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Jehovah and Sons Tim Smelser
When Jesus was twelve years old, He chose to stay behind in Jerusalem after Passover as His parents were returning to Nazareth (Luke 2:41-44). When they realized He was not with them, they turned back and eventually found Jesus in the temple talking to the scribes and rabbis. His explanation to Joseph and Mary was posed as a question: “Know ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49) I have often wondered how Joseph must have felt when Jesus said this. Joseph, of course, was a carpenter. Jewish tradition dictated that Joseph would teach Jesus that trade. Did Joseph expect Jesus to be about his business – being a carpenter? Gabriel told Joseph that Mary’s son would “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Joseph knew Jesus’ conception was miraculous. He heard the words of Simeon and of Anna the prophetess (Luke 2:25, 36). Still, Joseph and Mary did not understand the things Jesus spoke to them (Luke 2:50). Jesus was plainly telling his parents what He understood His purpose in life to be. He was going to busy Himself doing His Father’s business. Jesus was the Son of God. Did He fully comprehend that at the tender age of twelve? It seems evident from the text that He had a pretty good grasp of that fact. His very name meant “Salvation is of Jehovah.” He had a knowledge of the scriptures and He knew of prophecies that pointed their way to Him. So what is the point for us? As New Testament Christians, we are sons of God (Galatians 4:5-6), and as Jesus was worried about doing His Father’s business, so should we be today. But do we think in those terms? Do we even know what our Father’s business is? Put simply, God’s business is saving souls! “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes on His should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “The Lord . . . is longsuffering toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). What does God see when He looks at us – His children? Are we about His business of saving souls? Far too often the answer is “No.” God sees us bickering and fighting. God sees us complacent and indifferent. God sees us saying, “We have a sign out front, and a building to worship in. Let the world come to us.” Remember the letters to the seven churches of Asia? Some were indifferent in that they had left their first love (Revelation 2:4). Some had grown complacent and were called “lukewarm” (3:16). Some were satisfied with their current state saying, “I am rich and have need of nothing” and “We have a name that says we are alive” (3:17; 3:1). In each of these instances God was not pleased. The individuals in those congregations needed to get back to work. They needed to be about the business of saving souls. Jesus said, “The Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Proverbs 11:30 tells us, “He that is wise wins souls.” When was the last time you had a personal Bible study? When was the last time you shared the message of the gospel with someone? If we are not about our Father’s business, can we really expect Him to consider us sons and daughters? Let’s determine to be less about our own business and more about His!
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