This Sunday is Epiphany Sunday, which is the day we remember the Magi following the star to come and find and worship the Chris-child. This story is only found in Matthew’s Gospel, so since we will be in the Gospel of Luke we will not be focusing on those curious little wanderers, but they still deserve to be recognized and remembered. They are actually a huge part of my own faith journey, but we will unpack that rich story another time. This Sunday we will continue in Luke’s Gospel with another story that plays significantly in my own life, which is the adolescent Jesus hanging with the Rabbis in the temple. This story is unique to Luke and the only story of Jesus’ life we have in his adolescent years. It’s fitting for Epiphany Sunday, as this young Jesus is akin to the Magi in his wondering and wandering. -Pastor Paul
SCRIPTURE: Luke 2:41-52 (NRSVUE)
41 Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43 When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents were unaware of this. 44 Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 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. 48 When his parents saw him they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously looking for you.” 49 He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them, and his mother treasured all these things in her heart.
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years[c] and in divine and human favor.