Pastor’s Corner – December 29, 2024
Jesus Coming of Age/Luke 2:41-52
It’s a parent’s worst nightmare, to lose a child. As parents, you remember that time at the mall or in crowded streets for a brief moment when panic sets in as you look for your missing child only to find her at the corner store looking at a toy, or whatever it was that caught their attention. What a relief from anxiety! We were fortunate to recover our children who are adults now and some of them with their own children. The gospel from Luke this Sunday is about Jesus’ adolescent time, at age twelve. It’s his coming-of-age story, asserting his independence and identity. While Joseph and Mary frantically searched for him for three days, only to find him at the temple in Jerusalem. Mary, as I think most of us could relate, shared her feelings, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have searched for you in great anxiety!” Then, here Jesus rebukes her, “Why were you searching for me, did you not know that I must be at my Father’s house?” What follows next is that Mary cherished this moment in her heart and remembered that after losing and looking for him, she found a greater treasure. Jesus grew in wisdom and in divine and human favor, according to the scriptures.
This is the only childhood story we have of Jesus. What we find is a story of Jesus learning and growing. We never stop learning or growing. This coming Sunday is our last Sunday of the year. What have we learned over this past year, and where do we hope to grow in areas we need as a faith community and a person of faith? Among others, one of things I learned is that every ministry context is different and there is something new to learn and grow. Thirty years ago when I was ordained as a teaching elder, the church wasn’t online. We didn’t have smartphones. Our kids were still in church. Today the neighborhood landscape has changed significantly. We are streaming our worship. We are on our phones for everything! We are learning something new every year because of the changes we experience. Come let us worship together. Let’s learn and grow together. Amen.
Pastor Dae