Staying Behind

Luke 2:41-52

 “Staying Behind”

27 December 2015 St. Andrew’s Military Chapel Singapore

Those on my mom’s side of the family get together for a dinner a few days before Christmas. A few years ago I was able to go and we were all having a great time talking and playing, doing what families do over the holidays. I can’t remember what exactly prompted someone to ask “Has anyone seen Walker?” He was around two at the time, so like everyone knows, it’s when a two year old boy is quiet that you have to worry about him finding trouble. We all look around at each other with that combination of laughter with the twinge of worry.

A group leave the dining room to the den to see what toys has his attention and see nothing. I had made a tradition of taking the younger kids around searching for the cats that would hide in fear of strangers, so we searched for the boy on a hunt for cats running in fear of a strange little person chasing them. Still no Walker. Someone looked out on the enclosed porch to see if he made his way out there. Nothing. Now we’re starting to get worried. How does a child simply vanish in a house? It happens all the time, but it is still an amazing phenomenon. I think it was my brother, but someone had the idea to open the pantry door and what did we find? Walker contentedly playing with the canned goods of the pantry. He looked up at us with an expression that said, “What are you worried about?”

Walker was content and safe and there was no need to worry. The look on his face confirmed this and questioned why we were so worried about him and his whereabouts. He was where he needed to be and that was all that mattered. If he had needed something, he would have cried out and let us know.

We all have stories that make us feel like we’re the stars of Home Alone, either the son or the mom. And it is in just this type of situation that we find Jesus, Mary, and Joseph today. Jesus had gone to Jerusalem with his parents for Passover, and like the good theology nerd he was, he slipped unnoticed into the temple to go and sit at the feet of the rabbis of the day.

Now, some people will read this passage and automatically ask how in the world did Mary and Joseph lose track of their son? They knew his was the Messiah, how could they ever let him out of their sight? To those questions I respond, have you ever met a 12 year old? They’ve already gotten everything figured out in life, so they are going to do their own thing regardless of what their parents want.

Jesus’ disappearing act can teach us a great deal about our faith. For one thing, Jesus and his family were a regular part of a faith community. Going and learning from those in the temple was important to the family and it was usual for them to go to the temple on a regular basis.

But, it wasn’t a faith that they just consumed. Jesus was at the feet of the leaders listening and asking. Because he was God there was no need for him to sit in the temple and learn from the rabbis, but he did. I’m sure those around him were learning more than they expected from this young man. At the very least, they were amazed at his understanding and answers. I’m confident he was probing to find ways to present the Gospel in a way that would reach as many people as possible. He was taking the time to learn the culture around him and how they spoke so that he could speak a new theology using the framework of the existing theology. Being able to speak theologically matters, even for Jesus.

I want us to just sit with an amazing fact of this story for just a second. Much like Christmas Eve when I talked about how God chose to become a human as the clincher of the Christmas story, here God makes time to learn theology from those around him. I can’t think of any better reason for us to not only regularly attend a large faith gathering, but also to find someone or group of friends that will challenge and teach us the faith. Just reading the Bible on our own and sitting with our own interpretations will never be enough to strengthen and deepen our faith.

Not only did Jesus get to be a part of a strong faith community, he was part of a strong community of families. It’s almost like Joseph or Mary were in the military stationed overseas. How many times do we travel together with our families because of the strong bonds we have forged during our time being stationed together either here or previously. It always warms my heart when my Facebook or Instagram feed pops up with photos of multiple families from this congregation on a weekend getaway together (even if it means you are skipping church).

That comes from the trust you all put into each other on a daily basis. I don’t live in the immediate neighborhood, but I do spend a lot of time here and at the Terror Club and I always see y’all blending families and even cultures as many of you are friends with our allied families. This fact alone is the reason it took me a good three months to figure out which parents belonged to which kids. The communal force is strong here and it is my prayer that you take the community you live out here and extend it to wherever the military drops you off next.

Because of such a tight community like we have in the black and whites out here, it makes sense that Jesus got left behind. They just assumed he was hanging out with the Jeters. I’m sure Mary looked over saw a huge group of kids hanging out and assumed Jesus was there. If she didn’t see him for a few days, she knew he’d eventually make his way back for food. Other families can only sustain an extra teenage boy for a day or so before they run so low they make him go home.

So, don’t ever let a pastor get away with criticizing Mary for losing sight of Jesus. Jesus was living out a communal life and faith, one that we should all strive to follow. He was drawn to the chapel to engage the rabbis and strengthen his faith. I know that wasn’t the first place I slipped off to growing up. He was part of a large community that was comfortable for him and his family in which they all trusted that he was cared for no matter where he was. Something we can experience here in Sembawang and should strive to take with us.

Let this story always be one that encourages us to seek out and develop a community that allows our young believers the confidence to explore their faith above all else. One in which they know that no matter where they are people will always care for them and that their parents will always eventually find and support their faith development.