Based on Luke 2:41-49

MEMORY TEXT:  “And He said unto them, How is it that ye sought Me?  Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business” (Luke 2:49).

Image how Mary and Joseph must have they felt when they could not find 12-year-old Jesus at the end of an exhausting trip to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem.  Because they had traveled with a host of relatives and friends, they didn’t miss Jesus until they were one day into their way home to Nazareth.  So they had to retrace their steps back to Jerusalem, only to spend three more days looking for Jesus.  At last they found Him in the temple, sitting among the teachers of Jewish law, both listening and asking them questions that astounded these learned scholars.

Mary said to Jesus, “Son, why have You done this to us!  Your father and I have anxiously looked for You.”  “And He replied, How is it that ye sought Me?  Wist ye not that I must be about My Father’s business” (Luke 2:49)?

Two thousand years have come and gone, and now it is my turn and your turn to carry out the mission that God has given us.  It’s our turn to be “about the Father’s business”.  When we dedicate our lives to Jesus, we have the responsibility do be about our Father’s business in our homes, in our church, and in the communities where we live.  The devil tries to detract us.  He tempts us to be about every other business but the most important business of all–our Father’s business.

During the Passover, 12-year-old Jesus began to realize who He was and why He came to this world.  Of course, we are older than twelve; but it is important we realize that God has put us in the world for a purpose.  Often we hear pastors preach inspiring sermons.  We see people in the church who have wonderful talents, and we think that could never be us.  The truth is, we can’t be like others.  God has made us special.  He has a mission that only we can do.

In this book you may have noticed I have said many times that our first mission is in our homes and with the members of our own families; and I believe I am not wrong.  This means that we don’t have to go far to begin to fulfill our mission, because we are already there.