What a neat young man!

11. What a neat young  man
 
The next thing to happen in our story is that Jesus’ parents take him to Jerusalem to be circumcised. While there, we are told of two elderly people, Simeon and Anna. Simeon had been told by the Spirit that he would live to see the coming Savior, and Anna, a jubilant widow, filled her days worshipping, fasting and praying. Simeon got to hold the baby, Jesus, and Anna praised God for the “coming one” (Luke 2:38), Shortly there-after, the family went to Egypt for a time to escape the persecution of Nero. At one Passover, Jesus, who was 12 at the time, stayed behind in Jerusalem to talk with the priests  about issues of importance. His parents escorted him back to  Nazareth where he continued to live the normal life of a growing young man. Of those years he says, “And I grew both in wisdom and stature, gaining the approval of God and all who knew me” (p. 19. / Luke 2:52).
       That is certainly an extremely positive description of Jesus, during those years prior to leaving home and beginning his public ministry. It is easy to see the three important segment of his early life. He grew in “stature,” that is, his physical body developed in a normal and healthy manner. And there is a connection between a healthy physique and a normal emotional state. To neglect the body that God has given us is to show disrespect for an important gift. I got to wondering whether Jesus would have lifted weights if there had been a fitness center in Nazareth. I decided, Yes, but not with the kind of frantic commitment to it that we often see.
       Then the text tells us that he “grew in wisdom.” A good workable definition of wisdom is “the ability to successfully apply what we know to how we live.” One of the pitfalls of current educational scene is that it tends to “fill you up” rather than “set you on fire.” In today’s world, one can learn almost anything by saying “Hey Siri,” but ask her something of genuine importance and she keeps saying ”I’m listening! I’m listening!” I’m sure Jesus learned to saw a plank cross grain, but he also learned such things as how to apply to life the principles he was absorbing in his study of the Old Testament. To memorize the Ten Commandments is good, to obey them is much better.  Jesus grew in Wisdom!!
       And then, that third part of an overall healthy growth pattern: he was “gaining the approval of God.” Spiritually, he was maintaining a close connection with God his Father. He made the Father’s concerns his, not like a slave for his stern-jawed master, but as an obedient son for a loving father. I know it sounds strange to picture Jesus as growing up spiritually – after all, he was God – but we need to remind ourselves that in the incarnation he became one of us. He wasn’t acting in a way that would make it appear that he was like us, but he actually was one of us. As fully man, he was “tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin” (Heb. 4:15 TEV). It does not belittle the eternal Son to say of the incarnate Son that he was tempted just as we are.
       So there you have the beautiful portrait of Jesus (who would become known as the Christ) in his early life, growing up in the little hill town of Nazareth. Have you been there? Did you drink from Mary’s well?