Luke 2:40-52
THE FATHER'S BUSINESS
"And He said unto them, How is it that ye sought me Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business". (Luke 2:49).
Some who have been to Jerusalem might have visited Zedekiah’s cave or sometimes-called Solomon’s mine. It was from here that the rectangular stone’s were chiseled and made ready for the building of the temple. 1Kings 6:7 says that when the Temple was in construction, it was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. The work at the Temple site was done in holy silence. This silence is reflected in what are commonly known as the silent years of our Saviour.
Dr. Vernon Magee says that Dr. Luke spoke of the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ as an obstetrician and of the boyhood of the Saviour as a Pediatrician. He by passed the sojourn of the Lord in Egypt and picks up the story of the Saviour’s upbringing in Nazareth. For all mothers who have had the joy of bringing their baby home you can imagine what it must have been for Mary and Joseph bringing Jesus home to friends and family in Nazareth. The early hardships that they encountered didn’t rob the Saviour of a good upbringing in that home. We should not think that our Saviour as a boy had a halo around his head. He was Mary’s firstborn but there were other children in the house. He was so obscure that he was called the carpenter’s son. Yet he who was the perfect baby was also a perfect child, a perfect youth and Luke would portray him as the perfect man.
The piety of Mary and Joseph is evident throughout this chapter. Their home provided the atmosphere where Jesus Christ developed. He growth was physical – the child grew His growth was spiritual – he waxed strong in spirit. His growth was intellectual – he grew in wisdom.– his growth was social he grew in favour with men. Jesus Christ was a normal boy in these respects.
A philosopher on one occasion said, there were two important days in my life; the day that I was born and the day I discovered why I was born. Our Lord Jesus is mentioned in Luke 2:40 as the child – paidom. But in 2:41 as "The boy (pais) Jesus". According to this passage of Scripture, even at this young age of twelve the Lord Jesus was totally aware of His identity and His mission.
The attendance of our Lord at the feast of the Passover says something about Mary and Joseph. Men were required to attend the Passover every year but not the women. However, Mary, like Hannah of old was there. The attendance of the Saviour at the feast was something but the absence on the return journey was alarming for them. When the searching and almost despairing Joseph and Mary found the Saviour in the Temple, Mary posed the question "Son, why hast thou dealt thus with us Behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing."
Joseph was Jesus legal guardian but not His natural father. Our Saviour’s reply was not insolent, but He responded to the contrast of Mary’s "your father" with the words, "My Father". I must be about my Father’s business. The acumen and wisdom of our Lord not only stumped the doctor’s of the Law at the Temple but his guardians did not understand.
Supremely in the life and ministry of our Lord He was about His Father’s business.
His joy was to do the Father’s will.
He delighted to please the Father’s heart.
He accepted the sufferings as from the Father’s hand.
His steps were marked by the Father’s hour.
His zeal was the zeal of the Father’s house on earth.
His goal was the Father’s house in heaven.
He came to accomplish the Father’s work.
Jesus was constantly about His Father’s business.
There should be two great days in the life of the Christian - the day in which he was born again and the day he discovered why he was born again. My Christian friends, we have not only been converted, we have also been commissioned. God has not only given us grace but in that grace He has given us gifts and He says, "Occupy ‘‘‘til I come!" We must be about our Father’s business.
1. The Father’s business is a great business
It is as great as the Father. The Lord is great. It was this perspective of god and His work the helped Nehemiah to keep at the job of building the walls of Jerusalem. There were hard times and often the opposition was very great. It is like that when you do a work for God.
All the work God ever asks you to do is a great work. You remember the little slave girl in Naaman’s household. He was a great man but the little slave girl had great courage to make an open confession about the greatness of Her Lord. She did a great work. Last summer a friend of mine in USA was telling me that he had a meal with Warren Weirsbie. In the cou8rse of the conversation the friend mentioned about the little church he came from in North Carolina. Weirsbie stopped him and kindly said, "Brother, in God’s work there are no little churches. Every work is a great work."
To neglect the Father’s business is a great neglect.
I remember reading that one of the high street stores – Marks or Sainsbury’s had bought up a whole city block and had built their department store on either side of a small Quaker building. The manager thought that it would be best to purchase the Quaker House so they wrote a letter to the Quaker brethren and in the letter they stated that they were their great commercial neighbours and would like to buy them out. "Kindly name your price". – signed – Sainsbury.
Within a short time a letter arrived at Sainsbury’s desk. It was from the friends at Quaker Hall. The letter just simply declined the generous offer but then went on to say, "We are your greater neighbour and have plans for expansion, please name your price". – signed William Cadbury. At the time Cadbury was greater than Sainsbury.
(a) The Father’s business is as broad as the universe. Listen to the Saviour, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth". The whole universe is his by creative right and by redemptive right
(b) The Father’s business is as deep as the need of the human heart. Our Lord is in the business of changing lives. Translating them out of the Kingdom of darkness in to the Kingdom of god’s dear Son. It is a world redemption business.
(c) The Father’s business is as long as the ages. I don’t need to tell you that the business of the Father is an eternal business.
(d) The Father’s business is as high as the heavens. His business reaches from the glories of the highest heaven to the misery and squalour on earth.
2. The Father’s business is a growing business
(a) It has a small beginning like a seed.
(b) Its process of growth is like a plant.
(c) Its expansion. of His kingdom is a growing business.
Twelve men with little or no resources, no university graduates, no financial backing – against them was the might of the Roman Empire, the intellectual philosophies of the Greeks and the religious prejudice of the Jews and yet they turned the world upside down.
Added to the church – added to the church every day – multiplied.
3. The Father’s business is a guaranteed business
(a) God's purpose cannot be thwarted. "I will build my church". said Jesus.
(b) God's program cannot be diverted. - "The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
(c) God's power cannot be withstood. Therefore, success is certain.
God’s work is a big, beneficial, benevolent, and blessed business.
Let us resolve that we too shall ever be about our Father's business.
In that work we shall be humble.
In that work we shall be helpful
In that work we shall be happy.
Let us join hands in the harvest fields
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