Three Days Wey Dem Take Search

Una see our boy? E be twelve years old. Black hair. We think say e dey with im cousins. Every parent know dat feeling. Di cold wey suddenly catch your belle. Where e dey?

Every year, Mary and Joseph dey make di long journey from Nazareth go Jerusalem for di feast of di Passover. E dey take many days with leg, and dem no dey go alone. Whole villages dey travel together, with grandparents and uncles and aunties and plenty children, dem dey sing di psalms of ascent as dem dey climb go di holy city. Dis year Jesus don be twelve, almost man by di custom of im people. Jerusalem full with pilgrims. Di feast dey last one week. And when e finish, di big group of travellers start journey go home.

Mary and Joseph waka one full day go north. Dem no dey worry. Twelve-year-old boy for big travelling group of family and friends fit dey anywhere: for front with di young men, or for back with di cousins. But when evening reach and di families gather to camp, dem look for am among dia relatives and di people wey dem know. Dem ask. Dem search. E no dey there. Nobody don see am since Jerusalem.

So dem turn back. One day of waka go back to di city, and then search wey no get rest through streets and markets wey full. One day. Two days. Imagine Mary for night, she no fit sleep. Dis na di pikin wey di angel promise. Di pikin wey she carry go Egypt and back. And she don lose am. For di third day, dem climb go inside di temple courts. And see am there. E sit down among di teachers of di law, e dey listen to dem, and e dey ask dem questions. Luke talk say everybody wey hear am dey wonder for im understanding and im answers.

Im parents wonder too, but Mary relief come out di way e dey come out for every parent. My son, why you do us like dis? See, your papa and I don dey find you with worry for heart. And Jesus answer with di first words of im wey Luke write down. Why una dey find me? Una no know say I must dey for my Father house? Mary talk, your papa. Jesus gently talk about another Father. Luke add, with honesty, say dem no understand wetin e mean. Even Mary and Joseph still dey learn who dis boy really be.

Di law of Moses call every Jewish man to appear before di Lord three times every year, for Passover, Pentecost and di Feast of Tabernacles. Later Jewish teaching, wey dem gather inside di Mishnah, talk say when boy reach thirteen, e don become responsible to keep di commandments. So at twelve, Jesus dey near dat step. Jewish teachers for di temple courts dey teach openly, and to ask question and answer na di normal way to learn.

Three Days Wey Dem Take Search. You go find am for Luke chapter two, verse forty-one reach fifty. One boy wey get lost, but wey no really lost, because e dey exactly where e belong. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Where you dey go to listen to God and ask am your questions?