"NEVER WILL I LEAVE YOU"
Never will I leave you; nor will I forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)
Each year, Jesus and his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover. When making the pilgrimage, Jews often traveled in caravans composed of extended family members and friends. One particular Passover ended dramatically for the group, an incident recorded in chapter two of Luke's gospel record. Twelve-year-old Jesus, instead of joining the departing caravan, stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents' knowledge. Mary and Joseph assumed their son was with relatives or friends and traveled for a day, looking for him as the caravan moved.
Miles and hours later, they realized that Jesus was not with them. Worried and anxious, Mary and Joseph left the caravan, reversed direction, and returned to Jerusalem to search for him. To their great relief, they found Jesus in the temple. He was sitting with the teachers, listening, asking questions, and amazing them all with his knowledge. Jesus seemed surprised that his parents had been so worried. From his point of view, he was where he belonged, in his Father's house going about his Father's business.
In a spiritual sense, we have all gone through times when Christ seemed far away. A crosswind comes against us, but the Divine Comforter seems to have disappeared. Even people of great faith and obedience admit to going through such times. For reasons known only to God, periods of spiritual dullness seem to come with the journey.
But far too often, we knowingly create distance between Christ and oursleves. With things that we do and things that we fail to do, we move away from our Divine Companion. The miles are marked by self-centered priorities, lack of forgiveness, angry impatience, or acts of compassion relegated or ignored. The remoteness lingers until we repent, until we reverse direction and reclaim the nearness that was missing.
Closeness to Christ is restored as we search for what was lost — not Christ himself, but our consciousness of his abiding presence. Always it is we who create the distance, for God promises, "Never will I leave you; nor will I forsake you."
Each year, Jesus and his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover. When making the pilgrimage, Jews often traveled in caravans composed of extended family members and friends. One particular Passover ended dramatically for the group, an incident recorded in chapter two of Luke's gospel record. Twelve-year-old Jesus, instead of joining the departing caravan, stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents' knowledge. Mary and Joseph assumed their son was with relatives or friends and traveled for a day, looking for him as the caravan moved.
Miles and hours later, they realized that Jesus was not with them. Worried and anxious, Mary and Joseph left the caravan, reversed direction, and returned to Jerusalem to search for him. To their great relief, they found Jesus in the temple. He was sitting with the teachers, listening, asking questions, and amazing them all with his knowledge. Jesus seemed surprised that his parents had been so worried. From his point of view, he was where he belonged, in his Father's house going about his Father's business.
In a spiritual sense, we have all gone through times when Christ seemed far away. A crosswind comes against us, but the Divine Comforter seems to have disappeared. Even people of great faith and obedience admit to going through such times. For reasons known only to God, periods of spiritual dullness seem to come with the journey.
But far too often, we knowingly create distance between Christ and oursleves. With things that we do and things that we fail to do, we move away from our Divine Companion. The miles are marked by self-centered priorities, lack of forgiveness, angry impatience, or acts of compassion relegated or ignored. The remoteness lingers until we repent, until we reverse direction and reclaim the nearness that was missing.
Closeness to Christ is restored as we search for what was lost — not Christ himself, but our consciousness of his abiding presence. Always it is we who create the distance, for God promises, "Never will I leave you; nor will I forsake you."
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