NOTES for Luk 2:52

We know almost nothing about Jesus' childhood and youth. That is not surprising: the evangelists focused their attention on Jesus' messianic ministry, on the reason for which He came into the world. But He came here like every human being. The difference was only one thing: His nature was not touched by original sin. It had no share in it to any degree. From the very beginning it was completely free from it. But the process by which this human nature of Jesus came to maturity was the same as it should have been according to God's design for human nature. And according to this design, the physical and psychological formation of a person should be accompanied by his spiritual formation.

When the matter concerns nature, whether physical nature or psychological nature, we easily understand that a person's formation and development is nothing other than the unfolding of the possibilities placed in his nature by God, which, once unfolded, make a person what he is. But the person must unfold his possibilities himself, although without God's help this is impossible. Spiritual formation is somewhat different. Spirit is not nature; it does not develop, become more complex, or grow as natural structures do. Spirit has no structure; it manifests itself as will, and its growth is the strengthening of its will. And correspondingly, it is the widening of the circle of influence available to the will, the inclusion of ever new objects in this circle of influence, and, of course, the widening and deepening of interaction with other spirits. With other wills. With other persons, because a person is self-aware will. The spiritual formation of a human being therefore presupposes the widening and deepening of his awareness of himself. Of his will. Of his personhood. And of that on which it rests: the breath of life that is in a person from God.

Thus self-awareness leads a person, if of course he remains consistent and faithful to his true self, to communion with God. To a meeting with God, who dwells in that depth of the human person which in the language of the Bible is called the heart. All this applies fully to Jesus as well. After all, He too is human. More than that: He is Man with a capital letter. To each person God's presence in the heart is given in its own measure, and to Him alone it is given fully and absolutely. As the Messiah and the God-man. It is no wonder that He too grew as every human being grows. In order to grow into His own measure, the measure of the Messiah and the God-man.