Rev. Joshua Murray, Christ Cumberland Church
Luke 2:41-52
Has anyone here ever misplaced anything? You know that it’s just got to be somewhere in the house. It could be your keys, wallet, or the instructions for the TV.
It was in the law that every adult male Jew who lived within fifteen miles of Jerusalem had to attend the Passover. Despite the costs and the tremendous commitment of time, Mary and Joseph adhered to the traditions of the faith. And even though she didn’t have to, Mary also attended with Joseph every year.
So, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus go to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Passover. When the feast was over, the journey back home began. It was evening when camp was made that they first realized they had misplaced Jesus.
I am sure Mary thought Jesus was with Joseph. And Joseph thought Jesus was with Mary. So it was not until that evening they discovered Jesus had been misplaced or even lost at this point. While they were thoroughly engrossed in their devout religious pilgrimage, they lost Jesus. In their attempt to draw closer to God and demonstrate their love for God, they essentially misplaced God.
Like all good parents, they get scared and head back to the city to look for Jesus. I imagine when they find him they are relieved and worried and mad all at the same time. Mary confronts Jesus, saying “Your father and I were so worried about you! Where have you been?” Jesus gently replies, “Don’t you know I must be about my Father’s business?” They often didn’t understand Jesus, and because of that, they had lost sight of who he was and what he was sent to do.
Now Mary and Joseph weren’t the only ones along the way to not understand Jesus. The same is true of the disciples and the people of his hometown. The same is true of the religious establishment. The same is true of most people today.
It’s easy for people to be so caught up in religious activity – spiritual activity – that they lose sight of the most important thing of all, Jesus himself. How often do we so immerse ourselves in our religion – our church, our worship, our activities, that we lose Christ?
Submitted by Rev. Joshua Murray
Christ Cumberland Presbyterian Church
19501 Holly Lane, Lutz FL 33548
(813) 909-9789 • Service Sun. 10:30