Mind the Gap: Daily Devotion–Luke 2:39-52
A great deal of Christian piety boils Jesus down to a single ingredient. Jesus came to be a sacrifice for our sins. While God’s forgiveness of us is essential, all the gospel writers indicate that Jesus’ life for us is at least as rich and complex as any other human life.
Luke tells us in his account, “Jesus increased in wisdom and in years.” Why does Jesus need wisdom and years?
He would be, to use Paul’s words, the new adam, the new humanity. His life pioneers a new way for us. He is not just an atoning goat multiplied ad infinitum. From birth to resurrection, he blazes an entirely new path for us. And in trail-blazing, even for Jesus, some things only come with time.
In this Jesus is fully human. I, at 41 years of age, having bought four used cars, am still learning how to purchase a used car well. Throwing a rod in the young engine of a 2005 Hyundai Elantra taught me that an air intake modification, beer pong stickers on the visors, and subwoofer speaker wires hooked up to the battery probably meant that the last owner did not treat the engine delicately. And a dirt-cheap 2004 Pontiac Sunfire, even with a solid engine, was doomed to expensive exhaust system replacements.
I finally asked a trustworthy friend, much more experienced than I with buying used cars, about how to assess the value of such complicated and unpredictable items. 40-plus years of automotive experience told him that if you pay less than $7,000 for a car, you’re probably going to get fewer than 18 months out of it. That’s a helpful lens for me, but I’m sure I’ll be learning more from every experience. After all, it took him more than 30 years to gain that nugget of wisdom.
It’s the nature of wisdom: it can’t be gained by any other means than time and experience. Even the Son of God had to grow in it over time.
I invite you to consider, to remember: What lesson have you learned about that just took time and experience? [pause]
Every moment, every experience, no matter how simple, how difficult, or how mysterious, contributes to your growth in Jesus Christ. As the Spirit remakes us in the divine image, every lesson draws us closer to the pioneer of our faith. And for the next few days, I’ll encourage you to consider the factors in our lives that contribute to our growing wisdom.
Would you pray with me? Brother Christ, Wisdom of God for us, make us wise. Whatever we know, give us grace to use that knowledge for good. Whatever we are able to do, give us discernment to work for love. Whatever we have, give us mercy to give it away. Set our feet firmly on the trail that you have blazed for us. Amen!