Calvary Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Debra May Cerra
December 27, 2009

Colossians 3:12-17 (NRSV) As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Luke 2:41-52 (NRSV) Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43 When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44 Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day's journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety." 49 He said to them, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.

“Searching for Jesus”

          When my son, Joe, was young, it was our tradition to put baby Jesus in the crèche just before leaving for Christmas Eve service. Usually, as we were running out the door for church, Joe would remember to do this. Then he would have to go back, retrieve the figure from the drawer and ever so gently place baby Jesus near Mary and Joseph. A few times we were almost late for service because of this ritual!
          Well, as you might have guessed, this tradition took on a new twist as Joe aged. Soon baby Jesus found new spots to rest until Christmas Eve – behind a picture frame, in an old bird’s nest on the Christmas Tree, among the many Christmas Cards received that year. Jesus never moved too far from his final destination but seemed to hop from place to place within the month of December. The way it worked was that, if Joe found where I had place Jesus, he’d find a better and more secure hiding place. Naturally, as mother, I did the same. And so the tradition grew into a “hide and seek” sort of ritual.
          Then it happened. One Christmas Eve there was no baby Jesus. Somehow, he had been hidden so well that neither Joe nor I could remember where he was. We spent a good deal of time searching for Jesus after church service that Christmas Eve but, lo and behold, on Christmas morning our crèche remained Jesus-less.
          Days later, when I was packing up the Christmas decorations, the reality of an incomplete manger scene set hit me. All my searching for Jesus had been unsuccessful. Baby Jesus was lost. That year the nativity set retired without the baby.
          As with many stories, there is another chapter. The following spring we moved from Lansdale, Pa to Calvary’s manse. Boxes were unpacked, the house was in order and I was in full swing as pastor of this church.
One day during that summer, while out on the screened porch, I bumped a bird feeder that sat in the corner as decoration. It rattled. Thinking that was weird because it hadn’t rattled when I put it there months ago, I opened it. There, with nary a scratch, lay baby Jesus!
I had given up searching for Jesus. I thought the ceramic figure was gone for good. But that was not the case. Jesus was never really lost – I just didn’t look in the right place!
This morning we read about another time when people were searching for Jesus.  Twelve year old Jesus and his parents had traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. When Passover ended, Mary, Joseph and the others left Jerusalem, but, unbeknownst to anyone, Jesus stayed behind. Thinking he was with other relatives, his parent journeyed for a whole day before they realized Jesus was missing.
Frantic as to his whereabouts, Mary and Joseph returned to Jerusalem. “The next day they found Jesus in the Temple seated among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. The teachers were all quite taken with him, impressed with the sharpness of his answers. But his parents were not impressed; they were upset and hurt. His mother said, ‘Young man, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been half out of our minds looking for you.’ Jesus said, ‘Why were you looking for me? Didn't you know that I had to be here, dealing with the things of my Father?’” (46-49)
This story about young Jesus rings with parental matters, teenage issues, and family life questions – all of which are important and provide a window into the humanity of Jesus. But I believe the main point is established in the response Jesus gives to his parents: “Why were you looking for me? Didn't you know that I had to be here, dealing with the things of my Father?" (49)
          This is Jesus’ first personal statement about his unique relationship with God. “Just as the birth narrative revealed Jesus as God’s Son, this story provides a transitional marker emphasizing his growing self-knowledge of his need to be ‘in his Father’s house.’ (49)
Throughout the Gospels, the unique relationship between God, the Father, and Jesus, the Son, is noted many times. But it is when Jesus visits Jerusalem at the end of his life that the ownership of the temple is again noted. This time, as Jesus returns to the temple to drive out those who were selling things, he says: ‘My house shall be a house of prayer; but you have made it a den of robbers.” (Luke 19:46)
          You see, Jesus is at home in God’s house which is also His house. The Father’s house is the Son’s house. But ownership doesn’t stop there. We, as God’s children, are also invited to consider God’s house as our house. The Gospel of John records Jesus saying to his friends – to us: ‘There is plenty of room for you in my Father's home. If that weren't so, would I have told you that I'm on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I'm on my way to get your room ready, I'll come back and get you so you can live where I live.” (John 14:2-3) The Father’s house is the Son’s house and the Son, Jesus, invites us to make it our house too! There is no separation, no dividing line. We have been invited into the humanity and divinity of Jesus! We are part of God’s plan!
          So how did we fare this December in keeping with God’s plan? Sure, we made it through the Advent season – the waiting and preparing for the coming of Christ. And we made it through Christmas 2009. We’ve done our visiting and gifting and eating. We’ve sung our carols and attended Christmas Eve service. We did what we needed to do – and, in the process, we think we found Jesus.
          But that is not possible. Friends, we can never find Jesus. When we put this story of young Jesus together with what we now know about our Savior, Jesus, we realize that Jesus is NEVER lost. We don’t need to find Him for He is always about His business – always with the Father – always with us.
Remember my story of the lost baby. I had given up searching for Jesus. I thought the ceramic figure was gone for good. But that was not the case. Jesus was never really lost – I just didn’t look in the right place!
Sisters and brothers, are you searching for Jesus? Are you looking in the right place? Remember, Jesus is never LOST but maybe you are.
You need to check your hearts. For your heart is Christ’s home. That’s where Jesus is - beckoning us to Himself. We don’t have to waste time searching for Jesus. He’s right here, in our midst and he is calling us to come. When we open our hearts and our lives to Christ, we will be God’s home.
Amen and amen.