around to the other families, asking if Jesus walked with them. Looking in and around everything until finally settling in on the fact that he wasn’t there and they were headed back a day’s walk to find him. But I am almost positive, that somewhere in her frantic state, she started to pray and didn’t stop until she walked up to the temple and saw her boy sitting with the teachers. (Then she prayed that she had self control, enough that she didn’t chastise him in front of the people at the temple….or maybe that is just what I would have been praying!) When they question him, he reveals a little about himself, who he is, why he is teaching and learning and studying the scriptures, "didn’t you know I had to be in my father’s house?" They didn’t get it. Even though Jesus was learning more and more about who he was and who he was becoming, Joseph and Mary were anxious and it wasn’t until later that we get a glimpse of Mary processing what she had learned about her boy. Taking a step back from her primal, mother instincts, she looks at the big picture, remembers who he is and who he will be, and then treasures that in her heart.

In my office I have pictures of a few of our elders at CCC as children. It is great perspective for me. The children we serve today will pray and lead God’s church as young people and adults in the years to come. We are charged with letting them sit at our feet, reading the scriptures with them, growing them in wisdom as they grow in stature. But even though those growing pains cause us to be anxious and frantic, forced into prayer, we mustn’t forget to cherish the big picture in our hearts and pray for who are children will become.