Where Is Your Child?

Beloved reader, in our minds we turn to the highway which ran from Galilee to Jerusalem. There our attention is caught by a broad multitude of people who were singing while traveling toward Jerusalem, the city of the great King. They were the pilgrims who went up in obedience to God’s command (Deuteronomy 16:16) to appear before the Lord in the place the Lord had chosen, namely, His holy temple.

There was One among that great multitude who is particularly worthy of our attention. He was a boy from Nazareth, twelve years old. So, for the first time He went with the multitude that kept holyday.

By law, the children of twelve went along for the first time. What was special about that boy? He was the Christ of God, the Lord Himself, the Son of God, who walked in their midst as a boy.

That multitude of people sang songs of which He was the subject, and Jesus Himself sang along. They went up to eat the Paschal Lamb, and the Paschal Lamb walked in their midst. They sighed to meet the Lord, and He was with them; He walked with them. They played and talked with Him, and they did not know that He Himself was their Saviour, their Redeemer. We will not dwell on that now.

Finally, the destination came into view, and singing and cheering they passed through Jerusalem’s gate. There they could sing:

Jerusalem, where blessing waits,

Our feet are standing in thy gates.

They climbed the temple mount, and there they entered that glorious house of God. Wonderful hours, unforgettable moments were experienced. After all, those feasts were, so to speak, family feasts.

Jerusalem was the city of God, and the temple was God’s palace, where the Lord lived and enthroned under the wings of the cherubim. Now, at those set feasts the family came together from far and wide. Then, so to speak, Father was in the midst and all the children gathered around Father. Then they ate and drank and rejoiced as if in God’s presence. That those were sweet days will be understood by everyone who 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. This was also experienced by this multitude who kept holyday. All too soon the service was over. Then the caravan headed home again, cheerful and strengthened inwardly, busily talking to one another about all the wonderful things they saw and enjoyed. Thus, they traveled on for a day’s journey. Then Mary and Joseph discovered that they had lost their Child. “Where is our Child, our Son?” they asked the pilgrims. “Have you seen our Boy?” They wrung their hands in despair. They had not looked after Him. They think it was their own fault, and now He was gone. Everyone asked Mary, “Where is your Son?” Every time she had to answer, “I do not know.” They had lost what was entrusted unto them by God.

May I ask you, parents, where is your child? Where is your son, your daughter, those who are entrusted unto you by the Lord? Terrible, so many parents whose children are lost. Not having paid attention to them, now they are gone. Where are they?

One day you will stand before the judgment seat of Him who entrusted them to you. Then He will ask you, where is your child? The Lord will require this from your hand. How terrible if we have lost them through our own fault.

Yes, through their own fault, so many parents have lost their children.

They pay attention to everything. They go to church, attend meetings, visit the company of the godly, go on family visits…and the children? Your children are gone before you realize it, parents.

Oh, how much more the children should be looked after. How much more should be asked after the children, also by the ministers and elders of the congregation. Do you pay attention to the children, whether they attend church and catechism class, and if they attend the worship services with fruit? Do the elders ask during house visitations: Where is your child? Where are your children? Do you commend the children in prayer?

No, we do not want to cast stones at Joseph and Mary. Yet, we cannot help but express our amazement that they could go a day’s journey without thinking of their dear boy.

Oh certainly, those who babble about “a holy mother of God” know how to make a beautiful pretense here, too. However, we in our simplicity would like to note that it is not because of Mary that we still rejoice in having the Lord Jesus because she had lost Him, and if Jesus had not taken better care of Mary than she took care of Him, her end would have been very sad. Yes, if the Lord had not taken care of us, if our salvation had depended on Mary, our case would have been very sad.

But, Hosanna! We have a Jesus who in truth testifies about 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).

Blessed are those parents who grieve their loss in time and who may find their children where Mary found hers.

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