The Main Thing

As I have noted before, I receive a daily devotional from a pastor friend of mine, Larry Lilly. As I read today’s letter, I was struck by this quotation: “Keeping the main thing, the main thing, is the main thing.” In support of this thought, Pastor Lilly cited the words of our Lord to Joseph and Mary, when He was but a lad of twelve years old.

Luke 2:49  And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

Joseph and Mary together with the child Jesus had gone up to Jerusalem to keep the annual Passover. When Joseph and Mary returned home, Jesus stayed behind. Joseph and Mary assumed Jesus was among the kinsfolk and acquaintance. Being about a day into the return trip, Joseph and Mary sought Jesus and could not find Him. They then went back to Jerusalem and after three days found Him in the temple engaged in questions and answers with the doctors of the law, who were astonished at our young Lord’s understanding and answers. The above passage is our Lord’s response to His mother’s inquiry when she found Him.

Luke 2:48  And when they (Joseph and Mary) saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.

When Joseph and Mary found Jesus, He was in the temple dealing with the matters of the law, which would have been the topic of discussion in the temple. He was busying Himself in matters of doctrine. This He called “my Father’s business.” It is obvious that He attached a greater priority to this than to the sorrow of Joseph and Mary. They should have understood that He had to be about His Father’s business. Jesus was not lost. He was right where He belonged.

Now the thing that leaps out at me in this passage is that our Lord attached more importance to His Father’s business than to the concern and feelings of Joseph and Mary for Him. For Him, the Father’s business was the main thing. He would not allow the concerns and emotions of His earthly family to get in the way of that main thing. Couple this together with the fact that His Father’s business was dealing with the law of God in the house of God. Our Lord put the doctrine of the word of God ahead of pacifying the feelings of family members.

There are many today that think the main thing is being concerned about people’s feelings. For our Lord, the main thing, the Father’s business, is the doctrine of God. If we would follow the example of our Lord, we would never let pacifying the feelings of people come ahead of the Father’s business. There is certainly a lesson in this for pastors who spend more time stroking people’s feelings than engaging in dialogue and study of the doctrine of God.

So the challenge for today is to identify the main thing, the Father’s business for you. And let the main thing be keeping that main thing the main thing. Believe me, it’s a challenge!