Divine Child Learned Through Human Growth Process
Daily Scripture
Luke 2:51-52
51 Jesus went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. His mother cherished every word in her heart. 52 Jesus matured in wisdom and years, and in favor with God and with people.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Okay—Jesus has been to the Temple. It’s time to start his public, preaching ministry. Right? Not really. To understand these summary verses, we have to back up to the scene in the Temple we read yesterday (cf. Luke 2:46). Scholar William Barclay wrote, “For the Passover season it was the custom for the Sanhedrin to meet in public in the Temple court to discuss, in the presence of all who would listen, religious and theological questions. It was there they found Jesus. We must not think of it as a scene where a precocious boy was dominating a crowd of his seniors. Hearing and asking questions is the regular Jewish phrase for a student learning from his teachers. Jesus was listening to the discussions and eagerly searching for knowledge like an avid student.” * Those final two verses took in about eighteen more years before Jesus began a public preaching ministry. He was divine, but that didn’t mean he magically knew everything all at once. He was also human, and spent those years, Luke said, learning and maturing.
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A sense of God’s calling can often produce a strong feeling of impatience. God’s mission, after all, is huge. A giant world out there needs what God is offering through the good news of Jesus! Jesus’ example, which Luke recorded very concisely, may matter when we feel that impatience. Why did Jesus meekly go back to Nazareth with his parents? Why was he, the Lord of all creation, “obedient to them”? Don’t overlook or ignore this simple but vital part of the story. “The birth and childhood stories of Luke 1-2 end with these notes: Jesus was an obedient child who grew into a man who had a good reputation (Luke 4:14-15); and His mother cherished [his] every word (Luke 8:21).” ** There’s no simple way to explain how Jesus’ divinity and humanity interacted. But these two verses covering eighteen years may point to one reason Jesus was so effective when he did teach. How can you keep learning and maturing as a part of your response to God’s call on your life?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, as you grew and matured, help me respond to your call to grow and mature in 2025. Amen.
GPS Insights
Angie McCarty
Angie McCarty serves as the location pastor for Resurrection Spring Hill. Angie is an ordained elder from the Desert Southwest Conference of the United Methodist Church who moved to Kansas from Arizona in 2017. She completed her doctorate degree, focusing on Christian sexual ethics, at Saint Paul School of Theology in May 2023. Angie is married to Jonathan Bell, who also serves on staff at Resurrection. Together they have six kids, a live-in sister who is active in Matthew’s Ministry, and a totally joyful life.
One of the most challenging theological concepts I’ve wrestled with over the years is the full divinity and full humanity of Jesus. The two ideas seem to be in tension with one another. I’d prefer a savior whose perfection I could emulate. But as soon as I type those words, I realize that what I truly want is a savior who can relate to my humanity. That’s when I throw my hands up in surrender, acknowledging that these are beliefs to be received by faith. My mind simply can’t fully grasp the complete mystery of Jesus’ nature.
When I led a middle school youth group, my favorite picture to show the students was a cartoon depiction of Jesus as an adolescent. In this illustration, Jesus had oversized feet, acne on his face, stinky wafts of air coming from his armpits, and sagging jeans. Does that image offend your sense of Jesus’ divinity, or does it spark joy at the thought of the Savior of the world dealing with something as ordinary as body odor?
Of course, all of this is speculative, but it’s still an educated guess. Human bodies go through puberty, and Jesus was likely no exception. In the same vein, Jesus wasn’t born with all knowledge, language, or theological expertise, as we might imagine the Son of God having from the moment he took his first breath. He had to grow up—just like us! Luke tells us that Jesus “grew in wisdom and stature.” In a single sentence, he transforms from a 12-year-old boy in the temple into a man of wisdom and maturity.
Like Jesus, we don’t possess all the wisdom and knowledge necessary to fully receive everything God has in store for us. We must intentionally seek growth throughout our lives. It won’t happen in an instant, but through the five daily practices of worship, study, service, giving, and sharing our faith, we can mature in ways that please God and empower us to become disciples who make a difference in the world.
So, how will you intentionally grow in wisdom and maturity in 2025? I challenge you, as I challenge myself, to make a plan, try something new, and experience God in a fresh way this year.
© 2024 Resurrection: A United Methodist Church. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* William Barclay, The Gospel of Luke (Revised Edition). Westminster John Knox Press, 1975, p. 29.
** Richard B. Vinson, study note on Luke 2:51 in The CEB Study Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2013, p. 111 NT.
