I’ve written before that it was important that Jesus grow up in Nazareth, not the Temple. I want to revisit that in light of the past two days’ meditations on the obituary:

Ed lived the great adventure of seeking God and loving people…

Ed was not a religious professional: he was a food service executive for Marriott. Now let’s look at Jesus:

His parents were shocked to find him [in the Temple], and Mary scolded him, saying, “Son, your father and I have searched for you everywhere! We have been worried sick over not finding you. Why would you do this to us?” Jesus said to them, “Why would you need to search for me? Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be here in my Father’s house, consumed with him?”…Jesus went with them back home to Nazareth and was obedient to them. (Luke 2.48 – 51, Passion Translation)

Was Jesus less consumed with God in Nazareth than he was at the Temple? Was Ed less consumed with God working for Marriott than he would have been had he been in “full-time ministry”? The Apostle Paul was clear:

And don’t be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God’s place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there… Friends, stay where you were called to be. God is there. Hold the high ground with him at your side. (1 Corinthians 7.17, 24, MSG)

I wrote yesterday about how God spoke to me through the obituary of someone I don’t even know:

Seek God, love people, help others do the same

Later, I thought of one of my life verses:

For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel. (Ezra 7.10, NASB)

It ties together:

• Study the Word – not for academic purposes but in order to know God. (You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me. John 5.39, ESV)
• Practice the Word – Jesus said the law of the LORD calls for loving God and loving people (Matthew 22.36 – 39)
• Teach the Word – help others do the same. (Anyone who does not know the teaching, you teach them! Ezra 7.25, MSG)

To put it back into the language of the obituary:

• Study – seek God
• Do – love people
• Teach – help others do the same

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24.27 ESV)

…Through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5.13, 14, ESV)