December 15 – Filled with Wisdom
39 When they had completed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 The boy grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God’s grace was on him. Luke 2:39-40
Filled with Wisdom
We just took Christmas pictures of our family, and I was struck by how fast time passes. It feels like just few weeks ago I was holding my newborn son and snuggling him. Now he is sixteen and my daughter just turned thirteen this past weekend! Wow!
I feel like my children have grown up so quickly. During this season, I wonder how Mary felt as her Son grew up. Did it feel like the years flew by? Did she store up memories like treasures in her heart?
No Longer a Baby
In the December 12 Devotional and December 14 Devotional, we learned about Joseph and Mary’s trip to the Jerusalem temple with the baby Jesus and their interactions with Simeon and Anna. Today’s devotional picks up right after that account.
39 When they [Joseph and Mary] had completed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 The boy grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God’s grace was on him. Luke 2:39-40
Back to Normal Life
After all the miracles surrounding the birth of Jesus and the trip to the temple, Mary and Joseph take their son home to Nazareth and life settles into a routine. The Bible doesn’t tell us what that normal life of theirs looked like exactly, but it does tell us that he grew up and became strong.
The next section of this chapter picks back up when Jesus is twelve years old. From a baby in a manger to twelve years old. In the in between there had to be mundane days of feeding, napping, potty training, chores, housework, learning, playing – days that may have seemed endless while they occurred, but fleeting in hindsight.
A Special Child
Obviously, Jesus was a special child, but he still had to be raised, and by the age of twelve, He was “filled with wisdom, and God’s grace was on him.” I don’t know how many twelve year olds you know, but as loveable as they may be, I wouldn’t describe many of them as full of wisdom. This was unusual!
Wisdom and strength belong to God;
counsel and understanding are his. Job 12:13
Job states that wisdom belongs to God! Jesus was fully man and fully God, having the wisdom and grace of His Father in Him and on Him, even at a young age.
With great wisdom comes great…
It occurs to me that with great wisdom would come with an awareness of how lacking in wisdom the rest of the world was. Was it frustrating to Jesus when he would bump up against human arrogance and stupidity? Did adults think he was “too big for his britches” when he was so full of wisdom at twelve?
I mean, I have met many teenagers who think they know it all. Imagine if they actually did! I think it is not an accident that right after “filled with wisdom” we learn that “God’s grace was on him.”
December 15 Devotional Action Step:
When we feel like we know something or have some wisdom, I think we can learn from the young Jesus. Let’s sprinkle some of God’s grace in light of the opinions of others (even when they seem stupid to us). This Christmas season is a difficult one for so many people, full of stresses and heartache.
When they act or react with idiocy, anger, hatred, or irritation, let’s choose how we respond – with the grace of God – as Christians who have “grown up” and matured in Christ.
Prayer:
Dear God, help me to spread Your wisdom and grace in the world this season. When someone does something that frustrates me, remind me to respond with grace and love like Jesus. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Access to the other posts in this series and the free printables for this December can be found at the Series Overview page. Come join me as I pursue the peace and joy on the Savior’s birth throughout the month of December!