Figuring out the Rules of the Game

Suggested Reading: Luke 2:41-52

Last night, we had our grown children over for a family dinner and, afterwards, we played a new card game. My wife and I had played it before, but no one else had. There were several moments throughout the game where mistakes were made because we were all still figuring out the rules. As the game went on, we got better at playing, but through the first several rounds, there were some moments of embarrassment because one of us discarded the wrong card or thought we had the round won, only to discover we had forgotten something important. Overall, though, it was a lot of fun, especially once we got the game figured out.

Having to figure things out is a part of growing up, and even Jesus had to do it, which is not something we typically think about. As a twelve-year-old boy, Jesus and his parents went up to Jerusalem for the Passover. When they were done, Jesus' parents headed home as part of a larger caravan. Jesus, somewhere along the way, had decided to head back to the temple without telling his parents. Mary and Joseph had reasonably assumed that Jesus would be where he was supposed to be, so it wasn't until much later that they discovered Jesus wasn't with them. They headed back to Jerusalem, where they searched frantically for Jesus, finally finding him on the third day in the temple where "all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers" (Luke 2:47, ESV). When his mother confronted him about not being where he was supposed to be, Jesus responded, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?"

As a twelve-year-old boy, Jesus understood his identity as the Father's Son. He understood the scriptures so well that the teachers and those listening were amazed by his understanding and his answers. But apparently, he didn't yet understand that he should tell his parents when he wanted to run off to the temple on the day they were returning home to Nazareth. Jesus worried his parents to death. He ran off without telling them and wasn't where he should have been. Not because he was being rebellious or sinful, but simply because he was a twelve-year-old boy and there were some things he was still figuring out.

There are a lot of things in life that we don't get right because we are limited, ignorant human beings who are still figuring things out. And, sometimes, we are really hard on ourselves because we haven't gotten everything right. But Jesus, the Son of God, who understood that he was the Son of God and understood the scriptures far better than we can ever hope to, worried his parents to death, not because he was sinning but because he still had things to figure out. If Jesus, even as a twelve-year-old, still had things to figure out, we still have things we need to figure out, and failing from time to time doesn't necessaarily mean we are sinning. It might just mean we haven't figured everything out yet. 

Where are some areas that you have failed recently? Are you coming down hard on yourself believing that you must have sinned somewhere along the way? Maybe you did. But, maybe, there are just some things you still haven't figured out yet. Pray through the situation. Ask God to reveal to you what's been happening. Maybe there was something sinful that needs to be corrected. Or maybe there are just a few lessons about life that you still need to learn and it's time to be intentional about learning them.

Worshipping Like You Marry

Suggested Reading: 1 Kings 9:1-9

In 1 Kings 9, Solomon had an encounter with God. Solomon had just completed the construction of the temple complex and dedicated the temple in a display of majestic splendor and overwhelming opulence. Thousands and thousands of animals were sacrificed in worship. The presence of the Lord came down so powerfully that the priests were unable to minister and perform their tasks. The day was a day of triumph and victory as God's promises to David had been fulfilled and the people were able to bask in the palpable presence of God.

When all of the celebrations and festivities were done, God appeared to Solomon by himself. God acknowledged the prayers that had been prayed in dedication of the temple and then God gave Solomon a warning: "If you go and worship other gods, then I will uproot the people of Israel from this land I have given them. I will reject this temple that I have set apart to honor my name" (1 Kings 9:6-7, NLT).

By all accounts, Solomon heeded God's warning for years. He did some things that were probably unwise for the wisest man in history (like marry 700 women and have three hundred concubines) but he heeded God's warning. For a while. But when Solomon was old, and when he reaped the consequences of loving so many women, he apparently decided that worshipping more than one God was not any more dangerous than having more than one wife, and his wives led him to worship other gods. Solomon,  at the height of his wealth and splendor, after he had accomplished spectacular feats, forgot the warning God had given him.

How often do we forget the warnings we have been given when things seem to be going well for us? How often do we decide that we are smart enough, or stable enough, or cautious enough, or just good enough that this particular rule really shouldn't apply to us? How often do we decide that we have been good enough for so long that we deserve to do what we want, even if it is wrong? About as often as we forget that there will be consequences for our actions and that God's warnings are for our good.

What warnings have you been ignoring lately? What rules have you decided shouldn't really apply to you? You might want to take a little time to think about the potential consequences and remember that God's commands are for our own good. You might save yourself a lot of trouble down the road.