For about the past fifteen years, I have made it a point to read the Bible through cover to cover every year. I have used various reading plans to accomplish this over the years. Regardless of whether you are a Christian, an atheist or somewhere in between, it’s not hard to see that the Bible has had a profound effect on our history. There are so many aspects of our culture that is derived from or influenced by the stories and teachings found in the Bible.
If you’ve never set out to read the entire Bible though, I would highly encourage it. You can spend about 15 minutes a day for the entire year and read every word in the Old and New Testaments. A real easy way to find and keep up with a Bible reading plan can be found here. You can even download apps for your phone that has apps for reading plans integrated with the Bible text.
This year, I have decided to do something a little different. Instead of reading the entire Bible through this year, I am going to spend the entire year in just the four books of the Bible known as the Gospels. That is: the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. My reason for cutting back from 66 books to just four this year is that I want to really grok the biblical text. I have a pile of commentaries, study Bibles, other books and Bible software that I plan on using this year to help me understand the text and all it’s implications.
Today one of the passages in the Gospel’s I read was in Luke 2. At the end of this chapter this story of an incident in Jesus’ boyhood.
Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. – Luke 2:41-51 ESV
One part of this passage that really struck me is found in v. 51 where it says:
“And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them.”
While I have read this passage many times over the years, it was almost as if I had never noticed that sentence. I also find it interesting that Luke thought this was significant enough to note. Why is it so important to note that as a boy, Jesus was submissive to his parents? As a bit of a side note, there are scholars that believe that because of the comment that Jesus’ mother “treasured up all these things in her heart” that Luke’s source for this story was likely Mary herself. If this was the case, then why would Mary think it important to say it?
When we hear the word “submission” what comes to mind? Does it bring to mind something negative or something positive? I bet you that by itself, the word likely has a negative connotation. We’re rough and tough Americans. We wave flags that say “Don’t Tread On Me” because we don’t submit to anyone or anything. Would you characterize Dirty Harry as submissive? How about Captain Kirk?
Yet, in this passage we see that even for Jesus there are times that submission is appropriate. It’s important to submit to our parents, to our spouse (both husbands and wives) and to others who are in positions of authority over us. Most importantly, it’s important for us to submit to God.
Do you have a plan for reading the Bible this year?
