NO AUDIO
The title of this sermon is, “It takes time.”
Patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience…
It is one of the marks of love, “Love is patient and kind.”
It is one of the characteristics of our Lord, The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Today, we’ll consider the 12 year old Jesus and consider how He teaches us how, for a lot of stuff, it takes time.
Now, [Jesus’] parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.
Customs, routines, consistent things we do. Over and over again, over time, they teach.
Every year, Jesus and His parents went up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover – reminding them that God delivered them from the bondage of Egypt and death passed over them because they were marked with the blood of the Lamb.
There were, of course, other customs. At least once a week, Jesus and His parents would attend the local synagogue to hear the Lord’s Word and preaching from it and pray. Every day, their evenings and mornings and afternoons would be set aside for prayer, praise and thanks.
Customs, routines, consistent things we do.
At least once a year, you pause to begin to consider that your Savior was born. Merry Christmas.
At least once a year, you pause to begin to consider that your Savior died and rose. Happy Easter.
The liturgy teaches.
At least once a week, you confess you’re deep sin and don’t try and deceive yourself or God and at least once a week you receive cleansing and renewal and mercy and help.
At least once a week, you pray with the Old Testament saints and the New Testament saints and the saints of the Church for the last 2,000 years the Psalms.
At least once a week, you receive the Passover Lamb, whose blood was shed to take away the sin of the world, in your mouth.
And your daily prayers, they ought be growing. You ought be learning more from the Lord’s Word, daily. Because wisdom and knowledge come quite often according to custom. Yearly, monthly, weekly, daily according to custom.
Jesus put Himself under certain Godly customs to teach us patience and routine.
And when the feast was ended, as they were retuning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing Him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but they began to search for Him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for Him. After three days they found Him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding.
What does Jesus have to learn about God from teachers? Why would Jesus listen, when He alone should be speaking?
Among other things, our Lord helps us see how we ought be interacting with each other. Listen, ask questions.
What would have happened if a 12 year old would have showed up to the temple and said, ‘Let me teach you about the God’s Word and the Messiah.”
But a 12 year old who listens, who asks insightful, helpful, informed questions – He amazes them at His understanding.
Listening takes time.
Questions show you that you you’re willing to take even more time.
Perhaps you are a know it all. You’re know it all-ness is rarely as welcome as you think it is. Show them what you know in how you listen and ask questions.
Perhaps you’re not a know it all. You don’t know as much you as you should. Well, listening and asking questions just takes time.
And finally:
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.” And Jesus said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” And they did not understand the saying that He spoke to them. 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.
Mary and Joseph have a big question for Jesus, “Why have you treated us so?”
Jesus gave them an answer. They didn’t understand it. But they saw His love for them, and they still treasured up all these things in their hearts.
You’ve got some “why’s” too.
Why is this happening to me? Why is this happening to my family? Why is God treated me so?
Christian preachers have used this text to preach to their hearers during times when Jesus seems quite missing, quite lost. When their hearers can only seem to be asking the question, “Why?”
And the text teaches us these truths:
Jesus gently chides his mother and father for looking for him. Not because they were looking for Him, but because they should have had no question where He was. I must be in my father’s house.
It took Mary and Joseph three days to find Jesus where He seems to think they should have known all along – not among their relatives, not randomly somewhere in Jerusalem, but in His Father’s house.
So, where do we go with our “why’s”? Where do we go when Jesus seems quite missing, quite lost?
Quite often, not where Jesus promised He would be. In His Word. In His Sacrament. In His house, His Psalms, His songs, His prayers, His preaching.
He must be there – He’s not lost. He wants you to seek Him. He wants to be found. He wants to admonish and comfort and show His love for you.
And He wants to give you His Word, over and over again.
Perhaps it brings crystal clarity. Perhaps you just take, treasure it up, and know that all things will be clear only in time.