MY Father’s Business

I’d pointed out in a post, “He Never Said That”

http://thesauros-store.blogspot.com/2010/07/he-never-said-that.html

that one of the reasons Jesus was charged with blasphemy was His use of “My Father” rather than “Our Father." I bring it up again because I neglected what is perhaps the most interesting account of Jesus using the term “My Father.”

It took place when Jesus was twelve years old. Many of you know already which incident that I’m going to talk about. He’d gone up to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration with His parents, but He didn’t leave with the group when it was all over. After three days, His parents found Jesus in the Temple teaching and debating the religious leaders of the day. It didn't matter to Mary and Joseph that their twelve-year-old was "amazing" the most educated men of the day. Like parents everywhere, who find a missing child, the fear that Mary and Joseph had initially experienced immediately turned to anger once He was found. Upon finding Him, Jesus' mother implored, “Why have you done this to us?”

And Jesus, perhaps like any child prodigy apparently said in a tone of wonder, “Why didn’t you know that I would be about MY Father’s business?”

My Father’s business? What's He talking about? He was sitting in the Temple, absorbed in discussion with religious leaders about, well, about God.

You may or may not know that in the Jewish culture of the time, at 12 years old, the male child becomes a man. At 12 years old in Orthodox Jewish culture the male child immediately is taken into the father’s business. He is taught the business. He becomes part of the business. He represents his father's business.

Jesus’ comment, “Why didn’t you know that I would be about My Father’s business, in My Father’s house, doing what My Father does?” makes perfect sense.

IF you know Who His Father is.