Scripture
Our verse for today comes from Luke 2:51, ” And He went down with them to Nazareth, and He continued in submission to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart. “
Background
Death and taxes, right? We have always heard that those two are the only things certain in life. The reference actually comes from a quote from Benjamin Franklin as he was heralding the establishment of our Constitution and its seeming promise of permanency. But he tempered his remarks just enough to allow that regardless of the apparent strength of the document and what it stood for, only death and taxes would always be required of us. But if those are our only obligations, then why do we do all that we do? And specifically, why do we heed and obey the rules and people who steer our paths if death and taxes are all that are really necessary? And when we go rogue and choose to go our own way, what motivates us then? Could it be that it’s an issue of the heart? And more directly, could it be a manifestation of our true adulthood, our maturity, or lack thereof? When a child, Jesus included, is being raised, they have no choice but to obey. In God’s design, the parents are in control and any deviance from that by the child is unacceptable and ill-fated. But where there exists maturity, the dynamics of the relationship change. No longer is there mandatory subjection. In fact, one sign of that maturity is the ability to decide what to do on one’s own.
Application
And so, when Luke writes that Jesus continued in submission to His parents, we can see the level of maturity and wisdom that Jesus had reached even before His thirteenth birthday. Yes, the teaching and instructing in the temple was impressive, and certainly blew away the listeners. But the fact that we are plainly shown after that how Jesus submitted reveals the maturity He had attained as a young adult. Clearly by then He could have made it on His own. When it comes down to it, we truly don’t have to listen to our boss or stop at a red light. But our maturity enables us to understand the ramifications of disobeying, and so we choose to submit. Jesus submitted to the manger, to His parents, and ultimately to the cross. Let His life be the standard for when you have to decide whether to submit or not.
Charge
As we seek Him today, ask God to grant you the maturity to willingly submit. Don’t follow the world’s view that says a cavalier attitude means you’re your own person.
Rich Holt / Originally Published on : BCWorldview.org
Also published on : Medium.com.
