OBEDIENCE BRINGS RESULTS

OBEDIENCE BRINGS RESULTS  

"Knew ye not that I must be in the things of My Father?" Luke 2:49

These are the first recorded words of our Lord. I resolutely adopt the second marginal reading of the Revised—which is direct translation from the Greek. They were spoken when He was twelve years of age, being then, as Luke so beautifully describes Him, "the boy Jesus." It has often been pointed out that they are very significant as giving the key to the whole of His life and work.        

The compelling force, the "must" behind all His doing and teaching, was forever the same: the things of His Father. He lived and wrought only to do the will of God. He was on a mission. And as this unfolded He as a Man was always being answered to all His prayers as it seemed He was always praying to His Father because of the need of His mission on which He was sent. And He constantly intercedes for the saints because of their needs. (Heb. 7:25; Roms. 8:27; Isa. 53:12; Luke 22:31-34) OBEDIENCE BRINGS RESULTS. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16)

There is, however, another value in them. Because He was "the boy Jesus," a most real and true Boy, we gather from these words not only the inherent grace and truth of His char­acter, but also how careful had been His training from babyhood. From the annunciation to Mary, and the revela­tion to Joseph which Matthew records, those two people in a holy fellowship had shared the secret as to that won­derful Child. With what reverent awe and tender solicitude they must have watched His growth and development! And again, because He was a real hu­man Child, they were responsible for all His earliest instruction in "the things of God." The result is seen in this simple, natural, unaffected word, spo­ken, be it noticed, to both of them: "Knew ye not that I must be in the things of My Father?" The difference between this Boy and our children is admitted; but let us not forget His identity with them. If we remember, we shall forever seek to train them to the same complete conception of life. It is a great thing when as the result of our training and example our children re­late all their lives to God by its "must" of complete surrender and that because of needs (of others).