Once there lived a little boy,
The first-born Son, his parent’s joy.
Kings and peasants to Him were led,
A price was placed upon His head.
Who in the world a Babe would kill.
Those who would, His voice to still.
Someone came and told His dad,
Run for your life and take this Lad.
They went off to a faraway land,
Of burning desert and shifting sand.
But soon came day when they returned,
And this small Boy, He grew and learned.
He knew His path and knew His place,
And on Him was God’s sweet grace.
Every year His parents went,
A custom kept how they were sent,
To the great city, a pilgrim’s quest,
They made this trek for to be blessed.
Twelve years old and soon a Man,
And on the Word, He made His stand.
Among the teachers, He seemed quite small,
But His knowledge and wisdom amazed them all.
His parents left and went back home,
They thought He was with them; they had not known
That He taught teacher, they learned from Him,
His light shone bright while theirs grew dim.
For three days straight, they looked high and low,
Where He was, they did not know.
In God’s house He was finally found,
They said, “We’ve looked for you all around,
Why did you treat us this here way?”
And this is what He had to say.
“Why’d you look all over for me,
When in my Father’s house I’d be.”
Wiser words were never said,
Do you let them in your heart and head?
Do you go searching everywhere,
When He’s as close as simple prayer?
Do you seek peace with worldly things,
Or choose real shelter beneath His wings?
High and low all men do seek,
But it’s best to look where His name men speak.
In God’s house you’ll find Him there,
For humble hearts, He’s everywhere.
So don’t go looking all over town,
In the Word and prayer, He’ll always be found.
Tertius
“Why were you searching for me?” he asked.
“Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”
Luke 2:49
I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.
I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts.
Psalm 119:99-100
A note about “Boy Wonder”: Shortly before I wrote this, one of the kids in the Sunday School class I teach (5th-8th grade) asked if I could have a lesson on Jesus when He was their age. The only record of this in the Bible is found in Luke chapter two when Mary and Joseph accidently left Him behind in Jerusalem after attending the Passover Festival. I wondered at first how can I extract some wisdom of God’s Kingdom out of this. It didn’t take long for the first words in red in the Book of Luke to glow like hot coals burning in my brain, “Why were you searching for me?” He asked, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s House?” Going to church will not get you to heaven, but… How then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? Romans 10:14. I know from experience you won’t find peace, satisfaction, whatever you want to call it at bars, sports events, concerts, parties, movies or on TV; and again going to church won’t save your soul. But in God’s house His wisdom is learned and if you seek Him, there’s no better place to look. I tell the Sunday School kids all the time, “I’d rather them read their Bible and pray every day than come to church once a week, but if I had a choice, I’d rather they do both! Where are you looking?