Growing in Wisdom and Stature

And Jesus increased 

in wisdom and in stature, 

and in divine and human favor.

 (from Luke 2:41-52)

If you were searching among a massive crowd for three days and couldn't find your 12 year-old son, what would you be thinking? 

It probably wasn't a happy greeting when, after 3 days of anxious searching, Mary finds Jesus in the temple. She says, Where have you been? What are you doing here? 

Jesus replies, "Well, where did you expect to find me?"

LUKE 2:35 describes Jesus as growing in wisdom and stature. "Growing in wisdom and stature" means having the ability to perceive God's kingdom and act on those perceptions.

As the new year begins and as the tensions and divisions of our society continue, we will need to grow in wisdom and stature. 

Surely today's tribulations increase our need to be building on the foundation of our faith for spiritual strength to perceive God's kingdom. 

Perceiving God's kingdom begins with growing in our understanding of what it means that Jesus is the Son of God. 

Doesn't that mean asking questions about evil, injustice and oppression as Jesus did in the temple?

Perceiving God's realm also means what John Wesley calls "searching the Scriptures." 

Doesn't that mean regular Bible reading, study and conversation to strengthen our spiritual foundation for growing in wisdom?

Reading the Upper Room Disciplines with lectionary based scriptures, reflections by the author, and Sunday's sermon strengthens our the foundation of our spiritual base. 

I asked a 90 year-old widow with a heart condition how she was doing. The strength of her spiritual base enabled her to confidently reply, "Fine. I read my Bible every day."