Read Luke 2:41-52
It is certainly not the central point of the text, but did you notice how today’s reading ends? After identifying Himself as the Son of God, Jesus goes home with His parents “and was submissive to them.” Jesus—who is God, Lord over Mary and Joseph—submits Himself to them because they are His mother and His legal, earthly father. In these few words, the true nature of submission is both demonstrated and clarified.
We often think of submission primarily in terms of power and control. We submit to speed limits and other driving laws largely because authorities have the power to issue tickets, revoke licenses, or impose further penalties when the law is ignored. In this way, submission can feel forced—something done to avoid consequences rather than something freely given.
But Jesus shows us that submission is not fundamentally about power or control. Instead, it is about obedience to God-given lines of authority established for care and good order. Scripture calls us to obey God rather than men, to honor and obey our parents, and to be subject to rulers and authorities. Each time God’s Word calls us to submission within these relationships, our sinful rebellion rises up in resistance. At our core, we do not want to be subject to anyone. This rebellion plays itself out destructively in our homes, marriages, workplaces, and every other area of life.
Christ’s righteous submission carried Him all the way to the cross, where He won forgiveness for our rebellion. His grace not only pardons our resistance to authority; it also frees us from submitting out of fear of power and control. Instead, we are freed to submit to God, to our parents, and to all rightful authority in obedience to God and in grateful response to His grace.
Prayer: Lord, teach me to obey all that You have commanded. Help me to submit to those You have placed in authority over me. Amen.