Day 132: Luke 2:41–47

After three days, they found Him in the temple complex sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions . . . and all those who heard Him were astounded at His understanding and His answers (vv. 46–47).

I had the joy of raising my children alongside my best friend of twenty-plus years. Numerous times we thought one of our children was with the other, only to find the child in the dog bowl or splashing in the toilet. We feel fortunate we didn’t leave any of them while on a vacation somewhere.

I’m not sure anything prompts emotions like finding a lost child. Fear surges through your heart during the search. Relief floods over you when you find the child safe. Then if the child discounts parental concern, emotions surge to vengeance!

Yet even though I feel compassion concerning Mary’s and Joseph’s fear, I love what they found their son doing on the third day of their search—sitting in the temple, conversing with the teachers:

“Listening.” I’m so thankful Christ not only speaks, He also listens. We don’t know if God allowed the twelve-year-old Christ to exercise His full omniscience or to unleash just enough wisdom to astound His listeners. But I love the fact that Christ still listens—not just to learn, since He knows all things. Rather, He allows us to pour out our hearts because He loves us and wants to hear us.

“Asking them questions.” Contrary to popular belief, faith is not the avoidance of questions. Our faith grows when we seek answers, and we find many between Genesis 1:1 and Revelation 22:21. We may hear a gentle, “Because I said so,” to those questions God chooses not to answer, but I don’t believe our heavenly Father is offended by questions. Part of Christlikeness is learning to listen and ask appropriate questions, even of those you respect in the faith.

“His answers.” As we go along in this devotional journey, we will see several examples of Him posing a question only He could answer. Christ certainly uses that teaching method with me. Sometimes He’ll cause me to dig through Scripture for a question He seemed to initiate. Other times the question may come as a personalized whisper in my heart. Then as He reveals my insecurities and fleshly defense mechanisms, He gives me new understanding. He answers me, so that I don’t have to live off my own answers.