“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…” (Luke 2:41–52, ESV)
When you watch the Christmas classic Home Alone, you probably don’t think, “This reminds me of the Bible.” I certainly never did—until I sat down to write this devotion. Yet here we are: Jesus, at just 12 years old, “left behind” in Jerusalem while Mary and Joseph traveled home. Unlike Kevin McCallister, though, Jesus wasn’t eating ice cream for dinner and booby-trapping the house. He was in the temple, asking questions, listening, and amazing teachers of the law with his wisdom.
A Post-Covid Shift
If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s how quickly we can become isolated. As a board member of a nonprofit that runs several events each year, I’ve noticed a sharp downturn in people willing to show up. We’ve become more insular, more hesitant, more comfortable staying home.
And that trend has bled into church life, too. Attendance has dipped. Community has thinned out. Many churches keep running as if nothing has changed, but the truth is: it has.
What Jesus Shows Us
That’s why this passage hits so hard. Jesus, even as a boy, knew the value of being in the Father’s house. He didn’t need to learn from the rabbis—he was the wisdom of God—but he showed us by example that being present in the place of prayer, with people who loved God, mattered.
Some of us fall into the “Lone Ranger” mindset: I don’t need church. I can do faith on my own. But Jesus himself didn’t model isolation. He modeled koinonia—a deep, life-sharing fellowship. The word comes alive in Acts, where believers didn’t just meet once a week but lived as family, sharing struggles, celebrating victories, carrying one another through storms. That kind of church isn’t just an event—it’s a lifeline.
Why It Matters
And here’s the kicker: Luke ends this passage by noting that Jesus was submissive to his parents. Imagine that—the Son of God himself honoring the commandment to obey father and mother. Even in his authority, he modeled humility. Even in his wisdom, he chose submission.
That’s the kind of example we need today: showing up in community, committing to one another, and choosing humility over pride.
If you’ve drifted into isolation—whether from church, from friends, or from serving—take this passage as your nudge. Show up. Reconnect. Join the fellowship, not just as a spectator but as a participant. True koinonia doesn’t just change you—it transforms communities, cities, and nations.
Don’t do faith alone. Do it together. That’s how Jesus modeled it.
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