Reflection:
The story of Boy Jesus in the Temple is familiar and reflected in much Christian art. These three pictures on the slide are by different painters: English William Holman Hunt, Chinese He Qi, and African MaFa. Each of them has unique interpretations of this scripture according to their own cultures.
My VST Field education training has been at Canadian Memorial United since September. In the past three months, I have worked with the youth group of “Burrard St. Story Guild” together to bring this story to the stage. The name of the play is “Dwelling Place,” which means Holy Presence is everywhere, stay alert, and God is near.
These paintings’ detailed expressions inspire us on how to perform our roles on stage. From brainstorming to presenting the production, it is quite a unique experience, and I have strong feelings that acting on the characters will help you understand the scripture from a different perspective.
Joseph, Mary and Jesus go up to the Passover festival according to the custom. This is a Multiple-Day journey from Nazareth to the holy city. Moreover, Luke said that they fulfilled the 7 days of Passover in Jerusalem. Such attendance demonstrates that this family is serious and pious.
It’s like our traditional holidays, Christmas or the Lunar New Year. Each family is busy shopping, decorating, and cooking, and they also observe their traditions, such as attending church services on Christmas Eve or going to the temple to burn incense for a blessing on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
After Passover is over, while the family is returning home, the boy Jesus stays behind in Jerusalem, but Mary and Joseph are unaware of this. Thinking he is in their company; they travel on for a day. Then, they begin looking for him among their relatives and friends. But they do not find him. They are very anxious and worried about his whereabouts and go back to Jerusalem in search of their son. After three days, they find him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them, asking them questions, and also providing answers. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. Mary and Joseph were astonished at their son. However, Mary, still, said, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” Jesus said, “Why were you searching for me? I am in my father’s house.” Mary and Joseph were confused about what Jesus said. Maybe they answered, “Oh, come on, my son, we bring you here every year. But now you need to come home with us.” Luke said clearly that they did not understand what Jesus was saying to them (Luke 2:50). What did they not understand? Surely, they did not understand that Jesus was referring to God as his father.
It is Luke who gives us the understanding of the virgin birth (Luke 1:28), the incarnation that Jesus is the Son of God, they do not yet fully understand what plan God has for his son, such as a ministry that will be in death and resurrection. Nothing was mentioned about these by Gabriel (Luke 1:28), the shepherds (Luke 2:16-18), Simeon (Luke 2:29-33) and Anna (Luke 2:38). And they serve as examples of the lack of understanding, even the disciples do not understand Jesus’ reference to his death. It is not until Luke 24, after the resurrection, that he brought them understanding. So, it is no doubt that Mary and Joseph are among the group to whom Jesus speaks with clarity, but his word does not fully make sense to them.
Jesus was 12 years old in the temple; we know that something dramatic happened to him. The scripture does not tell us, but the artistic director wrote this dramatic scene into our play “Dwelling Place”: A Dove, symbolizing the Holy Presence is in the Holy of Holies. When Jesus left the temple to the market with their parents, Jesus saw a Dove from the Holy of Holies flying over into the market and followed it. The flying Dove guided Jesus in the market for a while and then back to the temple. Jesus experienced that God is not only in the Holy of Holies but also outside of the temple. Jesus receives a revelation from God. Luke did not mention this in the Scriptures, but Luke said that since then, Jesus’ life has changed., “Jesus was obedient to his parents and went home with them. Since then, he has grown up and matured into boyhood and young adulthood. He fulfilled the responsibilities expected of the eldest son, and then, at some point, Joseph disappeared from the scene, and Jesus became the “man of the family.” He worked as a carpenter, supported his family, loved God, and proved himself utterly faithful before formally entering his ministry” (Luke 2:51-52).
In Ancient times, a 12-year-old boy would be going to transition to Jewish adulthood. In our time, a 12-year-old is generally considered a preteen or tween and is likely in middle school or junior high. At this age, children are experiencing many physical, mental, emotional, and social changes. Turning 12 years old is the key moment of our whole life.
My son, John, was baptized around his 12th birthday at WPG United Church. Since that time, I have been overjoyed to witness the positive changes in his life. Now, he is 24 years old, and no matter which city he chooses to live in, the first thing he does after he settles down is to find a church community.
One day, when the youth group gathered in a circle, several members began sharing special experiences when they were 12 years old. All of these experiences made them feel as though they had suddenly matured. The youth group leader also entertained a magic trick: A loop is formed by attaching the ends of a strip of paper together with a half-twist, and a double-length loop is produced. ( I will demonstrate this magic trick to the congregation.) Wow, Is that magic? This trick illustrates concepts in mathematics and conveys a more profound truth about life: when we are willing to choose to change and adjust our perspectives and open ourselves to new things, we can discover a broader view and make a change in our lives.
The Burrard St. Story Guild of Canadian Memorial United presents “Dwelling Place” to the whole Canadian Memory United congregation on Sunday, November 24. We also invited the congregation to bring their photos from when they were 12 years old. During Sunday worship, all the pictures are displayed in front of the church.
There are around 200 people to watch this play on Sunday. At the end of the play, the congregation is invited forward for a blessing from the children and youth. A round pocket mirror is given to each person. On the back of the mirror, it is said, “You are known, You are seen, You are loved.” Every time when you look into this mirror, you know that you are known, you are seen, you are loved. Stay alert. God is near. Amen.