Listening to Jesus - Luke 2:40-52

(Doctors in the Temple)

by David Woods

Anne Rice has been dubbed "queen of the occult." Rice wrote 25 novels in 25 years, all delving into the world of vampires or witches. Recently, Rice became a Christian. As a result of her conversion, she has committed to only write for Christ from now on.

Her first novel as a Christian is titled Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt. This novel talks about Jesus as a seven year-old child. Rice is planning to develop a series on the childhood of Jesus, as she imagines it.*

Have you ever wondered why the Bible does not tell us more about Jesus' childhood? All we know about Jesus as a child from the Scriptures is concerning His birth and the visit to the Temple as a twelve year-old that our scripture text discusses today.

As I was studying this lesson I asked a similar, but different, question. Why did God inspire Luke to write of this one event from Jesus' childhood? Surely Mary had told the believers numerous stories about Jesus' childhood. Why was only this one recorded into what the Church accepts as divinely inspired scripture?

Luke introduced his Gospel saying that He wished to write an orderly account concerning Jesus. Luke was trying to prove through his writings that Jesus was indeed the God-man who had come to earth to save mankind from its sins.

Therefore, I believe Luke's point in telling this story is to show that Jesus' divinity was evident in His actions as a youth. That Jesus was special - the Son of God - was evident even before He began His public ministry.

How does this text apply to us? We obviously aren't ever going to be in Jesus' position. The connection we can make, however, is that Jesus was sent to earth by God the Father to fulfill a special purpose. He had a special calling on His life.

I believe God has also called each one of us to fulfill a special purpose He has in mind for us. I believe this is true for clergy and laity alike. The layperson may be an office worker or mechanic by occupation, but his/her calling is to glorify God with his/her life in some specific way.

Therefore, we can look to Jesus in this scripture for an example of how one fulfills God's calling upon his/her life. The lesson Jesus teaches by example is:

Big Idea: Fulfilling God's purpose includes a time of preparation.

I believe Jesus' example shows us that:

1. A time of preparation allows us to develop personally, v. 40.

Discussion: What does it mean to be strong in spirit?

Discussion: How do people recognize that a child is "filled with wisdom"?

Discussion: What does it mean "the grace of God was upon him"?

Discussion: Why is it important to develop personally in order to fulfill one's calling?
(Suggestion: You could consider Samson, who in several key areas of life, did not develop very well. Suggested answers: Without the personal development, you probably won't be the leader/able to fulfill your calling to the degree you could have. You may have severe defects in your character that appear at the most inopportune moments.)

2. A time of preparation allows us to develop passion, vv. 46-49.

Discussion: How can one's questions display one's wisdom?

Discussion: Do you think Jesus purposefully "got lost" or that he just got "caught up in the moment"? Regardless of your opinion, what does this say about His desire/passion in life?

Discussion: Can we expect the vision, the passion, for God's call on our lives to remain clear and bright without any action upon our part?

Discussion: What practical steps can we take to kindle our passion for God's call on our lives?

3. A time of preparation allows us to develop patience, vv. 51-52.

Discussion: Consider the ramifications: Jesus, the Son of God who had infinite wisdom and insight, submitted willingly to the commands of his earthly parents who had a very finite intelligence and insight.

Discussion: Why is it important to develop patience, even before we attempt to fulfill our life's calling?

Discussion: Why is hard to be patient?

Discussion: What are some of the lies Satan will tell us about why we do not need to be patient?

The young person who is given a vision by God of what God desires him/her to pursue in life often finds it very discouraging when obstacles block his/her way.

Maybe he cannot find the support he needs to carry out the endeavor. Maybe she is told by friends that her idea is unrealistic. Sometimes, it is easier just to give up on our dreams. We forget them in the busyness of boring, normal life.

If God has given us a vision, should we not endeavor to carry it out? What are we to do if we do not have the opportunity, the support, etc. to pursue that vision?

Does that mean the vision is wrong? Obviously, we need to know if God gave us that vision or if it was just daydreaming on our part.

If it was God's call, however, should we not continue to seek to fulfill that call - as God leads? Therefore, I would suggest we should not give up prematurely. Instead, let us realize that the intervening time may be a display of God's grace, allowing us to prepare for the time we are to fulfill His calling.

Whatever you do, I would challenge you not to give up on life, just letting time pass by. God has put you here for a special reason. Do your best to understand that reason and follow His will for your life.

Newsweek article concerning Anne Rice