Even Jesus Had to Grow!

Some growing is easy! A child doesn’t have to think to make themselves add on inches to their height. For most of us adults growing around the waistline happens much easier than we want!

But most growing is difficult. It typically takes lots of work and effort. An athlete must work hard to grow in his sport. A student must study hard to grow in his knowledge. A married couple must intenionally work on their marriage to grow in their intimacy and love.

Even Jesus had to work to grow. Luke gives us a story of Jesus as a 12 year old boy. His emphasis in telling the story is to show that Christ was growing as a young boy (Luke 2:40; 52). Even though Jesus was the Son of God, his divine knowledge and abilities were limited by the bondage of human flesh (Phil. 2:5-8).

Luke says Jesus “increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man” (2:52). The term used here for “increased” involves the idea of continuously increasing and growing. He was making progress. It is a term literally meaning “to cut toward” or “to cut forward a way.” The word picture is one of an explorer cutting a path through heavy brush and weeds. It is painstaking, backbreaking work of clearing a pathway and making progress toward a goal. There are constant obstacles that have to be removed in order to reach the goal. Jesus was working hard to grow mentally, physically, socially, and spiritually.

Jesus had to apply himself! God didn’t just give him an easy pathway. He had to put effort into growing. This is a powerful and encouraging thought for us. Growing is difficult. Its takes disciplined effort. If you want to grow in any area, be it mentally, physically, socially, or spiritually, you have to cut forward the path. You have to sweat! You have to work hard! You have to apply yourself. It doesn’t just happen. It didn’t just happen for Jesus and it won’t just happen for you.