Sacred Questioning the Young Jesus A Study of Luke 2:41 52 on the Daily Bible Refresh with Dr.

Brad Mellor hello my good friends.

Dr.

Brad Miller here with Daily Bible Refresh inviting you to join me today and every day for reading of the New Testament.

We use the message verse to be understood.

We make it relatable by giving you some points to ponder and applicable, giving you an action step to take.

We do all of that in under 10 minutes with the prayer.

We are in Year C of the Pentecost season of a three year cycle of readings for the Revised Comment Lectionary and it's all brought to you by our website voiceofgoddaily.com the home of the ABC1, 23 Bible Study Method here's today's reading from the Gospel of Luke 2:41 52 Reading from the message they Found him in the Temple Every year, Jesus parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover when he was 12 years old.

They went up as they always did for the feast.

When it was over and they left for home.

The child Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents didn't know it.

Thinking he was somewhere in the company of pilgrims, they journeyed for a whole day and then began looking for him among relatives and neighbors.

When they didn't find him, they went back to Jerusalem looking for him.

The next day they found him in the temple, seated among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions.

The teachers were all quite taken with him, impressed with the sharpness of his answers.

But his parents were not impressed.

They were upset and hurt.

His mother said, young man, why have you done this to us?

Your father and I have been half out of our minds looking for you.

He said, why were you looking for me?

Didn't you know that I had to be here dealing with the things of my father?

But they had no idea what he was talking about.

So he went back to Nazareth with them and lived obediently with them.

His mother held these things dearly deep in our heart.

And Jesus matured, growing up in both body and spirit, blessed by both God and people.

We have this pretty famous passage here about the young Jesus, the young boy Jesus questioning his parents.

And we get this glimpse into the youth of Jesus and the story that challenges assumptions about authority and spiritual growth.

And yes, we deal with family dynamics.

Here's three points to 1.

Is the sacred art an act of questioning?

Young Jesus isn't found preaching in the Temple.

He's asking questions.

This models a progressive approach to faith where questioning is holy work the divine God isn't threatened by our questions.

Rather, authentic spiritual growth requires us to challenge, probe and seek deeper understanding.

And this is a passage that affirms that doubt and inquiry are part of healthy spirituality.

Another point is about challenging traditional authority.

Jesus rose from a working class family, and a working class youth from Nazareth wasn't usually found in the temple engaging in dialogue with religious scholars.

This scene subverts the hierarchical power structure which was the expectation of the time, and showing how wisdom can flow from unexpected sources.

It challenges us to recognize how age and class and status often limit whose voices we're willing to hear in religious spaces.

One more point is about family systems and divine calling.

This story presents real family tension.

You feel it, don't you?

Mary and Joseph's legitimate concern versus Jesus sense of divine purpose.

It acknowledges that following our sacred calling sometimes creates conflict with society and in family and expectations.

And this speaks to many progressive Christians navigating family relationships while living out their values for justice and inclusion.

Here's your action step.

Let's talk about the practice of holy questioning.

Create a spiritual journal where you write down your deepest questions about faith and justice and purpose.

And don't rush to get answers.

Go to get questions and share these questions with others who might feel similarly, or others you may just want to take a bit of a risk with and trust that they will take you seriously.

Remember that questioning isn't a sign of weak faith but of deep engagement.

Pay special attention to questions that challenge traditional power structures or comfortable assumptions.

We'll have a closing prayer.

Just a minute.

A reminder.

We have a great resource for you about your own personal Bible study.

It is called the ABC 123 Bible Study Method.

I just implore you to go over to our website, voiceofgoddaily.com click on the link and you'll get a free copy of that sent to your e box right away.

The ABC123 Bible study method@voiceofgoddaily.com let's pray.

Oh God, you are the divine source of wisdom.

We thank you for the gift of questions.

When we feel pressured to have all the answers, remind us of young Jesus sitting among teachers unafraid to ask and probe deeper.

Give us courage to challenge systems that silence.

Questioning voices help us hold space for both divine calling and our human relationships.

When our pursuit of justice creates tension with loved ones, grant us wisdom and grace.

May we recognize your presence in our doubts as much as in our certainties.

In the spirit of the one who never stopped asking questions, we pray.

Amen.

Well, my my good friend, it is so good to be with you here at Daily Bible Refresh.

I hope that you join me again tomorrow.

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Till tomorrow, friends.

My name is Dr.

Brad Miller, reminding you that God's loyal love doesn't run out.

His merciful love hasn't dried up, it's created new every morning.