What is it that one makes a habit? Many things can become a custom. Things such as exercise, reading, and spending time with loved ones can be considered good habits. Some things lead to destruction such as drinking, drugs, and sexual addictions. Drinking too much hounded me for many years. I often drowned my sorrows in beer, but thanks be to God for lifting me out of that habit. What is habitual for you?
I ask this because the word ethos in Greek is in the second verse of the gospel lesson appointed for this day. Ethos is translated in the NRSV as custom, but a more literal translation is habit. It was the habit of Joseph and Mary to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. I find that amazing. To travel from Nazareth to Jerusalem took four days one way, let alone the time spent at the Passover festival meaning the trek lasted at least two weeks. Imagine what dedication this took. Going on a two week vacation takes not only time, but a large amount of money. This rings true today, and rang true in the first century, but Luke tells us that traveling to the festival was the habit of Joseph and Mary. The habitual trek to Jerusalem for Passover indicates that Jesus grew up in a religiously dedicated family.
Traveling to Jerusalem became the routine, the practice, the custom, the habit of Jesus, and this shows that Jesus knew the practice of observant Jews. A very good habit. I wish my habits were as good. I tend to eat too much. I tend to watch too much brain numbing television. I have a tendency to spend too much time reading garbage on the internet. Do I spend too much time in prayer? Do I spend too much time reading scripture? Do I spend too much time with my family? These would be wonderful habits. I wonder what most people’s habits are?
Looking further into the text, Mary and Joseph leave after the festival, but they do something unimaginable. They left Jesus in the temple! How could they? This text brings up amazing things in my mind. It goes completely against my modern mindset of childrearing. Since the birth of my first child, what I have feared the most when out in public with him is losing him. I cannot imagine what people go through when they lose a child in a store, and it is easy to do. Children run quickly. Children can hide in the most amazing places and think it cute not to come out when mom or dad are looking for them. Children can be taken in an instant and then never return. I fear what happens to Jesus in the gospel lesson for this Sunday.
I must say that to travel for almost a day without knowing where one’s child is amazes me. I cannot go a minute without knowing where my children are. They are at school, which is an everyday thing. They are at home with me or their mother. They are spending time with friends. If they take off without telling me where they are going, they are in trouble, and yet Jesus is left by himself at 12 years of age and Mary and Joseph travel a day’s journey without knowing where he is. The text tries to justify this by saying that Mary and Joseph think he is in the group of travelers, but that is no justification. Theologians try to justify this by saying in that time, people would need to travel in large groups for safety, and this might be so, but that is no justification for leaving a large city without knowing where one’s child is. I have even tried to justify this by saying “it takes a village to raise a child” and this saying rings true today, and it was even more so back then, but that is still no justification. Mary and Joseph do an unthinkable thing and there can be no justification for this. If this happened today, the department of children and social services would be knocking on one’s front door in a heartbeat, and yet we think nothing of this when we read this text. What is the purpose of this text? What is Luke trying to tell us with this amazing left behind scene?
This is the only incident in the four canonical gospels that relates a story from the childhood of Jesus. Why would Luke choose this story? I am flabbergasted by his choice. There must have been some other stories that would have been better. An incident where Jesus helps another child learn about God, a tale of Jesus rescuing a child from danger, even a legend of Jesus fixing a broken toy for a weeping friend could have been included, but no. We get this account of Jesus being left behind in the temple.
I find numerous theological reasons for including this saga. Jesus knows from a young age that he is the Son of God, Joseph was not the natural father of Jesus, and even Jesus besting the best of theologian at the temple to show that the theologians are blind to what God was up to in Jesus, but I find it hard to get past the particulars of what has happened. Fundamentalists are always ranting that one must not add a single word to the literal words of the bible, and I am having a hard time getting past those literal words, but I must. What can I glean from this text? How can I relate this text to the modern arena to show the people I lead what God is up to in their lives through this amazing anecdote?
I think God is asking us to see what our habits are? Do we have good habits like the Holy family or do we teach our children other habits? Do our children learn to come to church as a habit or do we instruct our children that Sunday is a day for recreation outside of the faith community? I find that the church is getting smaller and smaller because people don’t see the need. Why would they? National churches are constantly arguing about things they need not argue about, and the leaders wonder why people don’t come to church. Leaders wonder why people don’t make church a habit. Furthermore, do we teach people that prayer can be a habit? Conversing with God in prayer leads to knowledge of God, and God loves this. What a good habit.
What is my habit? Peace!
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