What Does It Mean To Say About The Life Of Jesus

A Faith to Raise

1 Samuel 2: 18-20,26; Luke 2: 41-52; Colossians 3:17-17

Dec. 27, 2015

Church Among the Palms

Introduction:

The celebration of advent season is over and we are now in the season of Christmastide, the days between the feast of Christmas and Epiphany, the time when the wise men come to pay homage to the Christ Child. But other than the story of Jesus’ birth, and the visit of the wise men, this is the only story we have of Jesus as a boy. Luke’s story about Jesus in the temple at the age of 12 is the only episode in the gospels about the life of Jesus between infancy and the start of his ministry. Probably, Luke has his own reason and intention for this relating this passage in his writing that is worth and suggestive for proclamation.

He was little, weak and helpless, Tears and smiles like us he knew.

Thus he feels for all our sadness, And he shares in all our gladness.

(Cecil F. Alexander, “Once in David’s Royal City,” Chalice Hymnal [St. Louis: Chalice Press, 1995) 165

Indeed, the infant Jesus weak and helpless, cried and smiled just like any other infant, but at the last two sentences of the hymn reflect his very nature both as God and human as well as His divine goal towards creation.

Our lectionary reading today comes from the book of 1 Samuel chapter 2, and a parallel text from the gospel according to Luke chapter 2. Both texts reflect the life and faith story of Samuel and Jesus, as they both were raised by their parents to serve in the temple.

These lectionary readings, particularly the gospel reference, has two-fold purposes – to assure the readers and hearers that Jesus fully understands the depths and heights of the human experience and to use Jesus’ growth as a model for Christian education as well as for rearing children in the

of their children." Parents set a kind of glass ceiling of religious commitment, above which their children rarely rise."

When Luke included this significant part of Jesus life in his book, he was trying to inculcate into his readers’ and hearers’ mind that children’s faith should be raised not only by parents but also by the new community he/she has found. He has to remind that it is not just the physical temple that is important; it is the community itself that Luke sees as important. In these early narratives, the emphasis falls on the rituals and acts of worship and communal interaction that lie at the heart of the religious community.

In Luke 2:52 and 1 Samuel 2: 26, state, “both Samuel and Jesus continue to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men”. We have had a full knowledge and understanding how did Samuel and Jesus gained such status in faith, the way their parents raised them. They were both product of deep and committed faith as exemplified by their parents, relatives, teachers and people around them. Their experiences were influential to the faith and witness of people with whom they worked with. And we can do the same in our own family and community. Let us continually raise children with faith, deep in knowledge and wisdom about God and His work. This work should be done not only to our own family but, more so, to families dear and near to us. Let us help build this