ALIVE: Chapter 113, The Scare

The young boy, Jesus, almost eight years old, slept soundly that night enveloped in the love of His Father, and his tummy filled with the most delicious meal His mommy had ever made. It felt like a birthday party, but it was just the three of them in grandparents’ house. After supper they prayed together, Joseph led the prayer his head bowed low, “Lord God, mighty wonderful Lord, Creator, Counselor, Healer, Teacher, Comfortor, Holy Wisdom, You fill our hearts with joy. You have chosen this time to reveal yourself to Your only begotten Son. We are humbled, His mother and I to care for His healthy little body. What joy it must bring you Lord to watch this child run and play. When I look upon Him with Your eyes my Lord, I shrink. I melt before You. Now that You have revealed Yourself to Him, guide Him, and guide His mother and I in the way He should grow, to serve You, and to carry out the mission, the purpose for His life, whatever it is. We trust You Lord. Amen.”

Joseph looked up and saw Mary’s face, which she too had raised, glowing, tears had welled up from her heart and spilled out of her eyes. Then Joseph looked over at his Son, his little Boy. He was radiant, He looked strong and confident. If He could have been able to express how He felt at that moment, He would have said that He felt more like Himself than ever before. The announcement from God was more like a gentle greeting than a shock. It was words given to Spirit. It was love putting on a cashmere sweater. 

They slept there that night, and when Joseph and Mary woke up the following morning Jesus was gone. This didn’t surprise Mary. She knew that at first light the boy had gone to His mountain. His world was new and He was eager to speak with His true Father. There was so much to learn.

After that day, Jesus spent time, His precious time playing ball with the neighboring boys, or working with Joseph in the shop, learning the trade, or reading, or hiking. He climbed the mountain range from different trail heads for variety. Sometimes He took a book in His knapsack and spent all afternoon reading at the top of the mountain. His parents didn’t have to tell Him to keep the secret. No one, except Mary and Joseph could ever understand, or would know how to relate to the boy if they knew how unique He was. Unique, but as normal as any human being can be. It was a mystery, a mystery that only Jesus, even being the young boy He was, could comprehend. 

As He grew in stature, He grew in wisdom. As Jesus got older and because His parents trusted Him not to get in trouble He gained independence, spending more time with His friends, or in the village than at home.

Now every year the three of them went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. A group of villagers from Nazareth travelled together, some walking, some riding their donkeys. Often the children preferred to walk and sometimes race each other.

His mother would never forget the year He was twelve though, when they left him behind in Jerusalem. The group was particularly big that year, the weather being ideal, and the people forming one big group rather than two or three smaller groups which was sometimes how it went. On their way back to Nazareth, they were so used to Jesus’ independence that a day and a night of travel went by before Mary who was riding her donkey asked Joseph on his colt beside her, to go around and look for Jesus as they hadn’t seen Him since they left Jerusalem. Joseph pulled his colt out of the position he was in the pack and rode up and down the group, asking if anyone had seen his Son. He saw His friends and thought surely the child would be among them, but he wasn’t! 

When Joseph was sure that Jesus was not with them, he mustered his courage to tell Mary. He rode back up to where she was and signaled to her to come out of the pack.

When they were a short distance from the group, and stopped. Mary looked at Joseph quizzically. “Where is He? Did you find Him?” 

“The boy isn’t here. We need to go back.” said Joseph trying to sound matter-of-factly so as not to alarm Mary. 

“What?!!!! Are you sure?” she replied. 

“My dear, I have asked everyone. No one has seen Him, not even His friends. We need to go back to Jerusalem.”

Mary said a quick prayer in her heart, and then she said, “Okay, let’s go, but let me find Ruth first to tell her, just in case He turns up.”

Joseph and Mary headed back in silence, just the two of them and their loaded colts. As much as they loved the Lord and trusted Him, and they loved and trusted their Son, they couldn’t help but worry. Each parent replaying in his and her mind the last time and place he or she saw their Son. That didn’t help. They were already so far away from Jerusalem. They had to camp one night. That mean it was two whole days and nights away from Him. They felt guilty and irresponsible, but they didn’t argue and blame each other, and Mary was glad for that. It wouldn’t have helped them find their boy. ‘Where could He be? Was He alone and looking for them? Was He afraid and crying in the streets?’ 

Joseph and Mary finally arrived in Jerusalem, the big city, around noon. They were hot and dusty. They didn’t know where to begin to look. 

“Let’s just stick together.” said Mary. “Where should we go first?” They went to the center of the old city within the Sheep Gate and decided to simply sweep the city from one end to the other. Hours later, they had gone to the opposite end with no luck. ‘He must be starving by now!’ thought Mary.

“Let’s go to the temple.” said Joseph.

“Yes, the last resort.” replied Mary exhausted from worry and looking.

They dismounted their donkeys, tied them up and walked into the temple together. “At least we can pray in here.” said Mary.

Joseph was the first to spot Him sitting and talking to a group of grown men. He didn’t look concerned in the least, but just as natural as could be, as if everyone in the world knew exactly where He was. Jesus couldn’t have been happier. He was in His element sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. All who heard him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. 

When Mary spotted Him too, she was astonished. Joseph and Mary approached Him and Mary, not at all concerned about overreacting in front of the teachers shouted, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” 

Jesus calmly replied, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 

Mary and Joseph looked at each other and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. They were so relieved.

“Come Son, we need to get back home. Please excuse yourself.” said Joseph.

The family exited the temple with as much dignity as they could muster after making the scene. Jesus hoisted himself on Joseph’s donkey and they rode over to the depot to see when the next caravan was leaving for Nazareth.

“We are losing Him.” whispered Mary to Joseph. He gave her a hug and they went to find supper while waiting for the caravan to take off.