I was struck yesterday in our Discipleship Class before Church when we were watching The Chosen episode where Mary is frantically for looking for her son, Jesus, who was not with any family as they returned together from Passover celebrations in Jerusalem. The story is found in Luke 2:41-52.

Mary knows that she was chosen to bear the Son of God and at the same time life goes on and Jesus is growing up. He’s around 12 years old at this time. As any mother would be, she is frantic to find her son in a big, busy city where no one else seems to share her distress. I can relate to that as we lost our son briefly when in a department store shopping for clothes and the elevator door opened and he stepped in and the door closed. I was frantic and couldn’t find him nor could I impress on anyone the need to help me. Fortunately, we found our son and fortunately, Mary was reunited with Jesus when Joseph brought him to her. He had been where He knew He needed to be but not where Mary and Joseph expected Him to be. “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you realize that I had to be in my Father’s house?” v. 49. Joseph catches her eye and with a nod of his head points toward the Temple looming above the city. Mary looks at the Temple and back at Jesus knowing it’s beginning and never truly wasn’t already in progress. She cradles His face tenderly and looking deep into His eyes asks, “Please help us to understand all of this with You.”

That spoke to my heart in so many ways. Mary and Joseph had not been in this place before…Jesus with His Father in the Temple…Jesus with His Father and Jesus with her as her son. It was at each stage so very new. Never before experienced because never before had God become a son of a woman.

It spoke to me also of our need for Him to help us understand all of this…our lives…this world we live in…and please, help us understand all of this with You. I am so grateful to realize He is here with me and He understands my need for Him in my life. I can’t imagine my life without Him. Mary understood that need as a mother for her son and understood He would need to leave her, so she treasured everything in her mother’s heart.

Mary knew her time with her son as her son only would be coming to an end as He was preparing for the ministry of obedience to His Father whom He loved; and showing us what that obedience to love looks like. Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit were doing all of this for us. Just as He was obedient to Mary and Joseph, now His world was expanding for all of us. Help us with You beside us, Lord. Help us to understand all of this.