On the way home from Jerusalem and the Feast of the Passover, Mary and Joseph realized that their twelve-year-old son, Jesus, wasn’t in the caravan, so back to Jerusalem they go, frantic to find him.

They finally find him in the temple conversing with the teachers. He is listening to them and also asking some questions. He was conducting himself in such a way that “all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers” (Luke 2:47). Mary and Joseph aren’t thrilled about it all and Mary asks Jesus, “Why have you treated us this way? Behold your father and I have been anxiously looking for you” (Luke 2:48).

The twelve-year old boy responds to her by saying, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house” (Luke 2:49)? This response did not clarify things for Mary and Joseph, but apparently it was the end of the matter. The next thing we read is that Jesus “went down with them...and continued in subjection to them” (Luke 2:51). “Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (vs. 52), and Mary “treasured all these things in her heart” (vs. 51).

What do we do with this story? I suppose we just let it be and fight the temptation to read too much into it. Apparently God became a real human being and had to learn to live “in subjection” to his parents.” Also, Mary and Joseph had to learn to let go and to let their Son become who He was.

Here we see the spiritual depth of parents who really do live by the tenants of their faith and we see the Spirit at work in a twelve-year-old boy who still has a lot of growing up to do.

Incarnation is a tough reality to embrace, but if God is really going to do it, it had better be real or it will just be fluff. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14) as a twelve year old and he submitted himself to parents who loved him. He wouldn’t always be twelve but He would always be Messiah.