Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Monday, December 31, 2012 Read - Luke 2:39-52 Before he picks up Mark’s story Luke has one more story about the birth of Jesus to tell us. This story echoes the story of Hannah bringing her son, Samuel to the temple and belongs with Luke’s creative beginning of his gospel. So far we have been dealing with material which is only found in Luke’s gospel. Matthew will tell a story about the birth of Jesus too, but his story is quite different. It would be interesting to compare their stories but we won’t take time for that now. Mark did not think it was either necessary or useful to tell the birth story of Jesus. These first two chapters are the creative work of Luke. It is likely that he had some stories in hand about the birth of Jesus and the birth of John, but he has modified and shaped those stories to fit his template from the story of the birth of Samuel. The last story is about the visit of Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem when he was twelve years old. That he was twelve is significant since that was the age at which a Jewish boy was thought to become a man – the present Jewish practice of bar-mitzvah echoes this story. In his own creative way Luke foreshadows much of the rest of the story in this episode. Jesus is lost for three days. Jesus will be in the tomb for three days. Mary and Joseph seem to come to the temple as a last resort in their search for Jesus – perhaps they came there to pray – and then they find him. In his response Jesus reminds them that he must be in his father’s house. How might that have sounded to anxious parent? Who is his father? Oh, yes there is that business about his birth isn’t there? And Mary pondered all these things in her heart. The phrase echoes the birth story. Having set the story in the framework of the Old Testament story of Samuel Luke is now ready to move forward. And he is ready to pick up his chief source, Mark. His beginning is important. He has told us that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah and that there have been people who have been waiting for his appearance and welcomed him when he came. Luke has placed Judaism in a positive light through the characters he has introduced us to – Elizabeth, Zechariah, Simeon, and Anna. And his parents are faithful Jews. Luke has also placed Jesus on the side of the poor and outcast – the lowly ones. And he has served notice to the high and mighty. We are ready now to pick up the rest of the story.