Jesus missing for three days - finding in the temple

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HomeschoolDad

HomeschoolDad

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We do know that Jesus never sinned because He was God. However, what are we to make of Jesus disappearing for three days when he went to stay and discuss matters of faith with the elders in the temple? What of the anguish that He surely caused Mary and Joseph, not knowing where their Son was? Think of a child missing for three days while you have no idea whatsoever where they are. Or did they trust that, wherever Jesus was, He was in no danger and had come to no harm?
 
“Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”
- Luke 2:49
 
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I think they were undoubtedly worried about his safety, seeing as how Herod tried to kill him as soon as he was born. Yes, I believe Joseph and Mary were in anguish as to what happened to Him, they say as much in the Scripture. However, it is a mystery worth contemplating, that such an event is commemorated in the Bible.
 
AmbroseSJ said:
I think they were undoubtedly worried about his safety, seeing as how Herod tried to kill him as soon as he was born. Yes, I believe Joseph and Mary were in anguish as to what happened to Him, they say as much in the Scripture. However, it is a mystery worth contemplating, that such an event is commemorated in the Bible.
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I have to think it may be like a hypothetical scenario of a secret intelligence agent (think CIA or similar) who cannot discuss their work with their family — “I have to leave for awhile, you may not even know in advance that I’m going, I can’t tell you where I’m going, I can’t tell you how long I’m going to be gone, I can’t tell you what I’ve been doing, and I can’t tell you where I’ve been when I get back, but you’re just going to have to trust that I’ll be OK”.

And sometimes they don’t come back — think of the stars on the monument at the CIA that denote persons who have given their lives for their country, but for security reasons cannot be identified publicly.

It would take a special kind of person to live this kind of life.
 
I think this episode is in Scripture to show that:
  1. The Holy Family was a normal human family.
  2. To remind everyone that Jesus knew, from His childhood,
    that He was the Son of God.
 
In that culture, at that time, a 12 year old was not the child that 12 year olds are here and now. It is difficult for us to imagine the level of autonomy/responsibly that 12 year old Jesus and his peers had.

The journey to and from Jerusalem was done in a very large extended family group, as Scripture tells us Mary and Joseph assumed Christ was somewhere in the group.

Jesus’ answer when they found him shows that while we may have doubts or anxiety, that it is not sinful to have these emotions, as Mary did not sin. I find this a great comfort during the dark times.

This is my favorite mystery, I often pray only this mystery for days.
 
Per “Divine Mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary”…

Males and Females separated for the trip back to Nazareth; this was the custom. It was so they could better recollect the feast they had just celebrated and for decency.

So, Joseph assumed Jesus was with Mary and the Women; Mary assumed Jesus was with the Men and Joseph.

As the trip got shorter, the crowd thinned, couples would reunite. Mary and Joseph met up at a previously agreed to meet up spot. She thought he was in the desert with St. John Baptist, but Angels prevented her from going there. By searching the streets of Jerusalem and asking passer by’s she fulfilled Canticles 5, 10. The first information was from a woman who reported that Jesus had approached her for Alms of which she gave to him; he filled her with grace as a reward. So, he was doing works, including visiting inmates in the city (work of his Father).

He went into the Temple where rabbis reguraly met about scripture. So this meeting was about whether the Messiah was in the world and if not, when he would come (all this in the atmosphere of the sheperds at Bethlehem, the Kings from east, etc…). The rabbis listened to Jesus present his arguments and they were astonished; yet, they didn’t recognize Jesus for who he was.

The whole matter was a trial of Mary’s. Her virtues blossomed like never before.
 
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This is a private opinion, it is not the doctrine of the Church.
 
Oh, Cant 5, 10 fulfilled b/c Mary described Jesus to the lady passer by, after she asked for a description, by saying to her of the spouse (Mary is Mother of Church; Jesus is married to the Church), “My Beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands.”
 
It’s some of it is actually from other historical works (the book of James - our priest told us) that weren’t included in the Bible, or at least the bit about men and woman travelling separately and then setting up camp in the evening and at that point realising that Jesus was missing as he wasnt with either the men or woman. This wasn’t included as not all of it could be verified but that doesn’t mean that some of it can’t be and the church does actually use some of it in doctrine as we get Mary’s parents names from there. They are nowhere in the Bible and also the information about Mary’s early life in the temple and Anne and Joachim’s holiness which does support the dogma of Mary’s perpetual virginity.

Perhaps some of the other information here is also heard from other historical documents.

On he actual post. I think that Joseph and Mary were sorrowful and worried about Jesus but still trusted in God as to his whereabouts and welfare. I am sure Jesus had no idea they didnt know where he was and the reason for that we can only speculate on as it is the will of God. No doubt it was for the good of all mankind, including Joseph, Mary and Jesus himself. I’ve always thought it was the prepare Joseph and Mary for the day when Jesus would be off doing God’s work and for Jesus to begin sowing the seeds of the gospel.
 
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Scripture and Tradition.

The author was Holy (St. Augustine). “City of God”.
 
TheLittleLady said:
Jesus’ answer when they found him shows that while we may have doubts or anxiety, that it is not sinful to have these emotions, as Mary did not sin. I find this a great comfort during the dark times.

This is my favorite mystery, I often pray only this mystery for days.
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I think that it was NECESSARY for Jesus to question the Rabbis in the temple in order to prepare the ground for his upcoming ministry. For example I wonder if Gamaliel (St. Paul’s teacher) was one of those present… Perhaps Nicodemus? In any event, I believe He was doing the Work of His Father. Gamaliel’s father Simeon Hillel is said to be the same Simeon that Blessed the infant Jesus at the Presentation in the Temple by some ECFs.
 
I often find it intriguing that so many non-Catholic Christians just ‘gloss over’ these passages. If Mary, as so many say, did not remain a Virgin and went on to have children with Joseph, why do the passages not mention those brothers and sisters? If the oldest child were already missing, why would Mary and Joseph go on to leave all the other rugrats in some anomalous ‘group’ without any mention of the worries about "their older brother is missing’, why no mention to Jesus, “your dad, brothers and sisters, and I were frantic”, why no mention in the passage of Mary and Joseph ‘not missing Jesus’ was there nothing like, “they were busy with the care of the other kids’. or, if Jesus had brothers and sisters the oldest was ‘surely’ only 1-2 years younger. No 'they questioned His brothers and sisters to see if they knew where Jesus was”, etc. etc. And the main point is, Jesus is specifically mentioned as being 12 years old here. And there is no SIGN of any siblings whatsoever. Assuming Mary had waited ‘all that time’ and was barren, then went ahead and had children, the oldest child would be 17 when Jesus 'started His mission, and obviously some children since ‘James and Joses etc and SISTERS’ were mentioned would be under 13, then how would these KIDS be considered to have anything to say with a brother nearly old enough to be THEIR father?
I think this passage ‘shoots down’ the entire theories of Mary not remaining ever-Virgin. It is very important to emphasize who JESUS is and that is done by showing that Mary was a type of the Ark who remained inviolate after His birth. . .no mention ever of a ‘child of Mary’ seen, even where Jesus was 12 years old, other than Jesus Himself. . .
 
Could it have been a foreshadowing of the 3 days between crucifixion and resurrection? Just a thought…
 
Have you not read his reply when Mary asks why he has done this? Luke 2; 49 . Why were you searching for me? Well you have your own interpretation I am sure but to me, it appears to me that he did not know. I see no problem with the person of God keeping
things from the person of Jesus during him being human and think it quite obvious from the way Jesus speaks of his Father in heaven and he actually makes reference it at later times, but I am not well enough now to recall these fully enough for you. Anyway,
lets agree to disagree.
 
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