Favor with God

Meditations for the Season of Christmas 

December 27, 2024

Favor with God

Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.

Luke 2:52

Luke 2:41-52

Today’s reading tells the story of twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem. The way Luke tells the story has an interesting similarity to another story Luke will tell: the two disciples on the road to Emmaus in chapter twenty-four. In both stories, there is a period of three days where Jesus was ‘lost’ and then found again. In both stories Jesus used an imperative to explain what happened: “I must be in my Father’s house”; “the Messiah would have to suffer all these things.” From Jesus’ perspective in both stories, he is not the one who is lost; he is just doing what was necessary for the Messiah to do.

Jesus’ perspective creates a dichotomy for me. On one hand, I know from the Apostle Paul that nothing can separate me from Christ, because Christ lives in me. (Romans 8:35-39 & Colossians 1:27) But on the other hand, from Luke’s account, Jesus is going to be doing what Jesus needs to do, and it is possible that I might lose sight of him.

Yesterday’s reading about baby Jesus being dedicated to the Lord ended with the affirmation that Jesus “was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.” (v40) Today’s reading ends with a similar affirmation: “Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.” (v52) Do you know that it is God’s will for us that such affirmations apply to our lives?

My Takeaway: What if I do lose sight of Jesus? I can rest in the knowledge that he can be found again. I just must look in the right place, which for me is at the Altar receiving Holy Communion.

Sē’lah                                                                                         

My book on prayer,

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.