Fifth Joyful Mystery

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Basically the event in the gospels when Jesus decides to ditch his parents and hang out at the temple and then kind of (I think) gives a smarty-pants answer to his extremely worried parents. Does anyone else have a problem with this?

I mean, I don’t have a huge problem with it, but it kind of seems like we’re supposed to think it was great that Jesus was obedient to his parents and went back home with them. Problem is, he wasn’t obedient to them because he stayed behind.

Am I taking crazy pills?
 
You are not taking crazy pills 🙂

I think the problem lies in the context. I once had your same thought process. Then I found out that the caravan that was coming back from the Temple wasn’t just Jesus, Mary and Joseph and a few others. It could have been hundreds and there were several parties. Often times certain people especially children that were playing fell behind and they would stay in another’s caravan until the morning came. So when Jesus didn’t arrive at night, Mary and Joseph assumed He was with another party in the caravan and was safe (they traveled in caravans to protect against robbers, among other reasons). This of course wasn’t the case.

When Mary and Joseph finally come back and find Jesus in the Temple, yes, it appears he gives a smart allecky answer. I think Jesus was just so interested in this discussion, He could have easily lost sight of the fact that the caravan left. He was so interested in talking about His Father that He could have just forgot the caravan was leaving. Also, the Bible doesn’t include every detail. For all we know, there could have been a logical answer to this. It was, however, emphasized that Jesus was doing His Father’s will, so that’s what I take most from it. He did the Father’s will at the end, but also at the beginning of His life too. Hope that helps.
 
Norm640 said:
Basically the event in the gospels when Jesus decides to ditch his parents and hang out at the temple and then kind of (I think) gives a smarty-pants answer to his extremely worried parents. Does anyone else have a problem with this?

I mean, I don’t have a huge problem with it, but it kind of seems like we’re supposed to think it was great that Jesus was obedient to his parents and went back home with them. Problem is, he wasn’t obedient to them because he stayed behind.

Am I taking crazy pills?
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I wondered about this too! The first time I read that I thought ‘Wow, sassy!’. lol.

Thank you, ACanthony, for the great explanation! 🙂
 
Eh…maybe
ACanthony said:
You are not taking crazy pills 🙂

I think the problem lies in the context. I once had your same thought process. Then I found out that the caravan that was coming back from the Temple wasn’t just Jesus, Mary and Joseph and a few others. It could have been hundreds and there were several parties. Often times certain people especially children that were playing fell behind and they would stay in another’s caravan until the morning came. So when Jesus didn’t arrive at night, Mary and Joseph assumed He was with another party in the caravan and was safe (they traveled in caravans to protect against robbers, among other reasons). This of course wasn’t the case.

When Mary and Joseph finally come back and find Jesus in the Temple, yes, it appears he gives a smart allecky answer. I think Jesus was just so interested in this discussion, He could have easily lost sight of the fact that the caravan left. He was so interested in talking about His Father that He could have just forgot the caravan was leaving. Also, the Bible doesn’t include every detail. For all we know, there could have been a logical answer to this. It was, however, emphasized that Jesus was doing His Father’s will, so that’s what I take most from it. He did the Father’s will at the end, but also at the beginning of His life too. Hope that helps.
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It could also be used to demonstrate his humanity, perhaps? Of course Jesus was without sin and He was an obedient, peaceful, and loving child, but He still shared in our humanity, and perhaps this also could have included doing some things to worry His parents, albeit, not a sin.
 
I don’t have a problem with this. Jesus said he was doing his Father’s will, and that’s good enough for me. Although I don’t understand all the time, I will just try to give Jesus the benefit on the doubt given he is who he is, especially. He never did anything without a good reason.
 
If God asked you to do something and your parents said no you can not do it are you going to list enand obey GOD or are you going to listen to your parents.

God is over our parents. We must do what our parents say and obey them but if God tells us to do otherwise you do not refuse.

FIRST GOD
THEN PARENTS
THEN OURSELFS

I read a while ago of a sanit in which he wanted to become a preist and his mother didn’t want him to and he didnt list to her and left.
 
We don’t know that God told Jesus to stay behind, bro…we just know he did. This could have been an act of child rebellion, and the significance would be to show that a)God is our FATHER and b)You really should listen to your mom and dad.

But we don’t know if God told Jesus to stay behind or not. Nowhere is that said.
 
jesus4ever said:
If God asked you to do something and your parents said no you can not do it are you going to list enand obey GOD or are you going to listen to your parents.

God is over our parents. We must do what our parents say and obey them but if God tells us to do otherwise you do not refuse.

FIRST GOD
THEN PARENTS
THEN OURSELVES

I read a while ago of a sanit in which he wanted to become a preist and his mother didn’t want him to and he didnt list to her and left.
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Yes! 👍
 
On a lighter note…

When I was explaining this mystery to my youngest child, who was about 10 at the time, I pointed out to him that St. Joseph must have grounded Jesus for a very long time, because we never hear another word about Him until He is 30 years old!

Impressed my son, anyway.
 
Peggy_in_Burien said:
On a lighter note…

When I was explaining this mystery to my youngest child, who was about 10 at the time, I pointed out to him that St. Joseph must have grounded Jesus for a very long time, because we never hear another word about Him until He is 30 years old!

Impressed my son, anyway.
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Hah! Great story.

I like to think that God restores all things they way they should be, and He reunited The Hilly Family against all odds, given the great number of people and distance of the journey. …I like to think how amazing it is that Jesus was aware of his divinity at such a young age.
 
a meditation on the rosary might bring a smile-
consider a string of thought, about that naughty young Jesus, in the center of attention; but jump back to firstly consider abraham and sarah-(she of whom had great faith as from Hebrews in the gospel passage)…now though, sarah (who was old) over heard the visitors say she would have a child and gave a bit of a humorous reaction (something like-she laughed within herself); the ‘angel’ nevertheless over heard,(responding something like -you did laugh) the question remains: did the angel enter the moment and smile when he implies , but you did laugh…maybe he insists this confirming with a smile-because, he knew something, at the time, that she did not know…So, well… moments deserves a smile; so take the irony to the scene of the child Jesus,then found as if a run away, perhaps a smile originates as he speaks, he is in his father’s house, that comment from the redeemer of the world,could have been stated with a smile/ as if to say"i know something-you don’t know" /the theme is “i know something-you don’t know.” continues:…then, string again to the wedding feast ( as per rosary mystery)-that must be a happy occasion, did Jesus smile? well another bit of irony…a mother asked her son to do something…he might react, that the joyful crowd at the wedding, of whom is in for a surprise, when jesus must follow through, suggesting again, as if to say “i know something-you don’t know,” perhaps, jesus responds to his mother with a smile, (or do they both smile?) The guests drank the best wine , no less, that deserves a smile…and so, a place and setting must sometimes have a human sense of humor as , i personally meditate on the rosary mysteries to view young and older Jesus-who must smile for me (not great theology, but something to smile about)…thx patrick
 
I don’t pretend to understand all the depths of this mystery. Some thoughts I have as I pray it have included: we are called to pray for those who have “lost” family or friends, either physically or spiritually; God wanted Mary and Joseph to understand that Jesus was not just “theirs”…He had a higher calling, and this was part of their preparation for that; Jesus wants us to know where we can find Him if we feel He is far away; sometimes doing God’s will can put us at odds with other people and things—even family might not understand.

I always imagine that moment of intense relief Mary & Joseph must have experienced when they saw Jesus in the Temple…that “Oh thank you God, he’s ok” moment!! And I pray that all parents who don’t know where their child is can experience that relief also.

I think the more we pray the rosary and meditate on the mysteries, that God will continue to give us slivers of insight into each of them.
 
Peggy_in_Burien said:
On a lighter note…

When I was explaining this mystery to my youngest child, who was about 10 at the time, I pointed out to him that St. Joseph must have grounded Jesus for a very long time, because we never hear another word about Him until He is 30 years old!

Impressed my son, anyway.
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Brilliant!!! 😃 I must remember that for my elder grandson who loves to push the boundaries!!
 
Peggy_in_Burien said:
On a lighter note…

When I was explaining this mystery to my youngest child, who was about 10 at the time, I pointed out to him that St. Joseph must have grounded Jesus for a very long time, because we never hear another word about Him until He is 30 years old!

Impressed my son, anyway.
Click to expand...
Peggy, this cracked me up!!! I’m going to remember this one!
 
I think that most, if not all, of what we have in the Gospels about Jesus, whether as a child or an adult, is a lesson for us. Jesus was not disobedient to His parents. He was not naughty, or sinful.

His parents were seeking Him; they thought that they had lost Him, and were worried. Where could they find Him? Where can WE find Him? In the house of His Father (our Father), or doing the work of His Father. Again, we are told that this was ‘three days’. Surely there is also significance in that, foreshadowing the loss of Jesus for three days before His Resurrection.

[BIBLEDRB] Luke 2:41-52[/BIBLEDRB]
 
In this experience, where He was missing for three days, and those who loved Him were stricken with grief over their loss and they feared that they might never see Him again…in this, He prepared His mother’s heart for the three days He would be in the grave.
Furthermore, he was at the age that Jewish boys of today celebrate their bar mitzvah, their entrance into manhood. He was beginning to make mature, adult decisions about following His true calling. In this also, He was preparing His parents. He was indicating to them that carpentry, although honorable work, would not be His vocation or concern in His adult life. He would be about His Father’s business.
Finally, recall the Blessed Virgin herself was scarcely older than 13-15 years old at the Annunciation. So the age of 12 isn’t as young for these holy people as it seems to the modern, Western mind.
Jesus said lots of things that people found offensive. His appearing to be impertinent or sassy to His parents is only because it is all too easy for us to forget that He is God made man, and He speaks with the authority of God Himself. If He could call the wind and the sea with a word, then He could remind His parents of Who He is, while still being loving and obedient to them until He was fully of age.
 
ccmcmg said:
I think that most, if not all, of what we have in the Gospels about Jesus, whether as a child or an adult, is a lesson for us. Jesus was not disobedient to His parents. He was not naughty, or sinful.

His parents were seeking Him; they thought that they had lost Him, and were worried. Where could they find Him? Where can WE find Him? In the house of His Father (our Father), or doing the work of His Father. Again, we are told that this was ‘three days’. Surely there is also significance in that, foreshadowing the loss of Jesus for three days before His Resurrection.

[BIBLEDRB] Luke 2:41-52[/BIBLEDRB]
Click to expand...
Ah, I see someone beat me to the punch! Good answer. 👍
 
Jesus’ heavenly Father had called him to stay that day in the temple. That is what Jesus said in the gospel.

Jesus is both the son of man and the son of God. He obeyed as the son of God.

The question of why he didn’t tell his parents is probably the same reason any 12 year old would not tell their parents they are staying when the parents want to leave. However in the case of Jesus, he was being obedient to his Father.

Obviously it must have been something important for him to stay. The bible says that the teachers were amazed at his questions and answers. It might have had something to do with leading the teachers to know the coming messiah when he appeared. But the bible doesn’t say why, so we will never know for sure.
 
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