Lost and Found for Jerusalem

You see our son? E tall reach like dis. Twelve years old. One mother dey push through di crowd, her heart dey beat fast. One father dey check every face. One day don pass. Two days. Three.

Every year, Mary and Joseph dey make di long journey from Nazareth go up to Jerusalem for di feast of Passover. Na di big festival wey dey come every year around March or April, when God people dey remember how e rescue dem from slavery for Egypt. When Jesus reach twelve years, dem go up as dem dey always do, and e go with dem. Imagine di roads as dem full with families from every village, dem dey sing as dem dey waka, children dey run for between di donkeys. And then Jerusalem itself: di streets full, smell of lamb wey dem dey roast, and di temple dey shine for top of im hill.

When di festival finish, di families from Nazareth start di journey back house together. Mary and Joseph think say Jesus dey somewhere inside di group, maybe e dey waka with im cousins or im friends. Di group big. So dem travel one whole day, and dem no even think about am. Dat evening, when di group stop to sleep, dem begin find am among dem relatives and dem friends. Dem go from one fire to another fire. Nobody see am. Jesus no dey there.

Imagine di waka back. One full day journey, dem dey follow every step back, dem dey wonder. Then dem dey search di city wey full with people. Di markets. Di streets where dem stay. Di places where dem eat. Luke say na after three days dem find am. And where e dey? E no lost at all. E dey for di temple yard, e sit down among di teachers of di law, e dey listen to dem and e dey ask dem questions. And everybody wey hear am surprise for how e understand and for im answers. One boy from small village, wey dey stand im ground with di big scholars of Jerusalem.

Im parents surprise too, but di relief come out di way relief dey always come out. Mary talk, My son, why you do us like dis? Your papa and me don dey find you, our heart no rest at all. Jesus answer with im own question. Why una dey find me? Una no know say I must dey for my Father house? Some translations say, about my Father business. Anyhow e be, di point clear. E call God im Father. And Luke confess say Mary and Joseph no understand wetin e mean.

But di story no end with Jesus wey stay for di temple. E go down with dem go Nazareth, and Luke say e obey dem. Di same boy wey make di teachers surprise go house and dey help im mama and im papa. And Mary, Luke tell us, keep all dese things for her heart like treasure. Then Luke sum up di years wey follow for one sentence. Jesus grow for wisdom and for body, and God and people dey favour am.

How parents go travel one whole day and dem no notice say dem son no dey? Di law of Moses call di people make dem go up to God sanctuary for three big festivals every year, and Passover na one of dem. Pilgrims dey usually travel for big groups of relatives and neighbours, for company and for safety for road. Luke himself say Mary and Joseph think say Jesus dey inside di group. Children dey naturally waka from one family go another, so if boy of twelve years no show for one day, e no strange at all.

Lost and found for Jerusalem. You go find am for Luke chapter two, verse forty-one to fifty-two. Na di only story wey di Gospels tell about Jesus between when e be baby and when e become man, and e show am as boy wey hungry to learn about im Father, and wey humble reach to go house and obey im parents. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Which questions about God you go like ask, and who you fit ask dis week?