Pondering Hearts
Christmas 1c, Luke 2:41-52 with Colossians 3:12-17 in the b.g.
I love this Gospel story. It is the only Gospel story in the entire canon, (that which Christians call the Bible) that speaks of an event in Jesus' life which occurs sometime between his being circumcised at 8 days of age and his public ministry which began probably around his 30th year. However, I am also troubled by this story.
Let me say more. These past few days my family has been looking for one of our daughter's VISA card and license. She thought she had it when she boarded her plane Wednesday night –but she hasn't been able to find it since. We turned our home upside down. Never mind that someone may be spending using her VISA, the real crux of the matter is that she wants to go out on New Year's Eve. To do that she needs photo ID. There's the rub. Although we may chuckle at it, if you have ever lost something that's valuable, you will know that feeling of angst that grabs hold of you until you find it. I once lost my wedding ring for a number of weeks only to find it in a pair of board shorts early on a summer's Sunday morning while out for a walk. The relief was palpable.
But if that which is lost is not a thing – even a ring or a VISA card or a family heirloom, but rather a person, can you imagine the anxiety? I have watched some of my parishioner's agonize over their spouse as he or she suffers from Alzheimer's disease. The disease often progresses to the point where the person has no idea whether it is 2 o'clock in the afternoon or 2'oclock in the morning. And in these still somewhat early stages of the disease that person may decide to get up and go outside for a walk. The problem is that once they have walked a little ways they no longer know their way home. They are truly lost. On occasion at this stage of their illness they may remember their first or last name. They are extremely vulnerable. As their spouse wakes to find them missing, panic sets in.
Similarly mounting anxiety rises when a young child wanders away from a campsite or from his or her parent in the mall. That parent may have looked away for only a moment – but presto their child is gone. Can you imagine a more horrifying experience? Yes, the child may only have wandered over to the toy section or the candy bar shelf. But that child may also have been taken by some person who wills to do them untold harm. The depth of such foreboding is unimaginable unless you have experienced it.
Mary and Joseph were small town people. But once a year, since they were pious Jews, they would travel to the big city of Jerusalem for Passover. This time since their eldest son Jesus has turned 12, they are bringing him with them. It's quite the journey. There are the 4 or 5 days to walk with family and friends from their hometown of Nazareth. Then there are also the 2 or 3 days in Jerusalem at and around the temple. Then there is the return journey home.
But this year, something horrible happens on the way home. They are with family and friends including numerous young children. They assume that Jesus is with their kin, cousins and friends. But that first night as they go find him, he IS MISSING. They look everywhere. A number of people join in the search. But Jesus is not there. So, they detach themselves from everyone they know and love. Then Joseph and Mary race back to Jerusalem, literally as fast as their feet can carry them. They search all the likely places in Jerusalem where a 12 year-old boy might be – extended family, friends.
But do you know where they find him. That's right -at the temple precincts! Thank God. But yet – how could he do this to them? Didn't he know that they would be worried sick? Mary confronts him.
Now Jesus asks her a question. How could she not know that he would be about his father's business, in a very real sense at his father's house, the temple? It's an important question. But obviously Mary doesn't understand.
Once before in Luke's Gospel, on the day or evening of Jesus' birth, Luke tells us that Mary pondered things in her heart. Then it was what those mangy shepherd's had told her about the message they had received via an angel from God. This child, her baby, Jesus, would bring good news of great joy for all the people. He was, he would be the Savior, the Messiah, the one who would somehow deliver his people.
Now, again, listening to her 12 year old's words – how could she not know that he would at such a tender age be about his father's business? Unable to comprehend this, she has no recourse but to stop and ponder – indeed to wonder. Who is He? How can any of this be? Where will it end?
Here we are only 2 days after Christmas Day when we celebrated in such grand fashion Jesus' birth. Our celebration was wonderful. Jesus' birth is marvelous for the world. But now, as we are beginning to head back down to more "normalcy" or at the very least, to what we perceive as being "normal" what might Jesus' birth mean for us now?
In the midst of all the things that are going on in our lives – in terms of money, work/school, expectations, hopes and dreams, fears and losses, births and deaths, our relationships – what does Jesus' birth and life mean for us and for the world?
This Jesus is certainly human in defying as a 12 year old his parent's wishes. Yet the reason that he defies his parent's wishes is unique – that he might be about his father's, that is God's business. This Jesus is also divine. And yet that day he leaves the temple to go back to that small town of Nazareth. He does this to obey his earthly parents. Years later Jesus leavrd Nazareth to proclaim far and near that God's kingdom is near. For Luke Jesus' ministry begins with his proclamation in his hometown synagogue that he is the One who has come to fulfill the ancient promise of bearing good news to the poor, proclaiming release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and HEAR THIS, to let the oppressed go free. That would be the year of the Lord. Then all debts would be forgiven.
This Christmas what does it mean for us that Jesus comes to bring good news to the poor – those who are poor in any way, man, woman, child, creature? What does it mean that Jesus comes to bring release to the captives – to those enslaved to addictions, to low self esteem, to pride, to fear, to apathy? What can these promises, His life mean now? Certainly the fullness of his all encompassing work is beyond our understanding.
Perhaps then we do well to join Mary. Would we watch, pray, even yearn to see Jesus grow, live, suffer and die? Truly, some of our hopes may well be dashed. Dare we with Mary ponder all these things in our hearts?
Such "pondering" will not eliminate our losses nor the losses of the world. These all continue, even grow. But such pondering Jesus' presence and action may enable us as it did Mary to keep on keeping on, hoping against hope that because of Jesus' living, loving, suffering, dying and being raised, the losses of life are not the last things nor even the lasting or defining words of our lives or the lives of others. To be sure, much of this exceeds logical explanation. But so much of life, particularly that which is good, transcends our understanding.
Let us pray: Oh God, may we ponder and hold your Jesus in our hearts so that we can be amongst those whom he frees to live, to love, to risk, even to die - for the sake of your love for the world. Amen.