The only gospel account that shares this incident is Luke. This one is full of advice for us as Christians. It starts out with Jesus not being in their mind set (v 43). They knew it not! Alas, how many times do we as a church meet and if it were not for His promise that where two or three are gathered together in His name He is present (Matthew 18:20), it might be a sad gathering. When Jesus, however is present, His business is in high gear. We praise and glorify His name. Mundane things fall by the wayside as secondary importance (v 49). Earthly wisdom, gives place for spiritual truths, falls into the ditches often confused by our degrees (v 46-47). How often the Lord only knows, Jesus is missed, but not noticed in our services? (v 43).
We suppose Him to be in our midst, but that is not enough (v 44). Acute awareness must constantly be sought that He is always sought and found in our services. A famous evangelist said if Jesus comes back on a Sunday morning during the church hour, there would hardly be a ripple in the church. That may seem a bit harsh, but when pastors look out over their congregations at the bland faces, they may question the veracity of that statement.
Making sure we seek the Lord intimately (v 44) and not in the wrong place is critical. Where is your worship experience? Are you seeking Jesus? He, Jesus, may seem far away, but rest assured He is not away! If you seek His presence, you will find it! He is found and loved among His children (v 43). Whatever it takes, find Him. They sought Jesus for three days. The results of finding Him is always rewarding. He gives us a clear understanding of the word (v 47).
True Holy Ghost preaching is always clear to the child of God and, pastors, you must pray for clarity in your discourse. May we reach the place in our attitudes of church attendance that the temple (church) is our favorite place to go. Jerry Spencer’s quotation is, “I don’t have to go to church, or pray, or study, but I get to.” When our “have to” turns to “get to,” we are on the right track. Notice that their negligence was misplaced (v 44). They blamed Him for not being there instead of their assuring that He was there. Do we also take that for granted? They expressed their sorrow when they discovered He was not in their midst. I’m not sure I understand what it is like to preach in power and presence of Jesus, but I sure have experienced it at one time or another preaching without it. May our singular good be to seek His presence.
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