Jesus speaks with the religious teachers

Luke 2:41-52

As far as I can tell, this is what Jesus did as a kid:

-He grew.
-He became strong.
-He was filled with wisdom.
-The grace of God was upon Him.
-He grew in wisdom.
-He grew in stature.
-He grew in favor with God.
-He grew in favor with men.1

- - -

Imagine being parents to a kid who sneaks into church and starts holding intellectual conversations with adults with doctorates in doctrine and theology--that's basically what Jesus does in this story, at the ripe age of twelve.

A sixth grader amazing intellectual giants with his understanding and his answers. Jesus was a genius, simply put.

- - -

Jesus took care of his body--you don't grow strong and grow in stature if you don't. Now, as a kid, this responsibly to keep his body growing stronger of course didn't rest on him--it was up to his parents too.

- - -

Jesus took care of his mind--you don't grow in wisdom without being inquisitive. But you don't grow in favor with men if you ask a lot of annoying questions--so his questions must have always been piercing, yet pleasantly so. And he must never have asked a question unless he was sure it was a good one. He must have really used his words carefully to grow in favor with men as a twelve year old kid.

And he must have talked to and trusted God a lot--that's how you grow in favor with Him.

Abraham believed God--God called Abraham His friend.

Moses believed God--God put Him at the head of countless miracles.

Noah believed God--God spared him and his family from the end of all of Earth's living creatures.

- - -

Jesus just talked to God, like a son talks to his father or a friend talks to his friend or a student talks to her mentor. That's how God wants us to talk to him--not ornately, but as a son or a daughter. As a friend.

Let God's grace fall upon you, and talk to Him today.

1. Luke 2:40, 52