Son, why have you done this to us?
How anxious family life can cause us to be!
Family life can be so complicated! When, in the First Book of Samuel, the Hebrew woman Hannah finally, after much prayer, gives birth to a son, one might imagine that she will keep him close to hand. But in fact, Hannah, having received this gift of a son, surrenders her first-born to the Lord: I, in turn, give him to the Lord; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the Lord. Hannah does not know how God’s plan is going to unfold, but she accepts this state of uncertainty and follows through on her promise to the Lord.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, will do the same, although not quite in the same way. Luke’s Gospel contains the only story we have of Jesus as a growing child, one who causes his parents some grief. Having gone with Mary and Joseph to Jerusalem and unbeknownst to them, Jesus remains behind in the temple – the lovely dwelling place of the Lord, as Psalm 84 tells us – sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. Naturally, Mary and Joseph have been looking for Jesus with great anxiety. They don’t immediately understand that Jesus must be in his Father’s house, astonishing all who hear him speak. It is one of what must have been many moments of revelation that perplexed the parents of Jesus. In the end, Jesus returns with them to Nazareth, and is obedient to them, though he, like Samuel, is ultimately dedicated to God his Father before all else.
Significantly, although Mary and Joseph do not yet fully understand this revelation that is their Son, and thus experience great anxiety, they do believe. Likewise, we may not fully understand Christ revealed; we do not know how God’s plan will unfold. Yet, like Mary and Joseph, the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us, we are called to believe, to believe in the name of Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us. It is in this way that we too become God’s children, and thus part of the ever-growing family that is holy, a family that has its origins in the Holy Family of Mary, Joseph and Jesus himself.
This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com
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