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December 31, 2006

Luke 2: 41-52

"Increased in Wisdom and Years"

It is every parent’s hope and dream that as their child grows up, that the child will mature, become smarter in his or her decisions, and will be self-sufficient. Parents may begin to see a glimpse of this hope coming true around the teen years, but that glimpse gets lost during a few stupid teenage pranks gone badly. Parents get to see another glimpse of this hope coming to fruition as their child goes off to college. The child leaves one person and then returns as this adult who suddenly understands and appreciates his or her parent, who is willing to carry on intelligent conversations, who is understands how the world works.

Over Christmas while my parents were visiting, Mom pulled out some pictures of recent celebrations that I was unable to attend. One being the boy next door’s graduation from Highway Patrol School. Mom had called me and let me know that they were going to Mitchell’s graduation and that she would send my regrets. So when she handed me the photos, I kind of had this mental picture of Mitchell walking across the stage in his uniform. But when Mom showed me the pictures, I had to do a double-take. This was not the little boy that I had baby-sat for and changed his diapers. (I’m sure that he is so happy that I am sharing that with you today.) This was not the middle school pest that I dropped off at school on my way to the high school. This was not the young adult who shared my love of the mountains and went to my alma mater. This was not the young gentlemen who I saw this past summer when I went home for a few days before he went off to Highway Patrol School

Not this person staring back at me in the pictures was a man. Someone who had grown up and had matured. Someone had increased in wisdom and years. Someone who now is a part of the North Carolina Highway State Patrol. No longer the little boy I remembered but now a man.

Increased in wisdom and years. I know that there comes a time in each parents’ life where they have to step back and let their child make mistakes. Where they must step back and realize that their child is growing up.

Like Mary and Joseph had to do on this morning in the Temple. Jesus is no longer than sweet innocent baby lying in the manger. Jesus is no longer that young boy who run and played with the neighborhood children around him.
Jesus is growing up on Mary and Joseph and is starting to ask those difficult questions. He is starting to understand that he is no ordinary child and he is grappling with what it means to be the Son of God.

The author of Luke combines the stories that we all know with a new story about the boy Jesus. It sounds so familiar to us. This story reminds us of the story about the boy Samuel who was presented to the Temple so that he could fulfill his mother’s promise to God. Hannah had prayed for a son and in return, the child would serve God at the Temple and be God’s servant and prophet.

And the author of Luke uses that same theme here in this story. A son has been born and this son is promised to be Savior of the World and God’s servant here on earth. So when Jesus comes to the Temple, he begins to take on this identity of God’s servant and prophet by asking the deep faith questions of the rabbis. He begins to take his place in God’s service. There was a stirring of his identity and of his vocation that day in the Temple.

His circle of awareness and the sense of a larger duty begins to widen and deepen beyond his home in Nazareth.

Causing tensions in the family.

Here comes Mary and Joseph frantically searching for their child. And they find him sitting among teachers, asking the faith questions and listening to their teachings. Mary and Joseph run up to him, pull him away from the crowd, and say, “Where have you been? Don’t you know we have been looking for you? You had us worried to death.”
And Jesus simply turns to them and says, Mo-om. You are embrassing me. Don’t you know that I would be here? You keep saying that I am the Son of God. I was trying to find out more about that and what it means. I am trying to find out who I am. Nobody else is the Son of God come down to earth.”

This is where I think Mary and Joseph roll their eyes in the back of their head and simply say, “I don’t care if you are the Son of God. As long as you live under my roof, you will obey my rules.”
And they leave the Temple, all a little shaken and all a little unsure of what exactly just happened.

Something has changed in the relationship. A new awareness. A new understanding. It is all sinking in right now. Sure, the birth was miraculous. The Angels, The Shepherds, The Wise men bring gifts. But that was twelve years ago.
Jesus has been a normal boy up to this day. Jesus has been just like everyone else. Up until now. He has increased in wisdom and years and now he is trying to figure out what it all means, the stories of his birth and the promises that have been told to him about his future by his parents.

Now this family is going to have to deal with what it really means for their son to be the Son of God. Now this family is going to have to deal with what it really means for their son to be the Savior of the World.

The family returns home and there are no more instances like the one in the Temple. But something has changed. Mary and Joseph begin to understand that they have to let go. They begin to understand that their child is growing up. They begin to understand what was really meant when the angels proclaimed that a Savior, who is the Messiah the Lord was born to them.

Increased in Wisdom and Years. That is the hope of every parent. Learning from the past and preparing for a future. That is the dream of every parent. As the saying goes, “A parent must give their children two things: roots and wings. Give them roots to keep them grounded through tough times. Give them wings to soar above everything, explore new worlds and fly farther than we ever did.”

Increasing in Wisdom and Years. Weaving together the old and the new. That is where we are today. We as a church have increased in wisdom and years. We have been given the great gifts of roots and wings. Roots that are grounded in a tradition that is so full of a history of serving God as God’s people. And we have been given the gift of wings. To explore new worlds. To explore a new mission. To explore a new identity that combines our past and our future.

As this New Year approaches, we have been given a glimpse of a hope and of a dream of who we as a church will become in the future on our journey. As this New Year approaches, we have had a stirring of our identity and our vocation. As this New Year approaches, our circle of awareness and a sense of a larger duty has grown and deepen beyond these four walls.

We have been given roots and wings. We have been given a stirring of the Spirit. We have been given a glimpse of our vocation and our identity.

May we as a church embrace our roots and wings and increase in wisdom and years. Amen.

Rev. Heather McColl
Midway Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

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