Luke 2 tells the story where Jesus and Mary return from Jerusalem and realize Jesus was not with them.Uh oh, somebody went and lost Jesus.
What was going through their minds? How could we have lost Jesus? What would it be like to realize YOU have lost Jesus?
I'm sure most parents have had the horrific notion at one time or another that they have turned their back on their child and they wandered away, only to find them hiding behind something in the store or finding their way to the candy isle. The shock and horror of those few minutes could seem like hours. I can tell you from first hand experience - not fun.
I cannot imagine what it would be like to be separated from a child for a couple of hours not to mention a couple of days. Oh, and the fact that this child is Jesus, God himself, only makes things worse.
So they did what any good parent would do… They asked around and started making their way back to where they first lost him. Here is where our analogy breaks down. When you "lose" a child the reason you do could be many. When you "lose" Jesus there is really only one reason… You left him.
He will never leave you, NEVER.
If Jesus is not close by your side, if you do not see him or feel his presence, you may have lost him. Maybe you need to work your way back to where you lost him. Finding him sooner than later would be advisable since we only get more turned around, more lost and more distant.
It is a sad thing to lose Jesus, but we all do. Sometimes we know immediately, we feel his presence distant or we knowingly walk away, other times like in Luke 2 it can take a couple of days but when you realize it it's never a good thing. The smartest thing to do is take immediate action - FIND HIM.
When you do realize it there's only one place he will be… About his father's business. That is where you will find him that is where he will be and that is where we need to be as well.
