Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹² You are chosen by God. He loves you and has made you holy. So then, care for one another. Be kind. Do not be proud. Be humble. Be patient.

¹³ Be patient with one another. If any one has a complaint against another, forgive that one. Christ forgave you. So you should forgive each other.

¹⁴ Beside all these, you must have love. This joins everything together as it should be.

¹⁵ Hold on to the peace of God which is in your hearts. You were called to have peace because you are all like one body. Be thankful.

¹⁶ Let your hearts be filled with the word of Christ. Be very wise when you teach people and help them to understand what is right and wrong. Sing with music. Sing praises and Christian songs. Sing to the Lord with praise in your hearts.

¹⁷ Whatever you say, or whatever you do, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. Give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.

⁴¹ Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast [a special time to thank God].

⁴² When Jesus was twelve years old, they went to Jerusalem for the feast as they always did.

⁴³ After the days of the feast were finished, they started home. But the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it.

⁴⁴ They thought he was coming with the rest of the people. They travelled one day. Then they looked for him among their family and friends.

⁴⁵ But they did not find him. So they went back to Jerusalem and looked for him.

⁴⁶ On the third day they found him in the temple. He was sitting in front of the teachers of the law. He was listening to them and asking them questions.

⁴⁷ All who heard him were surprised at what he knew and his answers.

⁴⁸ His parents were surprised when they saw him. His mother said to him, `Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you. We have been very troubled.'

⁴⁹ He said to them, `Why did you look for me? Did you not know that I had to be in my Father's house?'

⁵⁰ They did not understand what he meant.

⁵¹ He went with them back to Nazareth and obeyed them. But his mother remembered all these things.

⁵² Jesus grew and became wiser and taller. He pleased God and also people.