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48 And when they saw him they were amazed: and his mother said to him, Child, why hast thou dealt thus with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee distressed.

49 And he said to them, Why [is it] that ye have sought me? did ye not know that I ought to be [occupied] in my Father's business?

50 And they understood not the thing that he said to them.

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48 And having seen Him, they were astounded. And His mother said to Him, “Child, why did you do[a] us like this? Behold— Your father and I were looking-for You, while suffering-pain”. 49 And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking-for Me? Did you not know that I must be in[b] the things of My[c] Father? 50 And they did not understand the thing which He spoke to them.

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 2:48 Or, act toward us.
  2. Luke 2:49 That is, engaged in the interests or business of My Father (answering the stated ‘Why’ question); or, located in the possessions or house of My Father (answering the implied ‘Where’ question).
  3. Luke 2:49 Note the contrast with ‘your father’ in v 48.

48 His parents, of course, had a different reaction.

Mary: Son, why have You treated us this way? Listen, Your father and I have been sick with worry for the last three days, wondering where You were, looking everywhere for You.

Jesus: 49 Why did you need to look for Me? Didn’t you know that I must be working for My Father?

Little is recorded about Jesus’ life between His birth and the age of 30. But this one episode tells so much. First, Jesus’ family life is a lot like anyone’s—full of mishaps and misunderstandings. Second, as Jesus enters young adulthood, He begins manifesting an extraordinary sense of identity. (Remember, a 12-year-old isn’t “just a kid” in Israel—he is becoming a man.) He isn’t just “Mary’s boy” or “Joseph’s stepson.” He has a direct relationship with God as His Father, and He knows His life will follow a path of working for God.

50 Neither Mary nor Joseph really understood what He meant by this.

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