Your Father’s Business

Luke 2:40-52

Intro

I want to talk to you about your Father’s business. Early in my career my dad was able to develop and grow a small business. Mom answered the phones and did the books while dad built relationships with customers. God blessed them and they were successful. Dad and I talked many times about me coming into the business, but it never happened. Different things got in the way. 

And I am really glad it never happened because at nearly 40 years old I sensed God’s call to go into vocational ministry. I fear that if I was working in the family business, I might not have been as open to the call. I certainly would have had more obligations and a much messier transition.

I was brought into my heavenly Father’s business instead of my earthly Father’s business.

Life typically falls into certain rhythms. We form our routines and we live to achieve security and comfort. It can almost seem like life is about getting through it as smoothly and comfortably as possible. That’s normal life.

But every now and them something knocks our blinders off. Something changes our vision of what’s important. In my first year in sales, lost an account that provided small and repeat revenue. When my boss visited, he asked about it and I told him they had gone with another supplier. I must have been a little bit flippant about acting like it was no big deal. For the next 30 minutes I heard all about how it was a very big deal and how I would need to find a new job if that was my attitude. My boss saw the business I was supposed to manage almost as a sacred trust. 

He really got my attention. I came to realize our business was all about holding onto business and developing new business. I couldn’t be effective unless I valued what my company valued. I had been jolted into a new understanding.

Mary and Joseph received a similar jolt in Luke 2: 40-52. They became aware of their Father’s business. They became aware that they were no living a normal life because Jesus was no normal child.

Context

Jesus has been born and the family has settled back in Nazareth. Jesus has grown to the age of 12. Soon, at age 13, he will be consider a man.

Exegesis

Luke 2:40 (ESV) 

40And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

Jesus grew up and developed normally like any other child. But, he was stronger that most. This probably means He was strong both physically and mentally. He had a strong personality and way about Him. An example of this is that He was filled with wisdom from a young age. Also, the young Jesus the favor of God on Him. This indicates that God was involved in making sure that He was protected and provided for.

Still, Jesus seems to be a relatively normal child. This is almost nothing in His childhood that any of the four Gospel writer felt was significant enough to include in their account. His first 30 years are unremarkable. There are no miracles recorded. It seems that Mary and Joseph raised a normal child. 

In the midst of all of this normality, there was one event that reminded His parents who Jesus was. It happened when Jesus was 12.

Luke 2:41–42 (ESV) 

41Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 

42And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.

Mary and Joseph raised Jesus in a godly home. They were faithful to make the trip to Jerusalem every year to celebrate the feast of Passover. This was a part of the 7 or 8 day Feast of Unleavened Bread. This celebrated and commemorated God’s rescue of His people from Egypt. On Passover, God’s death angel passed over the first born of His people and took the first born of every Egyptian home. Jesus, the one who would rescue His people from sin was raised to celebrate the event when God rescued His people Egypt.

Luke 2:43–46 (ESV) 

43And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 

44but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 

45and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 

46After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

Most every parent has had a moment or two when they temporarily lost a child. Maybe it was just for a second as a child darted out of sight. Or maybe your child has a habit or hiding. It’s a terrifying moment. After we had our third child we all went to church one Sunday. As we left, we were walking to our car. He each had a child by the hand. But we suddenly remembered we had brought more to church than we were leaving with. We had forgotten to pick up the baby. We felt like awful parents.

We might think that Mary and Joseph were terrible parents to not know for an entire day where Jesus was as they traveled home from Jerusalem. But it would have been normal for them to travel as a community of people from Nazareth to and from Jerusalem. Most of the people traveled on foot. By this time Mary and Joseph had other young children to look after. And, Jesus been making this trip with His parents and their community His entire life. It’s understandable that it took Mary and Joseph an entire day of travel to discover Jesus was missing. It’s not like the family loaded up in a minivan and no one noticed Jesus was missing.

Once they realized Jesus was not with the group, they were a day’s journey or 20 miles or so, outside of Jerusalem. They had to travel for a day to get back to Jerusalem and them it took them a day to search the city before they found Jesus. In all, they lost 3 days. Imagine adding 3 days on to an 8-day trip. Joseph lost 3 days of work he could have been doing back in Nazareth.

They finally found Jesus in the temple interacting with the teachers. It’s interesting that they spent a whole day searching for Jesus in Jerusalem before checking the temple.

Luke 2:47 (ESV) 

47And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

Even at 12-years old, Jesus was brilliant. The best teachers were in Jerusalem at the temple. Even these top scholars were amazed at how well Jesus understood the scriptures.

Mary and Joseph are thrilled to find Him but are wondering why Jesus did not leave with the rest of the group to travel home.

Luke 2:48 (ESV) 

48And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.”

Mary can’t understand Jesus actions. She and Joseph have been so fearful that something awful had happened to Jesus. They both knew their primary purpose was to present Jesus to the world but they seemed to have lost Him.

Jesus responds in a way that is tender and convicting at the same time.

Luke 2:49 (ESV) 

49And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

There is no meanness or sarcasm here. Jesus is wondering why they would not have assumed He was in the temple. He is saying, “I know who I am. I am God’s son. You know who I am as well. Where else would I be? Have you forgotten who I am?”

After 12 years of raising Jesus, Mary and Joseph finally see something from Him that indicates He knows who is. And, they are reminded that Jesus is just any child. He is God’s son.

Luke 2:50–52 (ESV) 

50And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. 

51And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. 

52And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

They didn’t understand. They probably didn’t stop to consider what He was saying because they were so relieved to find Him. It probably took years for them to realize that Jesus was reminded them of His identity even in the midst of a very normal childhood.

Jesus doesn’t start His ministry at this point. He continues to live as their son. He doesn’t try to back over the family with His brilliance. He simply lives as an obedient son. But Mary took it all in. She saved the memories in her heart like good mothers do.

And Jesus continued to grow and develop into an apparently normal man.

Application

This story is telling us too significant and related things. First, Jesus knew who He was from a young age. He had a special relationship with God the Father well before His baptism. Second, Mary and Joseph were surprised by this special relationship. 

Up to this point Mary and Joseph have been living a normal life since the wise men’s visit. The absence of stories in the four Gospel narratives tells us that only this story was deemed important enough to include. Everything else that happened in Jesus’ first 30 years was normal.

Normal life has a quality about it that can make it seem like a desirable goal. Mary and Joseph’s normal life in Nazareth caused them to be surprised when Jesus chose to be in His Father’s house rather than to travel home. They knew who Jesus was, they just didn’t know when or how His identity would manifest itself. Even though things seemed normal, Jesus was still His Father’s son. This three day adventure jolted Mary and Joseph back to the reality of who Jesus really was.

Our lives can be that way as well. It is very good for our spiritual health to be jolted out of the desire to be normal, to be like everyone else. Everyone else is miserable. 

Main Point

Because Jesus has brought you into His Father’s business, resist the urge to live a normal life and focus on your Father’s business.

Here are some things that are effective at jolting us back to reality.

·      The death of a loved one

·      A disaster of tragedy

·      The start of a new year

The death of a loved one

Nothing changes our perspective quicker on life than death. Suddenly time becomes more important. We question whether or not our lives have meaning. We soon recognize this world is not our home. We need to focus on our Father’s business

A disaster of tragedy

Events like the attack on innocent people in New Orleans this week jolt us into thinking through the presence of evil and what that means. Most of the time we manage to stay far enough away from evil that we don’t have to think about it. When we come face to face with evil, we know we need to be about our Father’s business.

The start of a new year

New Year’s day seems to give us a chance to start fresh. All of our shortcomings and failures seem to disappear and we are confident we won’t repeat them. But we soon realize we are still sinners and in dire need of Jesus. We need to be about our Father’s business.

What is our Father’s business and how do we get involved with it?

The Father’s business is to give His son so that all who believe will not perish but have everlasting life. It’s an incredible business. All who believe get to be reps to help others receive the offer.

Specifically

·      Claim your territory – Matt 22:39

Matthew 22:39 (ESV) 

39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

·      Connect to the power source – Phil 4:6

Philippians 4:6 (ESV) 

6do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

·      Coordinate with others working in the business 

Ephesians 4:15–16 (ESV) 

15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 

16from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

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Close

Are you wanting to live a normal life or are you wanting to be about your Father’s business? 

If you have received the Jesus, the Father’s gift, resist the urge to be normal and structure your life to build your Father’s business.

Lord’s Supper