Luke 2: 41-52
Reading through the Gospel of Luke we come upon a story that we’re not quite sure why it exists; the story of Jesus not traveling with his parents and at the age of 12 staying behind in Jerusalem and being found three days later sitting in the Temple courtyard conversing with the religious leaders.
Did he stay on purpose? Did he act like a normal 12-year-old boy and think that the phrase; ‘we’re leaving now’, really meant sometime in a non-linear future? Did he simply get distracted and finding his parents and extended family gone did he just head to a place where he knew he wanted to spend more time; a la Kevin McCallister visiting the toy store in Home Alone?
Whatever the case, one thing is certain; Mary and Joseph assumed that Jesus was with them when they left Jerusalem, only to find out that evening that such was not the case. The words of a Leonard Cohen song come to mind;
I’m traveling light; I guess I’m just Somebody who has given up on the me and you, I’m not alone, I’ve met a few, Traveling light like we used to do.
Leonard Cohen
While Cohen sings of a lost or discarded love there is something for us to consider here. Looking back on past decisions in my life it is daunting to note how many of them I made while ‘traveling light’. In other words, I didn’t stop where I was and orient myself around Jesus.
What does he say? What did he do? How would He in this moment respond to what I am experiencing?
Are there family situations in which we are traveling light? Are there job situations in which we are traveling light? Religious situations?
Don’t abandon the Gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John set out to write specific realities of Jesus’ life so that you and I and millions others would have direction in our life. Seek Jesus daily.
Daniel Harding