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.
The first disciples of Jesus apparently had little interest in his childhood education or formation. They did not ask about his parents or his mentors, or if he had travelled and where that might have been. They knew of his family; that some supported his mission and others opposed it.
Despite that dearth of information Saint Luke believed he should fill in the blank space with whatever he had. The Gospel would not be complete if the Lord had just appeared full grown, without a past like the Lone Ranger. He had not come from nowhere and disappeared into nowhere. He was a Jew, native of Galilee, with ancestral connections to Bethlehem, the city of King David.
Nor had he appeared to his parents like an infant-sized adult. He was born of woman like every other human being, helpless, inarticulate, needing protection and guidance. He had developed from infancy to adulthood as every human should, Saint Luke assured the skeptical, "The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him."
Christian piety would sometimes naively forget the development of the Messiah through the normal stages of maturity. It is tempted to regard the boy Jesus as superior in every way to other children, and then scold those other children for not being Christlike. We do better to understand that the Spirit guided the boy to manhood as the same Spirit guides each of us, patiently, serenely, confidently. If there were thirty silent years in the life of Jesus, there is time in our lives also for misunderstandings, mistakes, foolishness, and and the growth of wisdom.
The Fourth Eucharistic Prayer reminds us, he was, "a man like us in all things but sin." By that we understand that sin is not necessary. If God leads us out of sin to grace, the sin was never a necessary place to begin.
But Jesus knows our weakness for he saw the work of the Holy Spirit in his life. Though he was as foolish as any child, the Spirit led him. He knew it and was grateful. We too recognize the Divine Impulse that called us out of darkness into light. It said to each of us, "I didn't create you for this. You deserve better."
And wisely, we followed that Voice.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.