On Solid Ground

“Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” Luke 2:48

I usually had no problem being obedient even if people would say my parents had some absurd rules. Like we always needed a chaperone when we went out with a guy.  Even when Peggy was a widow already, had a daughter and was back living with my parents, she needed a chaperone to go out with Charlie, who eventually became her husband. One time, my sisters did not want to go out with me, so I asked my dad to accompany me. I was invited by a neighbor to a rally of the preacher Greg Laurie, and I knew my dad listened to him. I didn’t really consider it a date, but my friend did not appreciate my chaperone. He asked when we went off to get some drinks, and left my dad guarding our seats, “Patsy, why did you do this to me?” I suppose I was quite heartless for I laughed in amusement. I got reminded of this when I read the gospel reading for today. 

What was in Jesus’ mind when He did not tell His parents where He was off to? Didn’t he know they would worry? Wouldn’t it have been a simple thing to just tell them he didn’t want to go home yet? I suppose He was just so focused on getting the truth out, so more and more people would have solid ground to stand on in terms of faith. We can surmise all we want, but we will never really know until we get to heaven and ask Jesus Himself. There are many questions we have about the Bible, and that is perfectly all right. We should not be afraid to ask questions about our faith, about Jesus and about the Bible. 

What is important is we get the fundamental basics right. For instance, some people refuse to believe that Jesus was a real person, even with all the proof, even when historians, Christian and non-Christian alike, agree that Jesus was a real person, He existed and He died on the cross.  There is more testimony for Jesus’ existence than Alexander the Great’s! A majority of scholars even agree that Jesus rose from the dead! Without the resurrection, there would be NO Christianity, it would fall like the Tower of Babel. So I listen to a lot of apologetics, the religious discipline of defending the the truth of the Christian faith through systematic argumentation and discourse. 

The talk of American historian and New Testament research scholar, Gary Habermas, entitled 'The Resurrection Evidence that Changed a Generation of Scholars', shows us the recent developments in historical scholarship which allow even a sceptic to conclude that Jesus rose from the dead.  I may not understand half of what he says, BUT I know that the resurrection of Jesus can bear scrutiny. My faith rests on solid ground.