Searching For Jesus
When we are outside of Christ and we determine to find him, we seek Him frantically, panicking and sorrowing that He is not found in the places we look for Him. We put our trust in others or in ideas that seem to point us to Christ, but as time goes by, we find that things were not as we supposed. People disappoint us, the authors of our books turn out to be profiteers, pastors prove to be only hirelings, and friends are only as actors in a play, we find no truth, no substance, no reality, no answers.
1. How is it that ye sought me?
Luke 2:49, “And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?”
There are many seeking Christ today. This book will likely share a shelf with many others, the presence of which testifies to the fact that man seeks a relationship with God. But are we seeking God or are we seeking a way into God’s favor? Though subtle, there is a difference.
As the feast drew to a close, the families that ate and played and worshiped together prepared for the long trek home. Assuming Jesus was with other family members of Joseph son of Jacob, they set upon their journey. Then, Jesus was nowhere to be found among the family! His parents sought Him desperately for three days; sorrowing all the while they were searching. They finally found Him conversing with the doctors of the Law in the Temple. He was so assured that they knew where to find Him, He asked, nearly surprised, “How is it that ye sought me? [Didn’t you know]…that I must be about my Father's business?”
When we are outside of Christ and we determine to find him, we seek Him frantically, panicking and sorrowing that He is not found in the places we look for Him. We put our trust in others or in ideas that seem to point us to Christ, but as time goes by, we find that things were not as we supposed. People disappoint us, the authors of our books turn out to be profiteers, pastors prove to be only hirelings, and friends are only as actors in a play, we find no truth, no substance, no reality, no answers.
We do not find the true Christ in the experience of the people around us or their leadership, we do not find Him in churches or seminaries, we do not find Him in books or lectures, sermons or songs, He is neither to be found in philosophies new nor old. We finally collapse in discouragement and despair and can feel it is no use to search any longer.
We even entertain thoughts of conspiracy and sinister plots of illusion, or perhaps we surmise that God is not real at all; it is all fakery and a crutch to the hopeless and fearful, not for a thinking man or one who demands truth! This couldn’t be more mistaken. Just because the real Jesus is not where you look for Him does not mean He does not exist. What you, my friend, need to identify is “The Father’s business.”
One Sabbath day, not much different than any other, everyone gathered at the synagogue to hear the scrolls of Moses and the Prophets read. Men above the age of thirty were given, in turn, the opportunity to read from the Law and or Prophets, with the rest of the rabbis. This Sabbath was different only in that this week, it fell to Jesus, the son of Joseph, to read. He read from Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18-19) Then He closed the book and said, “This day this Scripture is fulfilled in your ears.” Jesus, by reading this and confirming it, here shows us the prophesied and fulfilled mission of Messiah. We may find here, “The Father’s Business.”
The Father’s Business
In our day, it is a little more difficult to “follow” Christ as He asked the disciples to do in Scripture. They simply had to physically follow Him around. By doing so they were shown His work and ministry and made familiar with His way. We must find His way and get in it. This is not difficult to do if we are not “helped” by well-meaning, but misguided persons who tell us what Christ requires of us in no uncertain terms. The problem is that they have no idea either what God expects of them, or us. You must depend rather on the Spirit of God to show you this way and when you find it, you will find Christ. His ministry is to be about the Father’s business.
The Father’s business is opening eyes blinded by hatred and sin, to heal the broken hearted, the life-trodden souls that are only “chess pieces” to the power brokers of the “real” world. The Father’s business is to justify, rectify and set in fair and proper order the heart of desperate man and to make him acceptable in the sight of God. The Father’s business is to preach the Jubilee of the Lord! The year that all is set right!
You will not find on Isaiah’s prophetic list of Messiah’s accomplishments, from which Jesus read, the erecting of church buildings, or the organization of denominations. You will find that God’s business has little to do with conventional Christianity and even less to do with doctrines, creeds, and liturgies. He is not interested in developing philosophies or trite maxims to live by, or in publishing “Seven Easy Steps to Salvation.” He is not wringing His hands over the latest and greatest preacher or songwriter, author or singer, hoping that they will do well and “touch many lives.”
The Father’s business is to seek and to save those who are lost and out of the way, those who seek Him and repent, and those who live without offense to their conscience and know the taste of humility. Why do we search for God in the new and clean buildings when His interest is in alleys and suburbs and wherever His called ones are coming to the light of Christ? When you associate yourself with those who “have,” you are farther from Christ than ever. When you get involved with those who “have not” and feeding the hungry, and helping the helpless, you will be closer to the ministry of Christ than ever before. You must come out of the convention, come out of the ordinary, do something for the one in prison, the one in bed with illness, and empty your closets for those who have needs. In doing so, you will find Christ.
Both of the examples in the story below were surprised when they found Christ was embodied in the poor, the sick, and the hungry ones.
There is sadness in the realization that Christ was in their own community and they did not know it. “Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
Jesus was not found in the religions of the world, nor was He found in some deep meditative state; He was found by those simply doing the Father’s business. You can easily be cheated of His presence and power by running after the schemes concocted by modern teachers and preachers. All the while He may be easily found, in all His fullness, in repulsive places that these fancy, slick talkers and “spiritual guides” will not dare to go.
But fear not. When you do find the real Jesus, the true Messiah, the Son of God, He will comfort you and welcome you as though you had come from a long journey. You will tell Him of your horrible escapades, your close encounters with false prophets and liars of all sorts who told you where to search for Him. You will expound in detail how you almost gave up and thought He was dead! You will feel silly and ashamed when He looks at you and asks, “How is it ye sought for me? Didn’t you know I would be about my Father’s business?”
