Family Trip

"After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers." - Luke 2:46-47

Ever since I became a parent, this particular story has made me wonder what it was like for Mary and Joseph. Yes, they knew Jesus was special - after all, the Angel of the Lord came down and told Mary that Jesus "will be great and will be called Son of the Most High". So expectations for Jesus were already pretty high.

But as a child, Jesus would have been like most boys his age. He had friends, played in the dirt, ran around, came in for dinner, and had chores. As Mary and Joseph's first born, he would also have been expected to learn his father's trade (carpentry), learning how to make various goods to sell - in turn helping support the family.

In this story, we get a glimpse into what it was like being Jesus's parents. While he was like a regular boy in many senses, Mary still knew her boy wasn't like the others. After all, the Angel of God came down and told her "He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High". So as much as he was trying to follow in Joseph's footsteps as a carpenter, he was also being called by his other father (God!) to start fulfilling his destiny. 

And it starts in his Father's house, listening and asking questions of those with deep knowledge of God.