Tween Jesus Wants You To Ask More Questions: A sermon on Luke 2:41-52

Tween Jesus Wants You to Ask More Questions

A sermon on Luke 2: 41-52 given on Dec 29th, 2024 at First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury.

You can watch a recording of the service here

Merry Christmas everyone! While it might seem like the holiday season is over, today is actually the first Sunday of Christmas, or, if you want to be fancy, Christmastide. So if you’ve already taken it down consider going back up into the attic or the basement and down to the basement bring that Christmas tree right back up. Or if you’re like me and keep the tree up far too long into January, now you can just tell people you’re making sure to celebrate every minute of the liturgical season of Christmas and definitely not just procrastinating.

Last week we got to participate and celebrate in Christ’s entrance into the world. And, as we saw, the birth story of Jesus we get from the gospels is glorious, hectic, and awe inspiring! We saw angels descending from the heavens, magi traveling vast distances with only a star to guide them, and cute little farm animals being entirely too precious.

But after this harrowing, fantastical, and truly wonder-full birth story, the gospels become strangely quiet about the life of young Jesus, it’s not until he’s already twelve years old when we get to see the Christ child again.

And this time, instead of his birthplace of Bethlehem or his home in Nazareth, we see him in Jerusalem. Jesus and his entire extended family have just finished celebrating the Passover in Jerusalem. As the families make their way back home, the spirit and energy in the air begins to go back to baseline. Everything feeling a little less festive despite many of the decorations still being up

But in the hustle and bustle of holiday travel with extended family, twelve-year-old jesus is nowhere to be seen. At first his parents, Mary and Joseph, think nothing of it. He’s probably with his cousins or grandparents. It’s totally fine. Nothing to worry about. But when they still cant find him amongst the crowd of great aunts and uncles and third cousins twice removed, they begin to panic. They rush back to Jerusalem and search high and low for him.

Then, after three days of desperation and worry, they finally find him in the temple. Jesus is sitting among the rabbis--the teachers and scholars of the torah. And he’s just listening to their teachings and asking them questions.

Upon finding him, Mary and Jospeh are both incredibly relieved and very upset. Relieved that they had found him. And upset that they had to go searching for him in the first place

But Jesus is unphased. In fact, he’s even surprised that they’re upset! He says, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Like, “Where else did you think I would be. Isn’t it obvious”

Then after probably having another stern talking to, Jesus, Mary , Jospeh leave Jerusalem and head back home. And that’s the last we hear of Jesus until he is baptized by John in the Jordan and begins his ministry in his 30s.

Now there are a few things I really appreciate about this story. First the story's Home Alone -esque scenario but with less slap stick humor and a bit more sanctified shenanigans. Secondly the fact that even the holy family had some less than ideal road trips and holiday gatherings. But what I appreciate the most about this story is that of all the places he could’ve gone and all the things he could’ve done, Jesus goes to the temple to ask questions. He goes to a place where he knows he can wonder at the great mysteries of God. He goes to a place where his curiosities and questions are welcomed and celebrated. I think it says a lot that the first recorded words we have of Jesus in this gospel are a question.

I’m reminded of a phrase that I learned my very first semester of seminary.

Fides Quaerens Intellectum. Faith seeking understanding.

It’s the idea that our faith motivates us to learn even more--to seek a deeper understanding of the Divine through study and reflection and questions.

This idea allows us to say “Yes, I believe, but what does it all mean?!”

Yes, I believe we are more than the worst thing we’ve ever done

Yes, I believe God is love and that Divine Love delights in us

And yes, I believe that Love came down just to be our neighbor and to do life with us

Yes I believe it! I believe because my very soul knows it to be true

But what does it all mean?

This is what faith seeking understanding means. And this is what Jesus models for us

And I think all of us are already doing this. As many of you know, on Fridays we have our weekly Bible study class. And during that time, we read and discuss and ask a lot of questions. And let me tell ya’ll, theres a lot of really great questions being asked. Most of which I have no idea what the answers are to

These questions aren’t being asked out of a desire to prove one’s intellectual prowess or to intentionally confuse others or muddy the waters. No, these questions show a deep desire to know the One who loved us into being. A yearning to draw nearer to Love itself. This time of wondering and questioning, is sacred time and holy work. It is the same work that Jesus shows us here in this story

And because Jesus—God incarnate—went to the temple and listened and learned and asked questions, so can we!

Friends, having faith doesn’t mean we have it all figured out. But it does mean we know for sure that our questions are held with gentleness and loving-kindness in the tender hands of God

Now, I leave you with this blessing by Jan Richardson called Blessing the Questions

Let them come:

the questions

that whisper themselves

so slow,

the questions

that arrive with

breathtaking speed
the questions

that never entirely leave,

the questions

that bring