Merry Christmas!
Pastor Joanie 
Digital painting with collage
Luke 2:41-52
sanctifiedart.org
We don’t know why Luke is the only gospel writer to tell us this story of Jesus as an adolescent. Luke offers us short vignettes of Jesus’ life after his birth: he’s circumcised and dedicated to God, he’s blessed by both Simeon and Anna in the temple, and each year he and his parents return to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. His family follows the law according to Moses. This Messiah is not an outsider to the tradition; he’s born from within it. But he will grow to question, challenge, reform, and revolutionize it.
We see Jesus’ first challenge to that system in this story when, as a twelve-year-old boy, he stays behind without his parents’ permission. He dives so deeply into the teachings that he shocks his elders, amazing them with his autonomy, knowledge, and earnestness. His actions threaten the status quo and also create a divide between him and his family of origin. To fulfill his ministry, he’ll need to leave his home, his parents, and many of his faith traditions behind.
As I created this image, I felt the grief and tension shared by Jesus and his mother. The distance between them is poignant and heavy. Young Jesus looks over his shoulder at what he must leave behind as he moves forward in the other direction. His mother grieves what she can’t fully understand, but she holds all of these things in her heart, keeping them forever. A dividing line made of gold separates them—but this boundary is also sacred and needed for Jesus to live into the fullness of his calling.
No matter the boundaries we choose or are forced to put into place, no matter the separations we endure, we must trust that we deserve true belonging. We must seek our chosen homes and families. When necessary, we must question and challenge the traditions we’ve inherited. Ultimately, we must trust that our true home belongs with God.
—Rev. Lisle Gwynn Garrity
You can watch Sunday’s service here:
This Week at Hood Memorial
Wednesday, December 29 – No Bible Study & Prayer Time
Thursday, December 30 – 9:30 am – Ladles of Love Meal Delivery
Friday, December 31 – 12 noon Devotion & Prayer Time on Free Conference Call
Saturday, January 1 – HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Sunday, January 2 – 10:30 am Worship: Celebration of Epiphany in the Sanctuary