March 13
Rapt in the contemplation of these scenes, He did not remain beside His parents. He sought to be alone. When the paschal services were ended, He still lingered in the temple courts; and when the worshipers departed from Jerusalem, He was left behind.
Desire of Ages, page 78 from the chapter, 'The Passover visit'
My son Timothy went walkabout. Two hours later we found him. He probably deserved a smacked bottom but he didn’t get it. He probably deserved a good talking to. He didn’t get that either. Let’s face it, how on earth do you reason with a 2 year old who should never have been left alone by his Mum and Dad? Guilt and shame went hand in hand – with the love we showed our son. He, of course, had a wonderful time being looked after by a lady well down the road from where we lived.
Mary and Joseph had a teenager in tow, but thankfully their son was Jesus. You could rely on Jesus being reliable, but in Jerusalem the dutiful son was a new man with new interests. He was silent as they left the temple and had shown unusual interest in the scribes discussing the scriptures.
There are times when we feel guilty and deserve to feel guilt. There are times when we do our very best but things happen. Those are the times to learn and not to beat yourself up.
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