What does this story tell us about living a life of faith in the spirit of Jesus' resurrection from the dead? That's what I'd like for us to think about in the sermon today. First, I think it tells us we can expect Jesus to meet with us along the way, in the course of everyday life.
The modern version of this story would have Joseph and Mary being investigated by Child Welfare because they “lost their 12 year old kid.” The media would jump on the story and demand to know how any good parents could travel an entire day’s journey and not know their kid was missing.
What an unlikely choice John the Baptist was to announce the coming of the Messiah. For one thing, he didn't look the part. I wish you could see the picture I snagged off the Internet. It showed this mangy creature standing out in the middle of a shallow river beckoning a would-be disciple to come and be baptized.
The Old Testament said, "The child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with Yahweh, and also with men." (1 Samuel 2:26). Luke said virtually the same thing of the boy Jesus.
The risen Savior does not intrude. He doesn’t come cartwheeling down the road and knock the disciples off their feet. He modestly joins them in conversation. They set the pace on the road they have chosen. He listens. He wants to know what is important to them. He obviously cares. He did then. He does now.
What makes this pilgrimage unique is that Jesus was twelve years old. Was he a boy or a man? If he was a boy, he’d travel with the women and children. If he was a man, he’d travel with the men. This sets the stage for what happened: He went missing on the way back.
Do I live life as a pilgrim or as a tourist? The tourist travels through life, but wants to the journey to be comfortable. The pilgrim also sets out on a journey, but travels in search of something outside the familiar.
Could this week’s gospel be any clearer? The risen Christ is with us always. But too often, he goes unrecognized. He is only a Sunday presence at best… here for the breaking of the bread and then ignored. That’s not God’s plan. We are meant to live in the risen Christ… continually, not spasmodically… actively, not abstractly.
Most parents with young children would like to know what it would be like to raise a perfect child. Imagine a child whose twos weren't terrible - no temper tantrums, no back talk, no refusing to go to bed, no fights with his brothers and sisters.
Proclaiming Christ still comes with a price--and it is not isolated to far off lands. We pay a price today in an increasingly conformist, secular America. And the price is going up. Start with the growing pall of intimidation that stifles even the most timid reference to faith.