When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” Luke 2:48
This interchange within the Holy Family is a classic of intergenerational misunderstanding. Mary focuses primarily on the distress and worry she and Joseph felt. Jesus doesn’t respond to that at all, but instead rather impatiently suggests that they should have known all along where he was. That attitude, in turn, was of no help to Mary and Joseph, who “did not understand what he said to them” (verse 50). But that’s the end of it: no further recriminations were recorded, and Jesus obediently accompanied his parents back to Nazareth. Perhaps Jesus knew their concern was rooted in their love for him; perhaps he obeyed to ease their minds. For their part, Mary and Joseph carried on without fully understanding. After being initially astonished, they seem to have accepted their son for who he was becoming. Children do astonish us, distress us, cause us anxiety. We don’t always understand the things they say, but if our concern is really rooted in love, our families will grow in holiness.
Mark Neilsen
Originally published January 1st, 2007
