Jesus Is With You...Regardless

Recently I have asked a man who I greatly respect how long it would take to read the bible.
He kindly smiled at me and said "12 hours." He continued on explaining how he had read the bible from beginning to end to man who could not read.

I was astonished, that sounded absolutely crazy. If you have ever looked at bible you know it is rather large book. In addition to being long, it was also written several thousand years ago. The language at times can be so difficult, even in modern translations.

When I told him how amazed I was with that he agreed. He told me that the language in the bible could be very difficult and that is why he felt that the bible should not be read.
Again I was astonished by his words. Wait you do not want people to read the bible, but you are a pastor. Would you not want people to read about the life of Jesus or use the bible as a tool to gain knowledge?

Then he said something I believe that was so wise, so insightful. "The bible should be studied."
Let's face it guys, the bible is hard to read. It is the living word of God and so many passages can mean different things in different circumstances. Jesus himself taught in parables because "such knowledge is too wonderful…too lofty to attain." If we just read it we will miss so many points and wisdom.

For example…

41Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. 42When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. 43After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you."

49"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" 50But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
Most people read this passage and say, well Mary and Joseph are bad parents but let's study it.

"Why were you searching for me?"

These are the first recorded words of Christ, but why are they so important? Because they question why we search for Christ! Not in a sense of for what reasons do you search for me but rather why? You should know where I am!

"Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?"

1 Corinthians 3:17 tell us, "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple." Jesus has to be in his Father's house, the temple but we are the temple, right?

Yes! Jesus dwells inside of us and he loves us and why bother searching for him…you know where he is.