Where Is Your Child?

Dear reader, let us go in our thoughts to the main road which leads from Galilee to Jerusalem. There our attention is drawn to a large group of people who, while singing, are traveling to Jerusalem, the city of the great King. They are the pilgrims who, in obedience to God's command (Deuteronomy 16:16), are going to appear before the Lord in the place which He has chosen, namely, His holy temple.

Among the vast multitude there is one who is especially worthy of our attention. It is a young lad of twelve years old from Nazareth, who for the first time is accompanying the multitude that kept holyday. According to the law, the youths of twelve years of age were to go for the first time. What is it that is special about this one lad? He is the Christ of God, the Lord Himself, the Son of God, who as a young lad walks in the midst of them. The multitude is singing songs, of which He is the content, and He sings with them. They are going up to eat the paschal lamb, and the paschal Lamb walks with them. They plead that they might meet the Lord there, and He is with them. He is traveling with them. They play, they speak with Him, but they do not know that He Himself is their Savior, their Redeemer. We will not speak further of this.

Finally their purpose comes into view. Singing and rejoicing, they enter the gates of Jerusalem, and they exclaim,

Jerusalem, where blessing waits,
Our feet are standing in thy gates,
Here shall we bring our supplications.

Then they ascend the temple mount and enter the glorious house of God. These are wonderful hours; unforgettable moments are experienced. Indeed, these feasts could be said to be family feasts.

Jerusalem was the city of God, and the temple was God's palace. There the Lord dwelt and reigned under the wings of the cherubim. At these great feasts the families came together from far and near. Then, so to speak, the Father was in the center and all the children gathered around the Father. Then men ate and drank and rejoiced as in God's nearness. That these were pleasant days can be understood by all who have learned to sing with Asaph, “But it is good for me to draw near to God.”

Our forefathers spoke of golden hours of short duration. That was experienced by the multitude that kept holyday. Far too quickly was the service ended, and then the company of people returned homewards, joyful and strengthened according to the inward man. They were busy talking with each other about all the glorious things they had seen and enjoyed. In this way they went a day's journey. It was then that Mary and Joseph came to the realization that they had lost their child. “Where is our child, our son?” they asked the pilgrims. “Have you seen our son?” They wrung their hands despairingly. “We did not look after him. It is our own fault, and now he is gone.”

People asked Mary, “Where is thy son?” and each time she must answer, “I do not know.” He who was entrusted to them by God was lost!

May I ask you a question, parents? Where is your child? Where are your sons, your daughters, those entrusted to you by the Lord? How terrible it is for many parents when their child is lost, their having not watched over him. Now they are gone. Where are they now?

One day you will have to stand before the judgment seat of Him who has entrusted you with them. Then He will ask, “Where is your child?” Then the Lord will require them of your hand. It will be terrible if we have lost them because of our own fault.

Indeed, because of their own fault many parents have lost their child. They have been concerned about many things. They go to church, attend meetings, go to gatherings of God's people, visit family members, and the like. And what about the children? Your children are gone before we realize it, parents. You will understand what we mean by “being gone.” Oh, it behooves us to be more observant regarding our children. Our children must be of greater concern, also by office-bearers. Do you make certain that they are in church and at catechism classes, and whether there is fruit upon their participation? Are the questions also asked at family visitation, “Where is your child? Where are the children? Do you carry them before the Lord in prayer?”

No, we do not want to cast stones at Joseph and Mary. Yet we cannot neglect to express our amazement that they had gone a day's journey without thinking about their dear child. Oh, those who speak of a “holy mother of God” will have some semblance of an excuse for this. However, we in all simplicity observe that it is not because of Mary that we are still able to rejoice in the possessing of the Lord Jesus, for she had lost Him. If Jesus had not provided better for Mary than she had for Him, then it would have had a sad ending. Indeed, if the Lord did not provide for us, and our salvation was dependent upon Mary, the results would have been very sad. But, “Hosanna!” we have a Jesus who testifies in truth of us, His sheep, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:28).

How privileged are those parents who in time observe their loss and may find their children again where Mary found her child.

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