There are times when Amanda Telford suddenly notices the quiet in her house, and feels the familiar flush of worry, and the same question shouts in her head like an alarm buzzing: Where’s Philippe? For 19 years, quiet in her Ottawa home meant trouble. Trouble like Philippe overflowing the bathtub. Or ripping off his closet doors. Or wandering out of the house into traffic. Philippe, who has autism, can’t speak – he nods his head or points to communicate at pictures– and he cannot be left alone, not for a minute. He sometimes bangs his head so hard against the wall that he leaves a dent, and his hands are scarred where he has bitten himself. When he was 16, he was diagnosed with insulin-dependent diabetes, which suddenly limited the respite care his parents had been getting – due to regulations, staff at most of the homes could not administer his needles. Philippe’s needs were higher, but they were getting less help; “It was almost like driving off a cliff,” says Telford.
There is silence in the house now, because last week, Telford brought her son, Philippe, to a provincial government office, told him she loved him, and left him there, with a note explaining why. It was a drastic decision, which is why it made headlines around the world. Mothers are not supposed to abandon their children to strangers – they are not supposed to feel there is no other choice. Amanda Telford and her husband, Alex, spent two decades protecting their son, fighting for him to get help in a crowded health-care system. And, in the end, to keep him safe, she left him on the government’s porch step. She told him he was going to “camp,” because that is a place he loves. He didn’t understand what she really meant, or why she was shaking as she walked away. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/parenting/a-mother-explains-the-most-difficult-decision-you-can-possibly-make/article11829924/?utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_source=Globe%20Life&utm_type=text&utm_content=GlobeLife&utm_campaign=104155747)
In one of the early and disturbing encounters recorded in Luke 2, Mary and Joseph frantically search for their missing boy Jesus. In this the only recorded incident from Jesus’ childhood, we have the only words Jesus is recorded to have said before the start of His public ministry. Luke’s account reveals plainly that at the age of twelve, Jesus already possessed a complete understanding of His nature and mission; He was God the Son, come to do the Father’s will.
There can be no greater role for a mother than for them to instill in a child their place in regard to their heavenly father and what their position in life is in regard to Him. Much more than providing safety, God made Moms to guide their children in a purposeful direction. It is a task that needs to be affirmed by Fathers, celebrated in the faith community and embraced by children.
A Godly Mother encourages: 1) Growth and Strength (Luke 2:39-40), 2) Instruction and Exploration (Luke 2:41–51) 3) Wisdom and Godliness (Luke 2:52)
A Godly Mother encourages:
1) Growth and Strength (Luke 2:39-40)
Luke 2:39-40 [39]And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. [40]And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. (ESV)
After presenting the testimonies of Simeon and Anna (2:25–38), Luke noted that when they (Joseph and Mary) had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord (cf. vv. 22–24) they returned into Galilee, to their own town/city of Nazareth. According to Exodus 23:17; 34:22–23; and Deuteronomy 16:16, all Jewish men were required to attend the three major feasts. But by the first century, the dispersion of many Jewish people outside of Palestine had made that impractical. Consequently, many Jewish men came to Jerusalem only for Passover. Women were not required by the law to attend (though some rabbis strongly encouraged them to do so); for a woman to attend the feast was considered a sign of unusual spiritual devotion.
There are so many demands on a woman that devotion to God is seen as just an extra to be added on. For a godly mother, when concern for the things of God are at the core of a life of devotion, everything else comes into perspective, and heavenly resources are realized to enable this godly life.
Their Mission was accomplished: census enrollment completed, miraculous baby birthed, circumcision performed, name given, purification carried out, firstborn presented and dedicated, blessings and prophecies heard and stored away in amazement—the new family returned home to the obscurity of Nazareth, having done everything required by the Law (Butler, T. C. (2000). Vol. 3: Luke. Holman New Testament Commentary (33). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
This one brief passage contains everything that is known about the life of Jesus Christ from His infancy to the outset of His public ministry. Two statements summarizing the silent years of His childhood and His adult years at Nazareth bracket the incident at Jerusalem when He was twelve, which is the main thrust of this passage.
The statement in verse 40 that the Child grew/continued to grow demonstrates that Jesus was fully human. He developed as all children develop, though unaffected by sin. The phrase become strong should be taken grammatically with the following phrase, filled/increasing in wisdom. To be sure, Jesus possessed a unique physical strength because of His sinlessness. But Luke’s primary emphasis is on Jesus’ spiritual development, as He matured in wisdom until He was “filled with wisdom,” the profound wisdom of the mind of God. He uses the present tense of the participle, indicating that this development in wisdom was a gradual, day by day, process. What is meant by wisdom? That it includes knowledge is clear. But it far surpasses knowledge. It implies the ability and the desire to use this knowledge to the best advantage (Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953-2001). Vol. 11: Exposition of the Gospel According to Luke. New Testament Commentary (180). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.)
Please turn to Hebrews 5 (p.1003)
Jesus did not possess all of that knowledge as an infant, toddler, or young child. But by the time He was twelve, the fullness of divine wisdom had come to fruition in His mind. A feature of Christ’s incarnation was that He relinquished control of His use of His divine prerogatives to the Holy Spirit, who mediated between His deity and His humanity. By the time He reached twelve, the Spirit had disclosed the understanding of His identity and mission.
Hebrews 5:7-10 [7]In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. [8]Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. [9]And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, [10]being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. (ESV)
Not only was Jesus filled with the wisdom of God, but also the favor/grace of God was upon Him. John describes Him as “full of grace” (1:14). The favor/grace in view here is not, of course, the saving, redeeming grace that God grants to undeserving sinners, since Jesus was sinless (Heb. 4:15). Instead, it was the favor of God granted to His “beloved Son, in [whom He is] well-pleased” (Luke 3:22). He was both the recipient of grace as favor deserved and the giver of grace as favor undeserved.
As much as a godly mother wants to provide for her child, the most useful realization is that God has already provided so much more than what we could. Wisdom directs her to encourage her child to seize what God has already offered.
By the time Jesus turned twelve, He had a complete grasp of His true identity. He fully understood the wisdom of God and its application to the mission for which God had sent Him into the world.
Quote:William Hendriksen writes, “The development of this child was therefore perfect, and this along every line: physical, intellectual, moral, spiritual; for from beginning to end progress was unimpaired and unimpeded by sin, whether inherited or acquired. Between the child Jesus and his Father … there was perfect harmony, limitless love” (The Gospel of Luke, New Testament Commentary [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1978], 180).
A Godly mother seeks the development of her child in physical, intellectual, moral and spiritual dimensions. The same Holy Spirit that achieved this development for Christ is the same Holy Spirit that we can call on today for the development of our children.
Poem: What impact on growth and strength can a mother have? On a mother’s influence one poet wrote: I took a piece of plastic clay And idly fashioned it one day; And as my fingers pressed it still, It moved and yielded at my will. I came again when days were past, The form I gave it still it bore, And as my fingers pressed it still, I could change that form no more. I took a piece of living clay, And gently formed it day by day, And molded with my power and art, A young child’s soft and yielding heart. I came again when days were gone; It was a man I looked upon, He still that early impress bore, And I could change it never more. (3633 ``Mother’s Influence as recorded in Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.)
2) A Godly Mother encourages Instruction and Exploration (Luke 2:41–51)
Luke 2:41-51 [41]Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. [42]And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. [43]And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, [44]but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, [45]and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. [46]After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. [47]And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. [48]And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress." [49]And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" [50]And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. [51]And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. (ESV)
The incident that comprises the bulk of the passage finds Jesus on the brink of adulthood, twelve years after His presentation in the temple (2:22–38). The incident began at Passover during Jesus’ twelfth year. Joseph and Mary, as a devout couple, went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover to celebrate with the nation God’s deliverance from bondage in Egypt (Ex. 12:1–51). Passover was one of the three major annual feasts in Israel, along with Pentecost and Tabernacles. Immediately following Passover day was the seven-day long Feast of Unleavened Bread. The entire eight-day period eventually became known collectively as Passover. The Passover, celebrated at the beginning of the Jewish year, begins on the fifteenth of Nisan, which in our calendar falls in March or April (Bock, D. L. (1994). Luke Volume 1: 1:1–9:50. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (263). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.).
As they did every year, verse 42 records that the year that Jesus was twelve Joseph and Mary went up to Jerusalem according to custom of the Feast. The trip from Nazareth was an arduous one of about eighty miles, lasting three or four days. They did not travel alone, but with a large company of people in a caravan (v. 44). The journey would be a three- or four-day affair, as the caravan would make around twenty miles a day (Bock, D. L. (1994). Luke Volume 1: 1:1–9:50. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (264). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.).
To journey to Jerusalem in a group offered both the opportunity for fellowship and protection from the threat of highway robbers. Such caravans would also include children, since the rabbis taught that Passover should be a family celebration (cf. Ex. 12:26–27).
Motherhood is a family celebration for it has tremendous impact on a family. Elements of planning, care, compassion, and direction having a bearing upon and impact every member of the family.
When they arrived in Jerusalem, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus would have found the city teeming with hundreds of thousands of fellow pilgrims, who would have been trying to find lodging and a place to celebrate the Passover meal, along with purchasing their sacrificial animals. The city would have been filled with the noise of hundreds of thousands of sheep, which the priests would have been busy butchering. Beggars, no doubt decked out in their most ragged clothes, would have been out in force. Roman soldiers would have been on patrol, jostling with the crowds and trying to keep some semblance of order. Joseph would have taken the family’s lamb to be sacrificed, and one can only imagine what went through Jesus’ mind, knowing that He was the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The whole frenetic scene in Jerusalem must have made a profound impression on Him.
This particular Passover was especially significant for Jesus. Jewish boys became accountable to the law of God at thirteen, a transition later marked by the ceremony known as Bar Mitzvah (“son of the law” or “covenant”). The last couple of Passovers before a boy turned thirteen were particularly important in preparing him for his responsibility to the law.
In verse 43, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus were returning to Nazareth. The seeming aside that Joseph and Mary left Jerusalem when the feast was ended/after spending the full number of days there is actually another affirmation of their devotion to the things of God. In contrast to most people, who stayed for only part of the eight-day celebration, Joseph and Mary stayed the entire time.
The same standard applies in godliness to moms. Is you objective to fulfill was seems to be the minimum requirement for you and your family, or do you seek to maximize your devotion?
Instead of returning with the others, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. Nothing was said to His parents, who did not know/were unaware of it, [44] but supposing Him to be in the group/caravan. In a large ‘caravan’ (Rieu) parents might well not know where a child was. If the later practice was followed, the women and small children went ahead and the men followed with the bigger boys. Joseph and Mary may each have thought that Jesus was with the other (Morris, L. (1988). Vol. 3: Luke: An introduction and commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (108). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
Quote: John Blanchard comments: ‘A Christian can make the same kind of careless mistake with regard to his spiritual condition.’ ‘Never be satisfied with “supposing” that the Lord is with you in life’s decisions and directions.’(John Blanchard, Look Through Luke, Henry E. Walter Ltd, 1977, pp. 15–16.)
The starting point or trouble in our family life is to assume that either schools or churches will fulfill the expectation that God has for our families.
It was not until the end of the first day’s journey that Joseph and Mary realized that Jesus was missing and they began to search/looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. But their worst fears were confirmed; Jesus was not with the caravan.
When our kids don’t do what is expected, a great challenge is to not assume the worst. Knowing what’s going on is our responsibility, yet as moms, there is the need to find out the facts before jumping to conclusions.
As verse 45 indicates, when they did not find Him, Joseph and Mary spent an anxious night before they returned the next morning to Jerusalem searching/looking for Him. Jesus’ staying behind was not an act of disobedience to His parents, nor was it irresponsibility on their part. The point is, he was capable of unknowingly causing his parents distress; but as a sinless being, he was incapable of knowingly doing it. Here, Jesus unknowingly brought anxiety to Joseph and Mary. Moreover, he unintentionally caused his parents to worry because his twelve-year-old mind was totally absorbed with the massive spiritual realization of his identity as the Messiah that had come to him that week. The combination of his authentic adolescence and the immensely absorbing revelation regarding his own person so occupied his mind that he did not imagine that staying in the temple would cause anyone alarm. Jesus did not sin in any of this. The sinless twelve-year-old Son of God was simply following the logic of the massive spiritual revelation of that week (Hughes, R. K. (1998). Luke: That you may know the truth. Preaching the Word (102). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.).
Mary and Joseph had never before known Him to do anything other than what they had expected Him to do. He was responsible, obedient, sensitive, thoughtful; in every way sinlessly perfect. This act, however, marked a transition. Jesus was moving from responsibility to His earthly parents to responsibility to God.
As much as a mom would always like to consider their child, their little boy or girl forever, healthy maturity for a child means that we encourage the child at proper states, to assume greater responsibility and make choices for themselves. We don’t encourage growth in children by continuing through their life to make all their choices for them.
Finally, verse 46 records that after three anxious days (one day’s journey away from Jerusalem, one day back, and one day searching Jerusalem for Jesus) Joseph and Mary found Jesus in the temple. Since Mary and Joseph found Jesus together, we know this was in the outer courts or porticoes of the temple, because women were not permitted in the inner chambers (Hughes, R. K. (1998). Luke: That you may know the truth. Preaching the Word (102). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.).
Incredibly, Jesus was sitting among/in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. This was a typical, traditional setting for teaching in Israel. The teachers would be seated, with the students, sitting in their midst. Only here does Luke use didaskalos to refer to Jewish teachers; in the rest of his gospel the term is reserved for John the Baptist (3:12) or Jesus. No one is called “teacher” after Jesus became the teacher.
Many eminent teachers would have been in Jerusalem for Passover. Jesus seized this opportunity, which would never have been afforded him in tiny, insignificant Nazareth, to dialog with some of the greatest minds in Judaism. He had a burning, passionate, consuming interest in the Word of God, and must have wanted to hear their views on the Old Testament, especially messianic prophecy, the sacrificial system, and the Law. The dialogue method was the customary pattern for teaching in Judaism and was employed by the apostle Paul (Acts 17:2; “reasoned” translates a form of the Greek verb dialegomai, “to discuss”). Students would gather around a teacher or teachers and stimulate the discussion by asking questions. Only here in the Gospels is Jesus portrayed as the student; after this He is always the teacher—who would ask questions for which the Jewish teachers had no adequate answers (cf. 11:19–20; 13:2–5; 20:41–44).
Mothers, we do children no service if we talk down to them. Children must be engaged with more than wrote memorization or lecture. Dialogue encourages them to think through the subject at hand, incorporate it with their present knowledge, formulate questions to advance this knowledge and indicate to us that they indeed are learning the material.
So impressive was Jesus’ performance that verse 47 notes that all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. Jesus’ questions and answers were penetrating, insightful, and profound; His wisdom and knowledge far exceeded that of any twelve-year-old boy that they had ever known. This was not the first (cf. 2:18, 33), nor would it be the last time Jesus elicited wonder and amazement in Luke’s gospel (cf. 4:22, 32, 36; 5:9; 8:25, 56; 9:43; 11:14; 20:26; 24:41).
When his parents saw Him, verse 48 they were astonished. They were astonished, along with everyone else, not so much by the dialogue, but by His location. Assuming that He was lost, they no doubt expected Him to be searching frantically for His parents. Instead, they found Him sitting calmly in the temple, dialoging with the elite teachers in Judaism.
As mothers, how do we know when a child maturing? A Child is properly developing, when they are left alone and make a godly choice. Giving children opportunity to make these choices allows them to work through what they have been taught and process that information with the situation at hand.
As anxious as any parent would be under the circumstances, Mary was both relieved and upset. In exasperation she said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us so/this way?” Her question was designed to make Jesus feel guilty, as if He had intentionally caused His parents to suffer. Mary’s next statement intensified her rebuke. “Behold,” she continued, “your father and I have been searching/anxiously looking for You in great distress.” This left them with a feeling of having a major anxiety attack (odynomenoi, v. 48). This term refers to deep mental anguish and pain (16:24–25; Acts 20:38) (Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke. The NIV Application Commentary (100). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.).
Jesus’ behavior in this incident was totally unlike anything Joseph and Mary had ever experienced and thus to them inexplicable.
Why is guilt never an effective corrective? Because it immobilizes instead of directing to excellence. When guilt is thrust upon a child that child begins to doubt themselves and either shuts down or lashes out in anger. When a godly standard is presented, the desired response is to repent of a sinful behavior and strive for holiness.
Jesus, of course, had not intentionally defied or hurt His parents. What He had done was to make evident the necessary break that was to come between Him and His earthly family. As He would later say, Jesus had “come down from heaven, not to do [His] own will, but the will of [His Father] who sent [Him]” (John 6:38; cf. 4:34; 5:30). Although that break would not be fully realized for another eighteen years, it is made evident here.
Please turn forward to Luke 8 (p.865)
Jesus’ reply to them, in verse 49 is the question: “Why were you looking for Me? Did you not know that I must/had to be in My Father’s house (the temple)?” The word must was often on our Lord’s lips: “I must preach” (Luke 4:43); “The Son of man must suffer” (Luke 9:22); the Son of man “must be lifted up” (John 3:14). Even at the age of twelve, Jesus was moved by a divine compulsion to do the Father’s will (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Lk 2:39). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.).
This statement is the first time in Scripture that any individual claimed God as his personal father. The Jews viewed God as the Father of all in a creative sense, and the Father of Israel in a national sense. But no one had the audacity to claim God as his father in a personal, intimate sense, because of the profound implications of such a claim. In this confession, Jesus made it clear that His first priority was to do the will of His heavenly Father. He also lifted Himself above the human realm. He was not in the ultimate sense Joseph’s son, or Mary’s son; He was the eternal Son of God, who came down from heaven (John 3:13; 6:38, 42). As such, He was under the authority of His heavenly Father, not His earthly parents. The issue is not simply a matter of location. Recalling that the notion of “household” in the Greco-Roman milieu was not only a designation of place but also of authority, we may gain a more helpful view of what this scene portends. Jesus is in the temple, the locus of God’s presence, but he is there under divine compulsion engaged in teaching. The point is that he must align himself with God’s purpose, even if this appears to compromise his relationship with his parents (Green, J. B. (1997). The Gospel of Luke. The New International Commentary on the New Testament (157). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
As much as a mother feels a natural affinity for a child, we must always remember, that children are a gift from God. We are charged with their responsibility, but ultimately they are under God’s authority above any earthly obligations. This does not negate earthly responsibility, but it does put the responsibility under ultimate godly obligations.
Luke 8:19-21 [19]Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. [20]And he was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you." [21]But he answered them, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it." (ESV)
Luke 2:50 gives the reaction of Joseph and Mary who did not fully understand the profound saying/statement which Jesus spoke/had made to them. They understood that He was the Messiah, the Son of David, conceived in a virgin’s womb by the power of the Holy Spirit. But the full meaning of His divine sonship eluded them. This would not be the last time that His followers would fail to grasp what Jesus was saying (cf. Luke 9:44–45; 18:34; John 10:6; 12:16).
But the time for Jesus to leave His parents’ authority had not yet arrived, so verse 51 notes that He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was submissive/continued in subjection to them. Jesus’ responsive obedience to His parents as a child gives perspective to the issue of submission in other human relationships. The Gk. words hypotasso and hypotage imply that a person subordinates himself or herself to another. The N.T. emphasis is on voluntary submission to existing social structures. First century Christian slaves chose to submit to their masters, citizens to the government, and wives to husbands. When we see Jesus choose to submit to parents we realize a vital and basic truth. Submission is not an act of an inferior, or an admission of inferiority! (Richards, L. O. (1991). The Bible reader’s companion (electronic ed.) (653). Wheaton: Victor Books.)
Jesus’ relationship with His heavenly Father did not yet abrogate His responsibility to obey His earthly parents. His obedience to the fifth commandment to honor your father and mother, was an essential part of Jesus’ perfect obedience to the law of God.
When mothers demand respect from their children they actually obey God. To be lax in demanding respect is a failure of responsibility. God expects children to honor their father and mother according to the fifth commandment, and to fail to demand this action, dishonors God.
What an example Jesus is to adolescents today! They so often believe that their parents do not understand them—or even care about them. But when they feel like that they should do as Jesus did. They should obey their parents, because their parents have lived longer than they have and have had more experience of life. They know its dangers and challenges (Bentley, M. (1992). Saving a Fallen World: Luke Simply Explained. Welwyn Commentary Series (41). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press).
Here was the first fulfillment of Simeon’s warning to Mary in 2:35, as she treasured up all these things in her heart. She had much to think about as she pondered Jesus’ amazing reply. Mary had to realize that her Son was her Savior, and she would have to exchange her parental authority over Him for His divine authority over her. Later Jesus distanced Himself from His human relationship with her and His siblings (cf. 11:27–28). Ultimately, the sword would pierce Mary’s heart as she watched her Son suffer and die on the cross.
The hardest thing a mother has to do is to allow a child to fulfill their godly calling, especially when it involves the prospect that a child can be hurt. God warns that faithfulness will involve tribulation (1 Thes. 3:4). The perceived safest route is often not the route to fulfill a child’s calling.
Illustration:. A mother can have a tremendous impact on a child through instruction. Such instruction lends itself to shape the character of inquisitiveness’ in the child. In the story of the great inventor Thomas Edison, Edison wrote: ``I did not have my mother long, but she cast over me an influence which has lasted all my life. The good effects of her early training I can never lose. If it had not been for her appreciation and her faith in me at a critical time in my experience, I should never likely have become an inventor. I was always a careless boy, and with a mother of different mental calibre, I should have turned out badly. But her firmness, her sweetness, her goodness, were potent powers to keep me in the right path. My mother was the making of me. The memory of her will always be a blessing to me``. (3635 Edison’s Tribute To His Mother as recorded in Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.)
3) A Godly Mother encourages Wisdom and Godliness (Luke 2:52)
Luke 2:52 [52]And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. (ESV)
This summary statement reveals all that is known about the eighteen years Jesus spent in Nazareth from the age of twelve to the beginning of His public ministry at the age of thirty (3:23). Increasing translates a form of the verb prokoptō, which means “to progress” or “to advance.” In the unfathomable mystery of the incarnation, when Jesus “emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and [was] made in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:7), and was “found in appearance as a man” (v. 8),
Please turn to Hebrews 4 (p.1003)
He was subject to the normal process of human growth and development. Jesus grew in wisdom as His intellectual grasp of divine truth increased, physically in stature, and spiritually in favor with God, strengthened by His victories over the assaults of temptation (Heb. 4:15). The reference to His finding favor with man describes His increasing social maturity and the respect He commanded.
Hebrews 4:14-16 [14]Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. [15]For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. [16]Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (ESV)
A full orbed godly development that a mother desires for her child involves the spheres of intellectual, physical, spiritual and social maturity. Instilling a constant drive for maturity in all these areas develops a child that both realizes and seizes godly opportunities.
When there is fear of weakness, like the goal is too high and tasks are too much, Mothers, as can the rest of us, can call upon Christ, our Great High Priest, who understands, forgives and gives grace in times of need.
(Format note: Some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2009). Luke 1–5. MacArthur New Testament Commentary (188–198). Chicago: Moody Publishers.)
