The Father’s house

Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49).

Certain events/incidents settle in our minds as good memories: births; marriages; graduations; etc. These, we gladly remember.

The painful, tragic events/incidents settle in our minds as bad memories. We don’t want to remember them; we would rather erase them…we fight against them…at times they affect our normal lives.

The Passover pilgrimage that Joseph and Mary made to Jerusalem that year – when Jesus was 12 years old – could have been one of those unwanted memories…they lost Jesus (or so they thought). The whole episode had a happy ending, but their anxiety was real (Luke 2:47).

What did Jesus mean when He said “My Father’s house”? At that early stage in His development, what would have been His understanding of the Temple? Where would He get that understanding/knowledge from?

Answer: Jesus’ understanding of the Temple came from the Scriptures – the story of God’s people.

From the beginning, even before the Tabernacle was built, the house of God was the place where heaven touches the earth. We read, “He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” (Genesis 28:17). Because heaven touches earth…God is here…”Surely, the Lord is in this place…” (v.16).

And then comes the Book of Psalms. Too many references to mention. Just one. “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked” (Psalms 84:10).

All this – and much more – determined Jesus’ understanding of “God’s house” – Temple. The Scriptures educated Him…informed Him…nourished His soul about the House of God. But there is more…

His words show that Jesus, at that early age, was fully conscious that God’s house was His Father’s house.