Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Wisdom and Knowledge;
Gifts of God
He said to them, “Why were
you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s
house?”(V.49)
What did Jesus mean to convey when He referred to the
Jerusalem Temple as “my Father’s house”? In the Old Testament we hear of “son”
or “sons” of God but this title did not imply full divinity. Rather, it
symbolized a special relationship with God (Genesis 6:2, Psalms 2:7, Exodus
4:22, Hosea 2:1, 11:1, Isaiah 1:2, Jeremiah 3:19). A king of Israel was
bestowed this title at his enthronement (Isaiah 9:5, Psalms 2:7) based on God's
promise to David that his heir would be a "son" of God, beginning with
Solomon(2 Samuel 7:14, 1 Chronicles 17:13). Could it be that, for this
reason, Luke felt Jesus deserved the title "son" of God as he was
perceived as the Davidic heir and rightful King of Israel?
In the New Testament, the title "Son of God"
takes on a deeper meaning than what is conveyed in the Old Testament. The Gospel of Luke seeks to present an orderly account of
the life and ministry of Jesus, and is the only Gospel that records events surrounding
Jesus’ childhood (2:41-52).The fact that Luke includes a childhood experience
of Jesus is meant to highlight the unique relationship between God the Father
and God the Son.
A cursory read of Samuel’s childhood story (1 Samuel 2-3)
will reveal a striking parallel to Jesus’ childhood story (Luke 1-2): compare
Hannah’s prayer to Mary’s song of praise, compare the prophecy against Eli to
Zechariah’s prophecy, compare the maturity of Samuel to the maturity of John
the Baptist / Jesus. Just as Samuel anoints both Saul and David as a
"son" of God and the King of Israel, the angel Gabriel proclaims that
Jesus “will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord
God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.” Also, just as
young Samuel was called by God for service so God called Jesus as a young
boy. Even more interestingly, Luke parallels Jesus' childhood experience
to that of Samuel's in a context where the corrupt priesthood is specifically
targeted by God. In Luke 19:45-46 we read of Jesus entering the temple,
driving out those who were selling things there, and proclaiming that his Father’s
house was to be a house of prayer but others have made it a den of
robbers. In trying to restore God’s house to its original purpose, Luke
presents God’s Son as perfect transforming agent. Luke’s Gospel argues that Jesus’ claim to sonship is rooted in
history, and proceeds to reveal this father- son
relationship through a series of historical events in the life of Jesus Christ
such as Baptism, Trial and Crucifixion. Leaving
no doubt in the mind of his readers, Luke places Jesus at center of Israel’s
spiritual life (Luke 2:46), seating him in God’s own house (the Jerusalem
Temple), listening to the elders of Israel as they pour out insight of God the
Father, and asking the deeply profound, universal (Luke 2:30-32) and
life-altering question: “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I
must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49). The lesson here is that
whether it was the covenant people of Israel or the worshipping community at
the Jerusalem Temple or the body of Christ – the Church – today, if God is our
Father, then our ultimate obedience must be to Him, and not to any earthly
authority, when the two conflict (Luke 9:59-62, 12:52-53, 14:25-26). At
times, following God’s Will and abiding in our Father’s house can entail
forsaking family, friends and journeying down the road less traveled.
Prayer: “Give Your
servant therefore an understanding mind to govern Your people, that I may
discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this Your great
people?” (1 Kings 3:9)
Thought for the day: “Do not go
where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” ( Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Rev. Roy Abraham Thomas, Youth Chaplain, Houston.