Sunrise

Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Luke 2:51-52

The "Infancy Gospel of Thomas" was a contribution from the Hellenistic (Greek) literature of the second and third centuries. Jesus is pictured as a boy wonder who scared his friends, performed miracles for the fun of it, and disrespected his teacher. If that is the case, today our kids may call the boy Jesus an X Man of sorts, a mutant with extraordinary powers that humans do not possess. However, this gospel is a figment of the imagination of a philosopher, Thomas, who lived during that period. So little is known or recorded about Jesus’ childhood that the temptation to imagine Christ's childhood was what probably prompted this work of fiction. It is impossible to reconcile the behavior of the Jesus described in the biblical gospels with the behavior of the child Jesus conveyed by the false gospel account.

Mary and Joseph had come to Jerusalem for the Passover with Jesus when he was twelve years old. In Jewish tradition, this was a very important year for Jesus when he was officially inducted into the understanding of the law. At the temple, speaking to the Jewish elders he must have been fascinated by their knowledge and customs. Being extremely pious, he must have sensed the presence of God in the hearts and minds of those who worshipped in the temple. When it came time to leave, it was customary for women to go ahead of the men. So Mary may have thought Jesus was with Joseph, while Joseph may have thought Jesus was with Mary. In the confusion, Jesus was left behind in the temple. This was probably a situation similar to that in the popular movie series "Home Alone" where the youngest son was left behind at home. Maybe when Joseph and Mary met up at some point, it dawned on them that Jesus was missing. I don’t think it was a question of obedience but just a slip up.

Jesus was surprised when his mother said that they had been very worried when they couldn’t find him. He asked her, “How is it that you looked for me? Didn’t you know that I would be in my Father’s house?” Mary had seen visions and heard about the visions of others concerning Jesus. There was no need to have been worried about Jesus. He was clearly being looked after by his heavenly Father, who had placed him on earth for a specific purpose. Is it not human for us to worry about our loved ones, forgetting that God our Father loves them more than we do? Could Mary have been one of his earliest disciples?

Luke clearly portrays Jesus as an obedient child, one who was very well read and considered the temple as his Father's house. His insight into the Torah was so astute that even the teachers were amazed at his understanding, questions, and answers. Mary and Joseph had the unique privilege of being the earthly parents of the Son of God. Luke clearly says that everything Jesus did and said was fondly treasured in the heart of his mother, Mary. As the sun rises in the east slowly, it is a glorious sight to behold. It is the birth of a new day. Similarly, this was the dawn of the life of a young man who would go on to shine his light into the hearts of millions of people for centuries to come.