The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Luke 2:41-52: The “painful” struggle for the centre of life

When a child is born, the joy is great. But as soon as it is there, the problems begin. It grows bigger, crawls out of the nest, outgrows its parents and tries to escape their wings. It is not only some parents who find it difficult to let go of their children. This is also the case for the parents of the "divine child".

Mary, Joseph and their teenage son make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover festival on the Friday after the first full moon in spring, with their village community. As they do every year, they celebrate the ritual renewal of the exodus of the people of Israel from Egypt. In ancient times, thousands upon thousands of Jews from Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, Syria and Egypt did the same. They joined together in caravans for this tour to protect themselves from attacks. An estimated 90,000 holiday tourists came to this city, which normally only had around 30-50,000 inhabitants. It is understandable that this causes considerable crowding, in which a twelve-year-old boy can easily get lost.

Jesus disappears into the temple and discusses with scribes. The story suggests that Jesus, as the son of the "middle-class building contractor" Joseph, was taught Jewish tradition by Pharisees. At the age of 12 he was of legal age in religious matters. The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (ca. 37-100 AD) reports that he made such enormous progress in his education that he had a reputation for having an outstanding memory and intellect. As early as his 14th year, the high priest praised him for his knowledge of the scriptures and the high priests and nobles of Jerusalem asked him for more detailed information on individual provisions of the law. "So, the story of the twelve-year-old who knew how to discuss the law with scribes remains within the scope of what was probable for his contemporaries" (Otto Kaiser, 2013). The interesting thing about this story is the content. Here we see early on what will determine Jesus' later work: his struggle for the correct interpretation of the Torah. And it is the freedom he takes to openly discuss and argue about it.

Jesus' self-image as the "son of God", which is expressed in his answer to Mary's accusation, is also nothing special. At this time, all Jews saw themselves as sons and daughters of God. Anyone who sought God's wisdom, who opened themselves to it and lived according to it was considered a child of God (Jesus Sirach 6:18-37). The interesting thing about this story is the radicalness and the consistency with which Jesus does this even as a boy.

Two things are striking about the verbal exchange between Jesus and his parents in the temple. Firstly, the tense relationship between Jesus and his mother becomes apparent. Secondly, the question arises as to what Jesus means with his mysterious reply: "Do you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"

The parents find their son again and the mother immediately switches to reproach mode. The father stands silently by. Joseph, of whom not a single spoken word is recorded, is not mentioned again after this scene. His mother, on the other hand, remains present until his death. The mother-son conflict that appears here runs through the entire gospel. Only after Jesus' death will Mary "understand".

The mother is perplexed, the father speechless. Successful communication looks different. Jesus’ family does not provide an example of an idyllic “Holy Family.”

At the centre of this story is the Greek word meso, "middle." In the temple, "in the midst of the teachers," the twelve-year-old has found his place, his "middle." Something else becomes clear from the story: Jesus seeks and finds "his father" in discussion, in dispute - in the struggle for the correct understanding of the law. At that time, this was referred to as "wisdom". The "wisdom of God" turns out to be knowledge of the Scriptures. Especially in the conversations with the scribes, the "wise men of Israel", Jesus is "in the midst of what is his Father". God is present in wisdom. And to be in wisdom means to be in what is the Father's. Later Paul referred to Jesus as the incarnate wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:21-25).

The child, loved and chosen by God, loves the Father as his neighbour and himself (Luke 10:25-28). Even the enemy is included in this love (Luke 6:27-28). This fundamental choice will lead him to seek, almost tenderly, contact with the marginalised and the outcast, with the poor and the sick, with sinners and prostitutes. He invites them to his table and brings them into the bright world of God. His passion in the sense of his willingness to suffer, to give his all to it. In this way, the Son actually becomes a parable for the Father, the incarnated wisdom of God, in whom being and acting do not fall apart.

The boy returns home with his parents once more. What happens in the next 18 years until his final escape is not recorded. But the sequel follows. At the end he goes to Jerusalem once more and experiences the rejection of the "wisdom of God" in an extremely painful way.

This episode shows us the real situation, the atmosphere of being with the Father. So it was that the Family of Nazareth became the first model of the Church in which, around the presence of Jesus and through his mediation, everyone experiences the filial relationship with God the Father which also transforms interpersonal, human relationships.

It is important to reflect and experience the goodness and tenderness of God, who with his fatherly hand, guides the footsteps of families along the path of goodness.

And let us all commit ourselves — parents, children, Church, civil society — to sustain, defend and safeguard the family which is our treasure! May the Virgin Mary, the spouse of Joseph, the mother of Jesus, protect our families.

Fr Joe