About My Father's Business

Luke 2:40-50 (New King James Version)

40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit,[a] filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. 41 His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. 43 When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother[b] did not know it; 44 but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. 46 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. 48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” 49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” 50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.

Many circles of families and friends are close and exhibit love to one another. It’s nice to know that you’re in the thoughts of many who care about you; those who pray the best for you and are willing to give in any way to help you along your way. In this passage of Scripture, Jesus had grown to be a twelve year old and was strong in spirit and filled with wisdom. When His earthly parents (Joseph and Mary) questioned why Jesus had treated them in away that caused them worry, He answered in a way that they did not understand. He said, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”

As I pondered this Scripture, I thought about all that had been revealed to Joseph and Mary years prior. Mary conceived the Child of the Holy Spirit. The angel of the Lord had appeared unto Joseph and confirmed this. They knew that He was the Son of God, but when Jesus answered them saying that He had to be about His Father’s business, they did not fully grasp the meaning of what He was saying. The Scripture goes further to state that His mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

Mary knew it was a great call on her life to carry the Son of God in her womb. The favor of God was upon her life. And like a mother, she bonded closely with this Child. Although she was fondly attached to Jesus, He was not exclusively hers. God gave His only begotten Son to die for a fallen world. Mary didn’t want anything bad to happen to Jesus. As the Scripture states, they (Joseph and Mary) went back to seek Him. As a mother, she felt responsible for His well-being … but God cares for us best.

As we venture out into the world to do His will, our loved ones may be concerned for our safety and well-being. There are negative and cruel people in this world, but we must be about our Father’s business. As Christians, we are called to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world. This is not to be about ourselves, but to be about advancing the Kingdom which is our Father’s business.

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men,” Colossians 3:23.

There are many out there about their business; many who seek to advance themselves. But the Bible states, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you,” Matthew 6:33.

“For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly,” Psalm 84:11.

Facing Adversity

"And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry," 2 Timothy 4:4-5, KJV.

"And will turn aside from hearing the truth and wander off into myths and man-made fictions. As for you, be calm and cool and steady, accept and suffer unflinchingly every hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fully perform all the duties of your ministry," 2 Timothy 4:4-5, Amp.

There are times in life when we face adversity, but these are the times we ought to cling to our faith even more. Being mindful that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6), it puts things into perspective. No matter what, we must hold up the bloodstained banner.

When we encounter or experience those who downplay the power and might of our God, at least for me, it catapults me into defense mode. I am compelled to defend Him. Let us consider moments where our loved ones are unjustly spoken against, would you just sit there and say nothing if you could? Why does it seem as if when angry or derogatory words are thrown into the atmosphere that degrades our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, many (who are proclaimed Christians) say nothing about it? Imagine if Jesus was sitting right next to you (which He is in our hearts) and a saddened expression unfolds across his face. Would it prompt you to then defend Him?

We ought to truly lay down our lives and pick up the Cross (for every one has his/her own to bear). It is important to not be fair-weathered Christians, praising God only when things seem to be going well in our lives. We must honor Him at all times. He is not a celestial slot machine or a bellhop at our beckon call. We are called to serve Him, knowing that no good thing will He withhold. Is our trust in the Almighty or self?

In recent months, it has come to sadden me that some want to acknowledge God only when it is convenient. There may be someone waiting to hear about Christ and you at that particular moment could be the messenger. Somebody cared enough about us to share the Gospel; will you care enough to do the same?

Jesus Loves Us

John 3:16-21, NKJV

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

Usually, the first verse in this passage is often quoted, but let us explore even further. To the average person, they know John 3:16. They know what the Bible says in this verse, that God loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son, but do they actually believe it. And if they believe it, have they actually received it? In knowing the Word so well, it sometimes appears that there’s this spin off into a world of oblivion, for whatever reason. Many shun those who carefully share the Gospel of Jesus Christ out of love. Some backlash at another brother or sister for sharing the truth, but fail to personally seek God on the matter. For instance, verse 17: “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit,” Romans 8:1, KJV. Jesus came to save the world. Do we seriously think He came all the way from Heaven just to point the finger and say you’re wrong, uh-uh you’re wrong, and hmm you’re wrong too? No, He came because He already knew that. Jesus came because the world was fallen and needed a Savior. He came to save.

Verse 18-19: “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” Many condemn themselves by rejecting God. And whether some want to admit it or not, when you willfully sin, you’re rejecting God. There is a stark difference when you do something wrong and genuinely ask God to forgive you with a earnest desire in seeking God’s help in the matter, than asking for forgiveness with a mind already set to do it again (Hebrews 10:26). God is not a toy to be played with.

Verse 20: “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” God came to shed light. He is Light. But sadly many hate the Light because He holds them responsible for their actions. And when their actions are evil and dark, the Light exposes it. How do we to let our light shine as the Bible instructs if we’re steadily putting it out by the way we live?

No matter the point in your life, praise God for His love. Thank Him for giving when we didn’t deserve. Honor Him by living for Him. He said that if we love Him, we’ll keep His commandments. We’ll obey His commandments if we truly love Him.

If we don’t get anything else, let us receive that Jesus loves us. Look back to the Cross, He proved it there. Are we proving it to Him today?