"For 30 years, Jesus lived quietly in Nazareth with Mary and Joseph; his “hidden” years. Through his normal day-to-day living of going to school and having friends and putting in a hard day’s work, Jesus made sacred the hidden space.
That hidden space is where most of us live most of our lives — out of the public eye, going about our everyday without much notice by others. Hidden from the world, but absolutely seen by the Father in that uniquely silent space that is set apart. In our busyness, we need to follow Jesus into that place with his Father. It’s different than running away. It’s not hiding from our problems…it’s hiding with the Lord. It’s a holy kind of hiding.
What does this mean for mission? During those private decades, Jesus knew his mission and was patient in waiting for it. He didn’t rush. And so for us, Nazareth gives us permission to let the Lord lead; to let the Lord form us. It’s ok that this takes time."
Up Next in The Poco a Poco Podcast
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Episode 73: The Father’s Blessing
"Affirmation feels different when it’s public, out loud and in front of everyone — as at the Baptism of Christ and the Transfiguration, where God audibly affirmed Jesus as his beloved Son. That affirmation becomes the foundation that allows Jesus to be free; to weep and be compassionate and angry...
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Episode 72: The Tears of God
"You see a different side of someone when you see what makes him or her cry. Seeing a person weep, and knowing why — the thing he or she cares about so deeply as to be moved to tears — is a deep insight.
Lazarus. Jerusalem. Sin. Jesus weeps at these. That tells us something important, for a man ...
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Episode 71: Jesus Receives You as a Gift
"“Nobody has ever been for me like this before.”
That’s the difference it can make to receive someone as gift. Jesus looked at the disciples and thanked the Father for the gift of them. He looked around at the faces of people he loved and received each of them and all of them as a gift. In their...
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