Friday in Advent II - Jesus' Hidden and Ordinary Childhood

Lessons: Psalm 30, 32; Isaiah 8:1-15; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-18; Luke 22:31-38

Jesus’ Hidden and Ordinary Childhood

A friend of mine is currently on pilgrimage to Israel/Palestine. This week, he posted from Bethlehem about the wonderful opportunity he had of spending the entire night locked in the Church of the Nativity. His experience called to mind my many excursions to that beautiful city. Usually, when I think of Bethlehem, I am drawn to the childhood of our Lord. What was Jesus like as an infant? Was he precocious or demure? Was he fussy or generally agreeable? As Jesus grew, what were his interests and passions? Who did he “hang out” with? What trouble did Jesus get into? Who was he “sweet” on?

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It is astonishing how little we know about Jesus of Nazareth. The greatest part of his life, some thirty years or so, are for the most part hidden. From the limited amount of knowledge that we have in the Gospels, it appears that Jesus lived under the authority of his parents, Joseph and Mary. In Luke’s Gospel, we read that, as a child, Jesus grew and became strong, “filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him” (2:40).

I am beginning to believe that perhaps there is something marvelously revealing to the seeker in the silence regarding this period of Jesus’ life. Could it be that Jesus’ childhood was so ordinary that it was extraordinary? Could it be that incarnation, God with us, came to dwell in the ordinary of the daily human existence? Could Jesus have wanted to be known just as we are known? And isn’t there something marvelously comforting about that?

The extraordinary is given birth through the very ordinary things of our lives. A simple childhood in Bethlehem and Nazareth, surrounded by family, and the ability to grow and mature into the chosen vocation established before the foundations of the world, fueled Jesus on his way to a very public and life changing ministry. Perhaps, we Christians spend far too much time reflecting on those three years of Jesus’ adult life when we might discover greater truths hidden in the silence of Jesus’ ordinary life as a child.

In this season of expectation and hope, I hope you find extraordinary treasures hidden in the ordinary events of your daily life and our Lord’s.

Here I am Lord, It is I, Lord. I have heard you calling in the night. Take my heart and fill it with your love that I may live in you and you may live in me.  Amen.

Advent Action Step: Listen for ways to help others this season. Listen and respond.

Love One Another – Brian