Have You Ever Left Jesus Behind?

Luke 2:41-52

Most of us are probably quite familiar with the Biblical narrative relating the annual pilgrimage Joseph, Mary and 12-year-old Jesus took to Jerusalem during the Passover Feast. No doubt it was a long anticipated trip as they journeyed from Nazareth with relatives and fellow acquaintances joining the teeming masses flooding into Jerusalem. This was an annual event like no other as joyous crowds from all over Israel poured into the City of David for the greatest religious celebration of all.

The Gospel of Luke records that once the feast was over, Mary and Joseph left Jerusalem with their company “unaware” that their son was not with them. They assumed that Jesus was with their group but they had actually left Jerusalem without him. In fact, we’re told they traveled an entire day before they realized Jesus was missing!  Wow! How often have I gone off without the Lord, pursuing my own plans for the day, leaving him behind?  How many times have I “assumed” He was with me as I ventured off with friends or family only to find He was entirely missing? How often have you left him behind?

Of course, we’re told in Scripture that the Lord never leaves us. I get that. But I also know that I’ve gone off on my own without acknowledging Him, seeking Him or including Him in my daily “journey”. I can so easily become distracted by the world or even the “good company” I associate with or specific pursuits or goals I want to accomplish that I become careless and unintentional about His presence. It’s not hard to imagine the excitement Joseph and Mary experienced sharing stories and relating the joy of celebrating the Passover Festival as they began the long trek back to Nazareth with friends and relatives. How startling it must have been for them at the end of the day to realize that Jesus was nowhere to be found!  There have certainly been days in my life where I’ve looked back and felt like I’d completely missed Him. Have you ever become so pre-occupied with your own agenda that you’ve gone through your entire day without Him?

It’s interesting to note that Mary and Joseph first looked for their son “among their relatives and acquaintances” but did not find him there. Sadly, that is sometimes the case. In order to discover where Jesus was, they needed to leave their fellow travelers and “return to Jerusalem” where they had last been with their son. They had to be willing to part ways with their relatives and acquaintances, remove themselves from the crowd and continue on a different path in order to go back to where Jesus was. In the same way, it may cost us some discomfort or inconvenience to take a different path and part company with others if we intend to pursue Christ. Am I willing to do what it takes to find Him, even if it means leaving the fun and “good company” of family and/or friends? Are you willing to make that difficult step if needed? Sometimes that’s what it will take if we’re serious about finding Jesus.

It took Christ’s parents three days of persistent searching before they found him…three undoubtedly agonizing days of scouring the city before they finally came upon Jesus in the temple. They didn’t give up after one or two days of searching but persevered until they were once again reunited with their son. They did not stop until they found him! What about you? Are you this determined in seeking Christ? Are you tempted to quit when your search doesn’t yield speedy results?  When you don’t “feel” his presence are you still willing to keep pursuing him no matter what?

When his parents finally found their son, Mary posses an interesting question to Jesus, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” Her question has always intrigued me given the fact that Mary and Joseph were the ones who left their own son behind. Yet, doesn’t this reflect how we sometimes perceive our own situation when we don’t sense God’s presence and incorrectly assume he is the one who has left us? It seems as if Christ could easily have turned that question around and asked his parents the same thing, “Why have you treated me so?” I couldn’t help but think of a profound statement I heard years ago: “When God seems far away, guess who moved?”

Lord, please help me start each day with intentionally seeking you and “abiding” in your presence so that I don’t leave you behind. I don’t want to assume you are there, only to pause at the end of my day to realize I’ve been on my own, spinning my wheels. Like Moses of old, if your presence doesn’t go with me, help me to stay put. Enable me to quickly recognize when I am pursuing my own plans and agenda without acknowledging or seeking you. And when you make that clear, Lord, please help me to readily drop what I’m doing, leave the situation and run back to you. I don’t want to leave you behind while I enjoy the company of the crowd and venture further from your presence.