The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas

Lectionary: 203

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee,
to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him.

Much is made of the secret years when Jesus lived with Mary and Joseph in Nazareth. There are legends of their travelling the world beyond Judea and Egypt, including Ireland and North America. Anyone can fill that empty space with meaningful stories to entertain the mind and inspire the heart, but Saint Luke gives us the only important information. 

First, that "the boy grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon him." A healthy lad with a curious mind, he learned how to be and act like a man from Joseph, and how to read the complex political situations of their time. In Egypt, they would have paid close attention to the rumors borne by travelers from Jerusalem and Galilee. He watched Joseph closely and learned how to recognize reliable sources and dismiss the wags. 

And, of course, the Word Made Flesh recognized himself as he heard and studied the scriptures in the synagogue. And, guided by the Holy Spirit, no one else could be so familiar with every word of the Bible as he. 

Secondly, after his story of Jesus's lark in the temple at the age of twelve, Saint Luke says he "came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them." Just as his parents had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the Law, when they presented him in the Temple, so the Boy practiced the obedience that everyone should learn. 

I find it interesting that we use the same word, law, to mean the way nature works -- as in gravity, physics, thermodynamics, and fluids. Law describes both God's covenant with the Jews and the rules we make to govern our dealings with one another. If God's law is as solid as natures, "human laws" may be variable and arbitrary. But they are real, in any case.  

As an adult Jesus, for the most part, observed nature's law. But when it was necessary he could heal the sick, raise the dead, or calm a stormy sea with a word of command. Among men he had an amazing capacity for just walking away from trouble. They might be upset with what he said, as they were after his inaugural sermon in Nazareth, but when they wanted to throw him over the cliff he just "passed through the midst of them and went away." They would lay hands on him when the time came, and not before. 

The Letter to the Hebrews added to Saint Luke's account about Jesus's learning of obedience. 

"Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him."

For many centuries, monks did not make vows of poverty or chastity. Those virtues were subsumed under the vow of obedience. Mendicant orders like Franciscans and Dominicans, added the extra vows in the middle ages. But obedience is nonetheless the queen of the religious' covenant; and describes the Christian's response to the Gospel. 

Americans like to celebrate their freedom without any clear idea of its nature, responsibilities and limits. But freedom is not free and is, in fact, both demanding and jealous. Condemned to be free, we realize that every decision has consequences, some of which are unforeseeable and remote. We might not be able to prevent all the consequences of our decisions, but may be held responsible for them nonetheless. That should give us pause. 

We should also appreciate that the only projects worth our effort are the works of God. They will last forever, while every human effort will be washed away by the chaotic forces of history. Stone pyramids and burial mounds may last a very long time, even until the end of the Earth, but not forever. And so we ask the Lord to "Send forth your Spirit" so that we will invest our time and effort into his everlasting kingdom.  

Jesus proved his credentials to us by his ready obedience to the supreme authority of the Father. In willing, generous, and eager obedience he knew his own worth and the freedom of doing what he wanted to do. Because he did nothing on his own but only what he saw his Father doing. 

I often think of the landowner in his parable who gave the same pay to every worker in his field, regardless of how long they'd worked or how much they suffered in the day's heat. When a mob of disappointed workers challenged him he responded,

What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’

God's justice is mercy, and his mercy is just. If that sounds autocratic and arbitrary, I have also heard, "Your sins are forgiven!" 

I will never again question his right to do so.