The Big Must

January 9, 2023

“Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” Luke 2:49 NKJV

It’s a great story, replete with meaning and challenge, but mostly overlooked or trivialized by sentimentality. Luke wrote a detailed eyewitness account of the life of Jesus, significant pieces deep and personal, found nowhere else in the other accounts. Luke is an interesting writer because he did not know Jesus Christ personally. He became a follower after the Lord's death, when Paul taught him the gospel. Luke had been a physician, but he left his practice to travel with Paul. He had a Roman friend named Theophilus (probably a Roman official or wealthy higher up) who was a believer. Luke addresses Theophilus and tells him that he has gathered all the information for a detailed account about Jesus so Theophilus would be certain of what he believed (side note—Luke also wrote the book of Acts and addresses Theophilus there too). He interviewed the eyewitnesses for the information and personal details. Joseph had died by the time Luke was writing, but we see much personal information he had to have gotten directly from Mary, Jesus’ mother, a witness to His ministry, death, resurrection, and birth of the church.

Luke 2 is largely known for the powerful witness to the humble yet majestic birth of Jesus. However, the next verses contain the only information we have about Jesus’ childhood.

We see that Joseph and Mary were serious about their faith. They took Jesus to be circumcised on the 8th day after His birth. When it was time for purification (40 days after His birth), they returned to the Temple. Two elderly prophets held Him, blessed Him, and validated everything the angels had said about Jesus. Then they returned to their home in Nazareth and began raising Jesus. The fact that nothing was notable about the next years tell us that He was raised as an ordinary Jewish boy by godly parents and responded in that way (Luke 2:40).

When Jesus was twelve, they took in a group of co-pilgrims to Passover in Jerusalem. They lost Him in the crowd, and when they found Him three days later, He was in the Temple, dialoguing with the elders and teachers. Mary said, “Son, you scared us to death! We didn’t know where you were!” He responded respectfully that He thought they would know where to look—that He MUST be about His Father’s business—bringing in the Kingdom. They didn’t understand it, but Mary reported that she treasured this in her heart. They took Jesus home with them where He was obedient to them, and He grew in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and man.

Jesus knew that the purpose of His coming was to usher in the Good News. Even while He willingly lived within the constraints of being human, He never failed to keep the big MUST—His Father’s business—the number one focus of His life. As we follow Him and shape our lives around Him, that is our MUST as well. Our business is bringing in the Kingdom, and nothing else can take priority. When we focus like Jesus on that, we will get everything else right. Even within our families—most of all in our families—the Kingdom business of the Father is first.

• Father, how can I be about Your business today?