Friday Thought – September 4, 2015

Good Morning Friends,

"When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, 'Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.'  'Why were you searching for me?' he asked. 'Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?'" (Luke 2:41-50)

Have you ever wondered why God allowed this incident to happen in the life of young Jesus? I've thought some about that and I don't know what was in the mind of God, but I do have some ideas.

do you think came into the temple and amazed them with understanding and knowledge? This was a lesson for them in the unique nature of this young boy. I wonder why there is no record of the teachers following up on Jesus and monitoring His life in the years that followed. They missed the point then -- they would miss Him later, too.

How many gifts God has given us that we've missed? How many clear hints about His direction for our lives that have fallen on deaf ears? How many opportunities to be used by God have we walked away from? How many glimpses of God have gone unnoticed because of our preoccupation with the routine?

The teachers in the missed something marvelous and I'm not sure they were aware of what they missed. They are a reminder to keep our eyes and our ears open for glimpses of God and His work. Sometimes they come in unexpected packages -- even disguised as a twelve year old boy

His, by Grace, Steve