When God Is Missing
Week 3 Public Meeting | Luke 2:41-51
Some of you might remember the story of Cleo smith - little girl camping with her mum abducted, snatched out of her tent at night. For like 2 weeks the whole of WA was looking for her. I didn’t even realise how invested I’ve become in it that when they actually found her, the relief is so emotional. Part of it I think is because nobody expects that she will be found, especially after so many days. All the experts have said this is not usually the case. Most of them are never found.
That’s when you realise there’s a depressingly high number of cases of missing kids. It’s things like these that makes us ask “where’s God?” This is why I’m sympathetic to people who look at the suffering in the world and say where’s God? I totally understand. And sometimes I think if Christians were to be honest with ourselves, there are days where we also think where’s God.
Is God Missing?
We can be Christian and yet often feel like God is missing from our life. You guys ever feel like that? Maybe it’s just me. It’s so easy for us to go a whole day or week and not think about God until we’re suddenly reminded to go look for God. He was missing from Monday to Saturday. I only notice because I have to go to church on Sunday.
If that is true for you, I want to show you something in this passage I think will surprise you.
Jesus Left His Father’s House Because He Loves Us
Luke 2:41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. 43 And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but 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, 45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him.
If you were reading this as a Jewish person, you would not have missed the reference to Jesus being twelve years old at this time. Jewish boys are considered men at 13, that’s Bar Mitzvah. Which means Jesus is very much still considered a child and his place would be by his father’s side. That’s very important. His place is by his father’s side.
So there they were in Jerusalem. It would have taken them about 3-4 days to walk from their home in Nazareth to Jerusalem, then 1 week for the feast, and 3-4 days back. And it is on this return trip that Jesus goes missing.
I’m sure you’re as surprised as I to read this. How do you even lose a child while travelling and not find out for a whole day? But to be fair, it’s very likely the whole village was travelling together and all of the extended family would be in the group too. So 3 days walk, picture a large group of people, men walking with men, women with women, the kids all together. Mary could would be fully justified to assume Jesus is with the rest of his siblings. So it is not a case that Mary is a bad parent. But when they find out Jesus is missing, that’s when they panic.
46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
Don’t forget this is Jesus as a 12-year-old boy. Even if you have heard the stories about his birth, which we looked at last week, you would not expect this from a 12-year-old. And notice it’s not a case of him being taught by the teachers. Look closely at what it says. He was sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
That doesn’t sound like someone receiving instruction. It’s almost like he was the one questioning the teachers who were amazed at his answers. He asked questions for which he himself had the answers which then amazed the teachers. Notice that? Already now we get a hint of what’s to come when Jesus begins his ministry 18 years later. He will be constantly fighting against the religious teachers. And when his parents find him, look what he says.
48 And 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.” 49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” 50 And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them.
Doesn’t Jesus sound cold and almost rude in his response to his understandably distressed mother? Moreover his response insinuates that Mary shouldn’t have been looking for him. “Did you not know that I must be in my fathers house?” In other words, you should have known that my place is here. After all. He’s still only 12. His place is to be by his fathers side. In other words, Jesus is right where he is supposed to be. He’s not lost. He’s not missing. He’s not hiding. He is where he’s supposed to be.
And here comes the most shocking part in this passage. It’s so easy to miss this.
51 And 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.
The Loving Son
Jesus was where he’s supposed to be in the temple, but he still went with Mary and was submissive to them. Think about it. He submitted himself to be taken away from his Father’s house for Mary. Jesus left his Father’s house because he loves us. Does it sound familiar? This is the gospel message! Jesus left His Father’s house because He loves us. This is what it says in Philippians 2.
Philippians 2:6 …though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Jesus is the eternal Son of God. His place is at the right hand of God the Father. But in an absolute display of grace and love, Jesus left his Father’s side and came down to earth. He left his fathers house and went with Mary. Why? Because he loved her.
Jesus left his Father’s house because he loves us.
We were lost, missing from God. And he came looking and found us. The whole time Mary was looking for Jesus, God was looking for Mary. Even before Mary realised Jesus was missing, God had already found her. That’s the point here in this passage!
So when we find ourselves far from God, or think that he’s missing from our life, remember this passage. Jesus says why were you looking for me? I left my fathers house to come looking for you. And I’ve found you.