“And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.”
Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart — the voluntary obedience to his parents of the one who has just established his primary relationship with his Father is the theological paradox of the incarnation: the Son of God under parental authority in Nazareth. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart — the second treasuring (syneteei, she kept carefully) echoes 2:19. Mary's pondering of the accumulated events of Jesus' life is the contemplative thread running through the nativity narratives.
Church Fathers on Luke 2:51
All that time of the life of Christ which He passed between His manifestation in the temple and His baptism being devoid of any great public miracles or teaching, the Evangelist sums up in one word’ saying, And he went down with them.
Jesus frequently went down with His disciples, for He is not always dwelling on the mount, for they who were troubled with various diseases were not able to ascend the mount. For this reason now also He went down to them who were below. It follows: And he was subject to them, &c.
For what is the teacher of virtue, unless he fulfill his duty to his parents? What else did He do among us, than what He wished should be done by us?
Read all 14 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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