Found in the Father's House: A Call to Be About His Business

Have you ever lost someone you love in a crowded place? The panic that sets in, the frantic searching, the relief when you finally find them safe—it's a feeling that stays with you. Now imagine that feeling magnified, stretched over three days, in a city of 100,000 people during the busiest time of the year.
This is exactly what Mary and Joseph experienced during the Feast of Passover in Jerusalem, as recorded in Luke 2:41-52. But the real story isn't about a lost child—it's about a young man who knew exactly where he needed to be.
The Only Glimpse of Jesus as a Teenager
The Bible gives us precious little information about Jesus' childhood and teenage years. We jump from his infancy to his ministry at age thirty with barely a pause. But Luke 2 provides us with one remarkable window into Jesus' life as a twelve-year-old boy—and what we see is profound.
After celebrating Passover in Jerusalem, Mary and Joseph began their journey home with a large caravan of family and friends. They traveled a full day before realizing Jesus wasn't with them. Like any parent on a field trip who forgot to do a head count, they suddenly realized their child was missing.
But here's what's beautiful: Jesus wasn't lost. He was exactly where he needed to be.
Going to the Safe Place
When Jesus' parents returned to Jerusalem and searched for three days (one day traveling away, one day traveling back, and one day searching), they found him in the temple. He was sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. Everyone who heard him was astonished at his understanding and his answers.
Think about this: if you were a smart, resourceful twelve-year-old who got separated from your family, where would you go? You'd go to a safe place—a police station, a fire house, a church. Jesus did exactly that. He went to his Father's house.
But he didn't just wait there passively. He was engaged, learning, growing, and sharing wisdom that amazed the religious leaders of his day.
The Heart of a Mother
When Mary finally found Jesus, she did what any worried mother would do. She said, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have sought you anxiously."
In modern terms: "What were you thinking? Do you know how worried we've been?"
Jesus' response cuts to the heart of everything: "Why did you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father's business?"
Mary and Joseph didn't fully understand what Jesus meant in that moment. They were thinking of Joseph as his father. But Jesus was speaking of his heavenly Father. Even at twelve years old, Jesus knew his identity and his purpose.
Subject to Authority
Here's something remarkable that often gets overlooked: Jesus, who was 100% God and 100% human, submitted to his earthly parents' authority. The Bible tells us he went home with them to Nazareth and was subject to them.
Jesus honored the fifth commandment: "Honor your father and your mother."
He could have pulled rank. He could have said, "I'm God, and I'll do what I want." But he didn't. He submitted to authority because he had to fulfill the law perfectly. And in doing so, he showed us what true godliness looks like—even when it means accepting consequences we might not deserve.
Growing in Wisdom and Stature
Luke 2:52 tells us something that should stop us in our tracks: "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."
How can Jesus—God in the flesh—grow in wisdom? Because he was fully human. He had to learn just like we do. He had to study. He had to listen to wise teachers. He had to grow.
If Jesus, the Son of God, needed to continue learning and growing, how much more do we?
The question we must ask ourselves is this: Are we still growing in wisdom and stature? Or have we decided we're done learning?
What Have You Done to Improve God's House?
This brings us to a challenging question: In the time since you last gathered with God's people, what have you done to improve God's church?
This isn't about painting walls or fixing leaky faucets—though those things matter too. This is about the deeper work of building up the body of Christ. Have you studied God's Word? Have you prayed for people? Have you reached out to someone who's hurting? Have you welcomed someone who felt unwelcome?
Jesus was about his Father's business even as a twelve-year-old. Shouldn't we, as his followers, be about the same business?
The Process of Salvation
Here's a truth that will set you free: salvation is a process. There's justification—the moment when God declares us righteous through Christ's blood. Then there's sanctification—the lifelong process of God making us more like Jesus. And finally, there's glorification—when we stand before God perfected and complete.
Until that final moment, we're all works in progress. We're all still learning, still growing, still messing up, and still being refined by God's grace.
The old song says it perfectly: "He's still working on me to make me what I ought to be."
Everyone Is Welcome
One of the most damaging things the church can do is make people feel unwelcome. When we say, "You can't come here because you don't look like us, act like us, or believe exactly what we believe," we're acting like the Pharisees Jesus condemned.
The truth is, none of us deserves to be in God's house. We're all sinners saved by grace. Our sins put Jesus on that cross just as surely as the Roman soldiers who drove the nails.
When we embrace this truth—when we admit we're broken people in need of a Savior—we create space for others to find healing too.
Being About the Father's Business Today
So what does it look like to be about the Father's business in your life right now?
It means studying God's Word regularly. It means praying without ceasing. It means welcoming everyone—yes, everyone—into God's family. It means admitting when we're wrong. It means showing our kids and grandkids that we're human too, that we make mistakes, and that God's grace is sufficient for all of us.
It means engaging with the next generation, listening to their ideas, valuing their input, and discipling them in the faith. It means breaking down barriers and building bridges.
Most of all, it means keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus—looking full in his wonderful face so that the things of earth grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.
The question remains: Will you be about your Father's business today?