KAALAGAD Gospel Reflection – Holy Family Sunday. Luke 2:41-52
41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
jesus announces his mission
Do a google search of “Images of Luke 2:46”. A host of images will show Jesus alone as a child at the centre of learned doctors, all mesmerized by this young child expounding the scriptures to them.
The images incorrectly interpret what happened, they do not portray the meaning that Luke intends in a passage of scripture beautifully crafted.
This passage is chosen for us to celebrate Holy Family Sunday. Yet the passage is not essentially about the Holy Family.
The essential item is that Jesus is now aged 12 and under Jewish law has become an adult and able to be called “a Son of God.” Like all responsible Jews, Mary and Joseph made the annual journey to Jerusalem for the Passover, travelling with the relatives for security and companionship. Jesus was with them, not his first visit to Jerusalem, but his first as a religious adult.
Integral to the annual Passover ritual was the daily gathering in the temple of the doctors and teachers engaged in dialogue with the younger generations who would sit at their feet. These young men would ask questions of the doctors who in turn would ask questions of the “novices”. This was a major way in which Jewish law and history was passed down. Truly, all who heard Jesus speak were astounded by his intelligence and replies, but he was one of many young Jewish men involved in the meeting.
Into this setting come Mary and Joseph. In Luke’s creation of the scenario he asks Mary to pose the question to her newly “graduated” son: “Why are you here and not with us?” This provides Jesus with the opportunity to announce his mission: “I am about my Father’s Business”.
Luke has set the stage for Jesus to accept responsibility as a mature religious person for who he is and for why he is. The next time in Luke’s Gospel that Jesus is in the temple is when he is dragged before the Sanhedrin. The next time Jesus goes up to Jerusalem is in Chapter 18 when he speaks about his coming death. And that he will rise again on the third day.
Hence, we find the number 3 in both accounts, for his parents spent three days looking for him. In Jewish religion and society, the number three signifies completeness and stability.
What is His Father’s Business, this Mission of Jesus?
To heal the broken hearted, set captives free, give sight to the blind, call out the purveyors of evil who lay heavy burdens on the people, condemn the hypocrites who teach the law but follow it not themselves, to proclaim the Good News of salvation to all.
And we, as Christians, what response do we have to this Mission of Jesus?
Our primary response is that we act upon the Will of the Father. That we do. Not just that we say. Not just that we pray. We are not called primarily to fulfil obligations of prayer and sacrifice and novena. We are called to act upon the Mission of Jesus to the world, to what is happening in our world, in our neighbourhood, in our country.
We are called not only as individuals but as church, as community, together with our church leaders. Church leaders may be the Pope. Or the Bishop. Or the priest. Or the person in your household who accepts the responsibility of carrying out the mission of Jesus. The person or persons, who gather together in whatever manner the disciples of Jesus whatever their shape, colour or gender so that as a community they act to advance the mission of Jesus into whatever dark places people have been placed.
It is the mission of the Christian Community to show by their actions that they are about The Father’s Business. In a society where the innocent and defenceless are victims of government and law, where lies and deception are paraded as truth, it is not sufficient for the Christian Community to act only through prayer and worship. Evil must be called out for what it is, and evildoers named and resisted, just as Jesus called out the scribes and pharisees.
It is a hard task to stand against evil. But should no one stand against it, evil will prevail. If a community stands against evil it will be asked: “Why are you here and not at home in comfort?”
The answer of the community will be “We are about The Father’s Business”.
