Your body is not your own, but has been bought with a price. This is good news! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 109 (We'll finish out QA 108 tomorrow) Q. Does God, in this commandment, forbid only such scandalous sins as adultery? A. We are temples of the Holy Spirit, body and soul, and God wants both to be kept clean and holy. That is why he forbids everything which incites unchastity, whether it be actions, looks, talk, thoughts, or desires. Summary We understand that a thing's purpose determines how it gets used. A fine flower vase with lots intricate details can certainly hold water, but it's not meant to be used like an ordinary bucket. In other words, just because something can be used a certain way, it doesn't mean that it ought to be used in that way. Such is the case with your body. The tired old argument that people ought to be able to do as they please with their bodies is nothing new; Paul begins this passage with sayings from Romans culture that make the same claim we hear so often today, that the only people who have a right to determine what I do physically are Me, Myself and I. Paul then drops a stunning claim - a claim that people know is true but which often gets suppressed down deep so as not to ruin the party: your body is not your own. You did not make your body; you did not breathe life into it; and you are not the one who has determined your body's ultimate purpose, and therefore you don't have the right to define its acceptable uses. Paul's makes his point obvious: "The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord (v13)." Therefore, your body is not to be used sexually outside of God's prescribed norms, which we'll review tomorrow. Paul adds emphasis to his point. Not only must you not do sexually immoral things, but you must flee from all forms of sexual immorality. The primary purpose of your body determines how it must be used, the purpose which rises above all of your own ideas, opinions and beliefs, is that your body "is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God." Dig Deeper Our focus reading the Bible this year has been the comfort and peace possible by knowing that "you are not your own, but belong to your faithful Savior, Jesus Christ." These words have brought immense solace and reassurance to countless Christians for hundreds of years now. If you don't have this memorized already, you should. But this claim is not just true on Sundays, or when you really need to be reminded in a difficult time that God is in control, rather this fundamental fact is always in effect and is completely comprehensive in its nature: you are not your own but belong to Christ body and soul, in life and in death. In other words, your body belongs to Christ in all ways and in all times. This famous opening line of the Heidelberg Catechism is not just a cheesy, sentimental statement to hang on your wall. It helps define and clarify your purpose in life. You belong to Christ in every way possible. And since purpose determines usage, it gives you a solid rationale for living according to a Biblically faithful sexual ethic. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who knew you before creation and chose you to be His own, knit your body together in your mother's womb, and who has set you apart to be a temple for His Holy Spirit; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask God for the fortitude to live according to His sexual design for your body in a world that constantly tries to tear you away from it; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Peter 3

Learn to hate the temptations constantly surrounding you. They only lead to destruction. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 108 Q. What is God’s will for us in the seventh commandment? A. God condemns all unchastity. We should therefore thoroughly detest it and, married or single, live decent and chaste lives. Summary The first two Psalms in the Psalter were not placed there randomly. They form an executive summary of sorts for the 148 psalms that follow them. They beautifully describe who you were created to be, and even more so, these two psalms describe the One who made your salvation possible. From the very first word, it becomes clear that God wants you to live a blessed life, that is, a life of happiness and joy. So it shouldn't be surprising that nearly everyone who's ever lived has a deep and longing desire to be happy. The problem, of course, is that most of the world has rejected God's good design for obtaining blessedness, and instead has followed the wicked way of the original mocker, Satan. This is the massively consequential choice you must make every moment of every day: will you walk, stand, and sit in their company, or will you delight in meditating upon the law of the Lord? The ugly truth is that everything this sinful world glamorizes and that appears so attractive will blow away like chaff. Notice the contrast between the first and final words: God created you for blessedness, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. Dig Deeper Most of the time, people don't immediately jump from one extreme to the other. In other words, they don't go from being planted by streams of righteousness to sitting in the company of mockers in one fell swoop. Rather, the transition occurs subtly - although the process can easily accelerate quickly and without warning! First you just sort of walk alongside the wicked, then your presence becomes more permanent as you stand amongst the sinners, until you've finally completely transplanted yourself and you sit down in the company of mockers. One of the most insidious traps that can ensnare you in this web is sexual temptation. It's constantly invading our minds and thoughts through nearly every media possible. And even worse, in so many ways, we have become completely tolerant of it. We still watch the movies, tune into the shows, and listen to the music as if somehow we're immune to the same temptation that has claimed billions of others. The Bible NEVER encourages tolerance for sin - especially sexual sin. Quite the opposite: Psalm 139 teaches you to hate those who hate the Lord. Jude 23 instructs you to hate everything associated with sinful desires and temptation. Keep your roots firmly planted in the streams of Living Water and turn off every source of temptation trying to trick you into walking, standing and sitting in that which your Savior died to save you from. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: The LORD, who watches over the way of the righteous; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the strength and godly desire to remain rooted in the good ground God's planted you in, and that God will kindle a growing hatred for sin and temptation within you; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Peter 2

This chapter will make you squirm, but you must be aware of God's righteous requirements. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 108 Q. What is God’s will for us in the seventh commandment? A. God condemns all unchastity. We should therefore thoroughly detest it and, married or single, live decent and chaste lives. Summary Leviticus 18 is one of those passages that evokes a host of different responses in people. For some, it confirms their ideas that the Bible is nothing but a book of prudish rules. Others focus on one particular type of sexual relationship prohibited in this passage and are quite angry with those who practice it, but don't seem to care about the way so many other relationships mentioned in this chapter are flaunted. Still others develop elaborate explanations about how these commands were for the people of God way back then, but not now. After all, the God of love must be all for love, no matter how some people choose to express it. Sadly, most people simply ignore passages like Leviticus 18. It's just uncomfortable and weird. They'd rather just stick to the warm and fuzzy stuff. Certainly this would not be one of the first chapters we'd go to with a person just learning about Christianity, or to bring comfort to a saint in their dying moments. But yet this passage is critical knowledge for those who wish to live into their citizenship in the kingdom of heaven. The opening and closing paragraphs underscore the importance of the chaste living this chapter commands. First, as God's people, we must realize that we've been rescued from the defiled and detestable mass of humanity identified by their deviant sexualities, just as God had rescued Israel from the pagan Egyptians and Canaanites. Since we've been set free in Christ, we have a continuing obligation to "keep the Lord's decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them (v5)." Since we've been made holy in Christ, understanding that 'holy' means separated (Lev. 20:26), we must separate ourselves from worldly sexual ethics and "cut off" those in our number who stubbornly persist in the "detestable things" mentioned in this chapter (v29-30). Dig Deeper Unfortunately, Q&A 108 of the Heidelberg Catechism has been the most talked about portion of our Confessions in the Christian Reformed Church these last few years. This is unfortunate, not because the topic of human sexuality ought to be hush-hush or ignored, but because it's become increasingly clear that so many in these conversations - especially those arguing for more acceptance of deviant sexual lifestyles - seem ignorant of or have detached themselves from so many of the other critical Biblical doctrines our Confessions summarize. In other words, the best way to equip people to come to correct conclusions regarding sexuality is to make sure they have a comprehensive understanding of Christianity. You need to have a firm grip on the sexual ethics communicated in Leviticus 18, even as uncomfortable and unpopular as what these concepts are in our society. The best way to tighten your grip is to strengthen your understanding of how it is that you've been made holy in Christ and set apart to glorify our God and Father. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father who righteously demands that we keep His requirements; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will understand and live according to God's sexual standards, and that you'll become increasingly aware of what it means to be made holy; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Peter 1

Normally paying off debt is good... but not always! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 107 Q. Is it enough then that we do not kill our neighbor in any such way? A. No. By condemning envy, hatred, and anger God tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves, to be patient, peace-loving, gentle, merciful, and friendly to them, to protect them from harm as much as we can, and to do good even to our enemies. Summary One of the best feelings in life is to finally pay off a long standing debt. Once the debt is satisfied, you can spend the money you had been using for payments for whatever you want. We often apply this same principle to our relationships. If someone does you a favor, you're indebted to them until you reciprocate. Once you're even again, you can use your time however you'd like. The Bible has no room for such an attitude. Since loving others is the fulfillment of the law, and love "is not self-seeking" and "keeps no record (1 Cor. 13:5)," you'll never completely fulfill God's law. You'll always be seeking to reflect the holiness of God that the law points to in the lives of those you have relationships with. In that sense, be glad to let this debt to one another never be paid in full. As Jesus teaches us in the Sermon on the Mount, the Law is much more than a collection of do-nots. In other words, although not killing people who cross you will keep you out of trouble with the civil law, you will not have fully complied with the sixth commandment until you "love your neighbor as yourself." Dig Deeper One of the major truths of the Bible comes near the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus indicates that the righteousness of His disciples must surpass that of the Pharisees (Matt. 5:17). We understand this doctrine two ways. First, praise God that Jesus has already fulfilled your coventantal obligation to perfectly abide by God's Law. In this way, everyone who trusts in Christ alone has the all surpassing righteousness that God requires from those He's in communion with. Secondly, the grace that included you in the righteousness of Christ also equips you to live out all of the implications of God's law. In this way, you're personal righteousness must surpass the Pharisees. Whereas they were content to just follow the letter of the law, you must make every effort to not only avoid breaking the commandments, but also look for ways to love those around you in every situation you face. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father who calls us to love others the way that He loves us; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will see opportunities to love your neighbor as yourself and have the desire to follow through; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 3 John

There's no neutral in life. You're either building up or tearing down. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 106 Q. Does the fifth commandment refer only to killing? A. By forbidding murder God teaches us that he hates the root of murder: envy, hatred, anger, vindictiveness. In God’s sight all such are murder. Summary In many ways, the Sermon on the Mount is the defining blueprint for the Christian life. Jesus teaches that we must have surpassing righteousness, a feat we're not capable of on our own, but which He supplies on our behalf. Although this gift is pure grace, it does come with strings attached: we're now expected to live and look like the perfectly righteous people we've been declared to be. Not only does grace declare us to be righteous and holy, but it also equips us to live accordingly. This means that we no longer view God's law as a black and white list of do's and don'ts, but rather we're to align our attitudes with the Law's underlying principles of godliness. It's these foundational principles that Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount and elsewhere that Paul continues to build on in passages like what we're reading today. In this light, murder is not just an act that takes a person's physical life, but it's anything that is not "helpful for building others up according to their needs." This means that murder weapons have expanded from things like guns and knives to attitudes and behaviors like "bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, and every form of malice." Dig Deeper Anybody who's watched any sort of home improvement or remodeling show knows that the first step of a rebab project is demo day, where the old is torn out so the new can be installed. This is the entire premise of this chapter in Ephesians: your old sinful self must be removed so you can come to new life in Christ. Unlike the remodel project where demo day comes and goes, demolishing is an ongoing project for you as often new sins creep in and recontaminate areas you thought you'd already cleaned out. Paul often uses violent language to describe this ongoing process: you are to put to death the misdeeds of the body (Romans 8:13). But this license to kill comes with a significant restriction: for the most part, you must always be the victim. There certainly are times where it's not only appropriate but necessary for you to help others identify and kill off the sin in their lives, but those times are limited and must be done with great wisdom. Your words, thoughts and attitudes will always result in one extreme or the other: they will either build others up in Christ, or they will "grieve the Holy Spirit of God," as murderous behaviors like bitterness, rage, brawling and slander tear others apart. In general, keep your killing limited to your own sinful self (Sarx), and take advantage of the nearly limitless opportunities to build others up with wholesome talk, kindness and compassion. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father who has forgiven you in Christ; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your thoughts, words and deeds will build others up, even as you kill off the indwelling sin in your own life; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 John

Society will not be truly civil until it realizes what God told Noah. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 105 Q. What is God’s will for you in the sixth commandment? A. I am not to belittle, insult, hate, or kill my neighbor— not by my thoughts, my words, my look or gesture, and certainly not by actual deeds— and I am not to be party to this in others; rather, I am to put away all desire for revenge. I am not to harm or recklessly endanger myself either. Prevention of murder is also why government is armed with the sword. Summary In many ways our passage today parallels the opening chapters of the Bible. God gave Adam dominion over the earth and commanded him to be fruitful and multiply. In the same way, God announces to Noah that from that day forward the animals would fear man, and he's given the same command to increase greatly upon the earth that Adam had been given. But the situational difference between God's initial mandate and His command to Noah is stark: even though God had cleansed the world of sin's worst effects through the great flood, sin is still present in human nature. Death, the ultimate consequence of sin, would remain a reality. But death does not operate with impunity. God "will surely demand an accounting" each time man's blood is spilled, even from animals, and especially from other men. It would be hundreds of years yet before God gave His full law through Moses, but the one stipulation He wants to make immediately clear is that murderers must face the ultimate consequence. God told Noah, and also now tells us, that when a human is killed, it's not just an ordinary creature that has its life snuffed out. Understand that your life has value not just because you're a awesome person, but because you are made in the image of God Himself. Therefore the civil consequence of murder must be swift and severe: God Himself demands capital punishment, a regulation given for all people living in all times. Dig Deeper A society that practices capital punishment might meet the letter of the law God set forth upon renewing life on earth through Noah's family, but simply executing convicted murderers is a long way from the ideal that God set forth. Plenty of corrupt governments have been very good at avenging killers, but yet placed little value on human life. A government willing to kill its own citizens, even if they are guilty, but which does not recognize God's image as the basis for human value is a massively dangerous entity, as history has shown repeatedly. We live in a society that has devalued human life because it no longer recognizes God, so how could society possible recognize the intrinsic value that God's image gives to mankind? Abortion, euthanasia and licentious living that ignores the life shortening effects of unhealthy food, drink and bad habits are all symptoms of our disassociation of mankind as the image bearer of a holy, righteous creator God. Man has become nothing more than an expendable animal that can be eradicated when it's considered inconvenient; ironically even the animals are often given more value than mankind! Simply executing more convicted murders will not solve this most serious of problems. Society must regain a fear of God, and a realization that His image in each and every person has all surpassing value. Restoring this reality is not a task you can delegate to the government or other civil leaders. Rather you must communicate what God has shown you to be true to your friends and family who have forgotten. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father who has put His image upon each one of us; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will see God's image in every person you see, and that you will effectively communicate this truth to those you influence; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 John 5

What's the difference between trusting God and testing God? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 105 Q. What is God’s will for you in the sixth commandment? A. I am not to belittle, insult, hate, or kill my neighbor— not by my thoughts, my words, my look or gesture, and certainly not by actual deeds— and I am not to be party to this in others; rather, I am to put away all desire for revenge. I am not to harm or recklessly endanger myself either. Prevention of murder is also why government is armed with the sword. Summary As is his habit, Satan shows up at Jesus' weakest moment, after He's been alone and fasting for 40 days. Three times the tempter plays on Jesus' ego and emotions; the first two come across as a dare for Jesus to prove His identity (If you're the Son of God...) and the final attempt picks at what would have been a massively strong desire for Jesus to just be finished with His mission and return home, having regained "the kingdoms of this world and their splendor." Certainly we have lots of lessons to learn from these interactions - especially to maintain self-vigilance when we're tired and weak, and to stand firmly on God's Word, as Jesus does all three times. But today we're going to focus on the middle temptation: for Jesus to put God's promise of omnipotent protection to the test. Notice how this temptation is framed. In the first and final temptations, Satan tries to exploit Jesus' human weakness, to satisfy His hunger and then His ego. But in this middle round, Satan tempts Jesus by giving Him the opportunity to prove that what the Bible says is true, quoting Psalm 91's promise that angels would catch Jesus if He jumped from the high point they stood upon. But Jesus resolutely resists. He knew what we need to know now: that when people say things we instinctively know is wrong, it probably is, no matter how many Bible verses they attempt to justify their position with (every heresy ever uttered began with a Bible passage that was manipulated to mean something it doesn't). Jesus quotes a verse from Deuteronomy that you need to memorize also. You must certainly trust the Lord, but: do not put the Lord your God to the test (Matt. 4:7, Deut 6:16). Dig Deeper Thomas Jackson was a Confederate general in the Civil War. Like many of his colleagues, he was a godly man, even if he ultimately took what we now consider to be the wrong side in that conflict. He earned his nickname "Stonewall" for his resolute ability to stand like a stone wall in the face of the enemy. He said that his trust in God's providence allowed him to "feel as safe in battle as I do in bed, since I know that God has fixed the time of my death." This steadfastness allowed him to sit up straight upon his horse even as bullets and cannonballs whizzed by him in battle after battle. Was Stonewall Jackson 'testing' God? Remember, God uses ordinary means like safety equipment to work His will out! Shouldn't Jackson have availed himself of some armor or taken a safer tactical position? Maybe, or maybe not. I encourage you to learn more about this great man and decide for yourself (ironically, the enemy never hit Stonewall Jackson. He was felled by friendly fire and died several days later). The point here is that you must not recklessly endanger any life, including your own. To do so is to break the sixth commandment and commit murder. There's a fine line between trusting and testing God, but you have a responsibility to know where that line is and keep yourself from crossing it. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father who has promised to protect us and who will never allow anything outside of His will to harm you; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for His providential protection in your life, and ask Him to embed His Word into you to keep you safe as Jesus did; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 John 4

Revenge is best served by our holy & righteous Father. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 105 Q. What is God’s will for you in the sixth commandment? A. I am not to belittle, insult, hate, or kill my neighbor— not by my thoughts, my words, my look or gesture, and certainly not by actual deeds— and I am not to be party to this in others; rather, I am to put away all desire for revenge. I am not to harm or recklessly endanger myself either. Prevention of murder is also why government is armed with the sword. Summary One of our most fundamental inclinations as Americans is the concept of fairness, that people ought to get exactly what they deserve. It's this deeply embedded motivation that the Bible calls you to push back against. Rather than repaying a person by giving him what he's got coming, you must "not take revenge." The catechism reminds us here that that an ugly concept like murder is not limited to the overt actions related to physically taking a person's life, but extends to seemingly benign actions such as belittling and insulting people. Sometimes it might feel good to blow off a little steam by verbally assaulting a person who's been giving you grief so that things don't escalate into a full blown physical confrontation, but you can see that the catechism is simply echoing Paul's advice to, "as far as it depends upon you, to live at peace with everyone, and do not take revenge." This peace that you're called to is much more than just an outward politeness in which you don't say the quiet part out loud, even as you seethe and simmer on the inside. No, the Bible calls you to a pervasive, permeating peace that radiates from the inside out; a peace that keeps not just your mouth and hands in check, but your thoughts, looks and gestures as well. This passage ends with the famous line: Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. This passage often gets externalized, as if the best way to overcome bad guys is to shower them in good deeds. That may occasionally be the case, but I don't think that's what Paul means here. He wasn't referring to the evil reigning all around you, but the evil that seeks to plant its flag inside of you - your sinful nature (Sarx), who gains ground with every revenge filled thought and attitude you allow to fester. Overcome Sarx by flooding him out as you fill your mind with whatever is noble, right, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). Dig Deeper The concept of revenge is a theme deeply woven into the fabric of scripture. In fact, the Bible draws to a close with Jesus promising to do the very thing that Paul here prohibits you from doing: Jesus will return with His settlement, meaning that He will repay everyone with exactly what they deserve, either good or bad. Base the peace that you've been commanded to have by "leaving room for God's wrath, for it is written, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord." AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father who has promised to reward good and repay evil; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the strength to let go of your sinful instinct to desire revenge and instead reflect the goodness and forgiveness Jesus has shown you; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 John 3

Pray continually, especially for the people you'd like to pray for the least! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 104 Q. What is God’s will for you in the fifth commandment? A. That I honor, love, and be loyal to my father and mother and all those in authority over me; that I obey and submit to them, as is proper, when they correct and punish me; and also that I be patient with their failings— for through them God chooses to rule us. Summary There's a ton of theology going on in this short passage! Let's begin with the opening imperative, where Paul distinguishes between four different ways of praying: petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving. This doesn't mean that every time you pray you need to check off all four of these boxes, rather the point here is to be praying often - continually, even, as Paul mentions in 1 Thes. 5:17. Pray in every situation that you find yourself in. It's quite natural to pray for yourself and those close to you, and you should! It's not that you need to pray in order to convince God to do something about the situations you bring to Him, rather the more often you Acknowledge who God is and Align your life with His will, the more likely you will Ask for the things God wants for you. But Paul here commands you to pray for the very people we often pray for the least: "kings and all those in authority." In our situation this obviously includes the President and the Governor and other politicians, but it also includes your parents, employer, church council, teachers, landlord, and a host of other people who God has vested His authority in to help structure your life; the very people that He commands you to honor in the fifth commandment. Dig Deeper Perhaps one of the reasons it's so hard to pray for people who have authority over us is the underlying assumption that since they are at a higher station in life, they must have it made. What do they need prayers for? They've already made it! Plus, they often just seem like pompous jerks so often! But as we noticed the other day, very few people exercise absolute authority in life. A person might exercise authority in one sphere, but is dependent and subservient in other areas. It's quite likely that even though you are under the authority of far more people than you like, you also have been given authority in other realms. You probably know how hard it is to make decisions that affect others! How comforting would it be to know those people were praying for you, even as you make decisions they might not initially like? So extend that same courtesy to those in authority over you, whether you like them or not. Pray for God's blessing in every area of their life. When things go well for them, things will likely go well for you also, so that all "may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness (v2)." But pray especially that they may come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. When you pray that, you're praying a prayer that's aligned with God's will, since He wants all people to reach up to Him for their salvation. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our God and Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of truth; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for the people He exercises His authority through in your life. Pray that things will go well for them and especially that they will know salvation; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 John 2

Even the sinless Son of God was difficult to raise at times. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 104 Q. What is God’s will for you in the fifth commandment? A. That I honor, love, and be loyal to my father and mother and all those in authority over me; that I obey and submit to them, as is proper, when they correct and punish me; and also that I be patient with their failings— for through them God chooses to rule us. Summary I've never 'lost' any of my children before, but there were prolonged times where I didn't exactly know where they were. It's a very disconcerting feeling to suddenly realize the gravity of the situation when I finally notice the house has been quieter than normal and it's been quite awhile since I've seen them (especially when mom will be back at any moment and will not be happy to find out her children are unaccounted for). So I would imagine that Joseph and Mary would have gladly supplied Luke with hundreds of other anecdotes from Jesus' adolescent years besides this one which seems to picture them as incompetent parents who went an entire day before they realized they had no idea where their oldest child was, and then when they finally found him, "did not understand what he was saying to them (v50)." Mary and Joseph are just as human as the rest of us, so their instinct was to blame everybody but themselves. They were probably pretty upset with these 'brilliant' temple scholars who let this twelve year old hang around for four days without any parental consent. These same parents who witnessed the miracles on Christmas morning firsthand are now pretty upset with the same boy the angels had sung about for "treating them like this (v48)." At twelve years old, Jesus is only one year away from legally being considered an adult in this society. He's likely experiencing the same teenage angst common to boys his age, and He's just discovered His "Father's business (v49)," and He's completely fascinated by it. So Jesus likely wasn't too pleased to see mom and dad come storming into the lecture hall either (remember, it's not sinful to be upset). Dig Deeper If anything this little insight into Jesus' childhood is comforting, to know that all children - even the sinless Son of God - are difficult to raise at times, and than even the woman most highly favored by God (Luke 1:28) was flummoxed by maternal frustration. So if you ever have been or are now irritated by your kids, you're in good company. But it's the way that both Jesus and Mary react to this situation that draws our attention today. Jesus, who's just discovered His purpose, talent and passion, humbly honors these parents He's suddenly outgrown. Luke captures the moment with a perfect word: Jesus was "obedient," which literally translated means Jesus put Himself under, or submitted Himself to His parents. In other words, Jesus remained anchored to them. Mary doesn't stay angry for long either. She regains her perspective, and quietly "treasured all these things in her heart (v51)." Because He honored His parents, even in their less than stellar moments, Jesus received the blessing His Father had promised long before through Moses, that "it may go well with" those who obey the fifth commandment (Deut. 5:16). AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who calls you into His house just as He did with His Son; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for your parents, and pray that you can submit to them even when you'd rather go your own way, just as Jesus did. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 John 1