Mary, A Woman of Wonder

The focus of chapter seven is Jesus' trip to Jerusalem when he was twelve years old. McKnight sets the context by describing the importance of Passover to the Jews and stating that its central theme was liberation. He writes, "For Mary especially, Passover would have been an opportunity to wonder about the promised liberation her son would bring. Everything she had witnessed indicated her son would bring that liberation..."

McKnight recounts Luke's story in which Joseph and Mary upon discovering on the return trip from Jerusalem that Jesus was not present, returned to Jerusalem and found Jesus in the Temple courts surrounded by the teachers. What Mary witnessed when she found Jesus was her twelve year old son in the middle of these scholars listening and answering questions. McKnight writes, "The posture of Jesus was not that of a student listening; instead, he had assumed the posture of teaching--the leaders were listening to Jesus..."

Mary, do doubt, wondered about this incident and how it connected with the other unexpected incidents that had occurred up to this point in time. The Jewish messianic hope was that the king who would liberate Israel would be anointed with the Spirit of God and wisdom. Mary observed that day although it took her time to digest it was her son as the "messianic king of wisdom." She had a lot to wonder about.