Messages
from the Bible
Luke 2:49
A Sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick
"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my
Father's house?"
In the KJV this verse is written this way, "And he said unto them, How is it that ye
sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?"
Introduction:
We know the story well - Jesus had been taken to Jerusalem for the first time
since He had been an infant. After the festival was over, the group of travelers
was on their way back to Nazareth when His parents noticed Jesus was not in
the troupe. So they went back, frantically looking for Him. They searched for
2 or 3 days before finally going to the temple where they found Jesus
conversing with the teachers. (Isn't it interesting that you always find
something in the last place you look for it?)
They obviously display their anxiety, but Jesus expressed His surprise that
they were worried at all. It is then that we have this penetrating question. It's
a question we also should be asking from time to time. "Don't you understand
that I must be doing my Father's business?"
Let's look at several aspects of this statement.
1. It seemed obvious to Jesus that He should be doing His Father's work, and he
had trouble understanding why they hadn't figured this out.
But this may surprise you, sometimes close relatives don't understand it when a
young person becomes devoted to the Lord. Parents, let's believe that God has
His hand on our young people. Let's pray, and just expect that they will be sold
out for the Lord.
And remember that at the end, when He faced his most daunting task, as He
prayed in the Garden, Jesus said, "Not my will, but thine be done."
So often we hear this expression today, WWJD? What Would Jesus Do? It all
could be summed up in this - He would do His Father's Business.
Whose business are we doing? Perhaps we've become too caught up in
doing our own business, doing what we want to do. But you know what I have
found out? We're not as free to do what we want to do nearly as much as we
think. If we're not constantly on guard, other masters slowly begin to take
over.
Perhaps fasting has pointed this out to you, there may be some things that
you had difficulty letting go of, even for a week. One member found out how
much they were hooked to TV. Some of us may be under the domination of
bosses who keep demanding more of our time, and we passively fall into
schedules which nearly forbid us to do what we really want to do. A few years
ago I heard this statement, "Those who have no goals of their own will always
end up working for someone else's goals."
Let's take a business check. Whose business are we in? Of course some
will reply, "But I have to work for a living, you know!" Yes, but it's the
perspective that counts - your work in the world must also be seen as the
Lord's work. One brother said it this way, "The Lord placed me in this job,
and I believe He has a reason for me being here."
We must also remember who the "Father" is - He is Almighty God. The
Creator of all. The Sustainer of All. As "Father", He is the Origin of All. But
He is also the Provider of All. The idea of God as "Father" is special to Jesus.
There was some understanding of this in the Old Testament, but not nearly as
prominent as in the New. And think about this, the "Father" is in the home. He
is not far away, He has not abandoned His family. He is present to oversee
and equip the work He has asked His children to do.
But we're not talking about moral obligations, which usually end up as "shall
nots". Rather we're speaking of the positive expression - what it is that we
"ought" to be doing. Remember what James says, "Therefore to him that
knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." (James 4:17) We
"ought" to be about our Father's business.
How many children of our families like doing "chores"? "Why do I have to do
the dishes again. Billy never has to do dishes." I'm still young enough not to
be able to remember much of my childhood. But the memorable arguments I
had with my sister were usually over who was supposed to wash and who was
supposed to dry. "Duties", "chores", "jobs" all are unwelcome words. We
just want to do what we feel like doing - we don't like being under obligation.
(The University Biology Prof who was embarrassed about the only kind of
work he was able to find in the summer, so when he returned to his teaching position in the fall, he told his colleagues that all summer he had been
involved in doing "biological disections", and that he had over 500 people
under him. It turned out that he was cutting grass in a cemetery!)
Jesus understood that he was under obligation, and what was required of Him
was far more difficult than anything we will ever experience, to do His Father's
work meant climbing up Golgotha's mountain. To do His Father's work meant
- - -
Luke 24:46 in the KJV says, "it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the
dead the third day."
How do we begin?
Get our hearts right with God.
Dedicate ourselves to faithful prayer and the study of the Word.
Be present for the gatherings of God's people.
Rediscover the gifts God has given, and determine not to allow them to be
used merely for the earning of a paycheck and leisure time activities.
Let it be known when there is an awareness that God is calling you to a
particular ministry.
Do whatever needs to be done.
The Apostle Paul, after writing about members utilizing their gifts (Romans
chapter 12) gives us this exhortation (verses 9-11) "Love must be sincere.
Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in
brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal,
but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord."
In the KJV, the last verse reads, "Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit;
serving the Lord."
Doing the Father's Business
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Of course there are many things parents just don't get. Like baggy pants that
barely cling to the buttocks. Or rings fastened to variety of places on the body
- the ear, the nose, the tongue, the belly button. Parents don't get the music
the young people like, nor do they understand why some teens can spend
hours on the phone, and then when it's all over, when they are asked, "What
did you talk about?" they say, "Nothing".
2. But then notice this simple truth, it is the "Father's" business.
During His ministry Jesus would be heard saying, "My Father is always at his
work to this very day, and I, too, am working." (John 5:17) and,
"The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do
what pleases him." (John 8:29)
3. Jesus understood that doing His Father's business was an obligation.
The word is "ought", or "should". These are words we do not like - "don't tell
me what I ought to do." In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he
saw fit. - (KJV - "every man did that which was right in his own eyes.")
(Judges 21:25) This is the mood of America today. Moral obligations are out,
away with "shoulds" and "oughts". Lines of people are forming in front of the
therapists offices to be told that their problem is they need to get rid of all
these "oughts". That may be true if we have allowed ourselves to come under
the domination of other people, but we will never be free from what it is that
God wants us to do.
4. In the KJV the word "business" is used - what was that?
The Greek allows for either "house" or "business".
The house was the temple, where worship to God takes place. What higher
form of business is there?
Actually, neither "business" or "house" is in the Greek. It could read, "I must
be about my Father's - - - - whatever, or stuff, or things".
I want you to pay attention to the fact that these are the first "red letter" words
in the New Testament, the first recorded words of Jesus. From the very
beginning, Jesus understood that life must be lived out by doing what the
Father wanted Him to do.
But what did Jesus understand His work to be?
In the immediate situation, when His parents found Him in the temple, the
business was this: being taught, and teaching others.
Later He would describe His task by saying that He came "to seek and save
that which was lost". He became the Shepherd of the Lost Sheep. He also
described Himself as the Builder of the Church when He said "I will build my
church". And ultimately, He became the Savior of the World as He laid down
His life in obedient sacrifice.
Conclusion:
Jesus knew what His Father wanted of Him, and He did it. Can the same be
said of us today?
I have noticed that while there are many who are very much "about their
Father's work", there are many others who have taken an extended LOA. It's
time to get back to work.
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