And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him… after three days they found him… And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Fathers business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. 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. [Luke 2:45-51]

Mary and Joseph, the parents of Jesus had missed Him (Jesus) for quite some days, and they could not keep going on their journey without the presence of Jesus. They knew that life without Christ was a sour one. Though they had the company of friends, acquaintances and kinsfolks, though they seemed to be happy travelling in the company of men, yet they knew that the presence of men, no matter how warm and enjoyable it appeared, was a total disaster and calamity if Jesus was NOT in their company. Thank God their hunger for God (for Jesus) paid off. They retraced their steps and returned back to where they began like the prodigal son. They sought Jesus and they found Him. Immediately they found Jesus, they began an immediate fellowship and communion with Him by talking with Him. But something here is of utmost interest as we look at these verses 50 and 51.
In the midst of their communication and fellowship, Verse 50 says that these sincere seekers (Mary and Joseph) understood not what Jesus said, yet, despite their lack of understanding, that notwithstanding, in verse 51, Bible reveals that Jesus still went on with them. Jesus followed them and His warm presence was with them regardless of their understanding.
I notice that the criterion for the divine presence is not a degree in Theology. You do not need to know so much about the Bible before Jesus can company with you. In fact, seeking so much bogus knowledge of this kind makes a man to be puffed up with the knowledge, and this will cut you off from the divine presence to leave you depending on your swelled head.

“...we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.” [1Corinthians 8:1]

Many today emphasise that before you can dwell with God in an intimate relationship or be used powerfully of Him, you must have grabbed an academic degree or a scholastic award in the religious institutions. They put so much emphasis on the training of the brain rather than on the transformation of lives in whom Christ can dwell. For them, a prerequisite to being Gods vessel is a degree from a renowned Theological school. They say you must have read the Bible through like ten (10) times. They list several other physical criteria that you do not need grace to collect. Some others emphasise so much in impacting biblical doctrines or doctrinal knowledge into the memories of converts. They organize some systematic biblical studies to make scholars of men. They bamboozle men with the study of ancient Greeks, biblical histories and analogies, they pomp mens brains with the study of eschatology, and they explain some processes that will wow a man. Erroneously, these, according to them, are regarded as righteousness which a man must acquire before he can ever have a glimpse of Jesus experientially.
In such circles, before any man will even be eligible for ordinary water baptism, oh, they will first take them through some serious baptismal classes, and there will be some series of systematic interviews, based NOT on the new found faith in Christ, but on how much knowledge they have grabbed in the training sessions.
To enter into ministry, there must be some ordination service ONLY FOR THE BRILLIANT who have passed through the systematic teachings and have scored some high grades. Whether those people possess the spiritual qualifications for ministry is never the issue, they neither care whether the students route to success was via cheating or bribery, the most important thing they request was the result, the physical certificate, and not the life, which is the true heavenly certificate. So you discover that those who advance into baptism or into ministry are the smart and brilliant men who could recollect what they have been taught, whereas, broken and convicted men who have encountered Jesus, but who are illiterates by mans judgment are unfortunate and will not be allowed to proceed.

”...He went down with them...”

The Bible states here that Mary and Joseph who sought Jesus with their whole hearts and passion above all else still lacked some theological, scholastic understanding of some things that Christ said, yet, that was never a hinderance to their touching Jesus and abiding with Him. In fact, the Bible says that JESUS WENT DOWN WITH THEM. What does it mean to go down? Jesus did not go up with them, He went down. It means that, regardless of their lack of understanding, regardless of their illiteracy, despite their lack of depth in breaking scriptures, regardless of their inexperience and lack of ministerial expertise, Jesus never considered those, He went with them to company with them in their lowly estates.
Jesus is not interested in how big your head is. Your head and pomposity can even disqualify you from reaching Him. If your heart is tender, broken and surrendered, then, your head is not as important.

Jesus prefers a broken publican and sinner, who could not lift up his head to God but sobbed in prayer for the mercy of God, than a Pharisee who approaches Him based on his titles, degrees, achievements and church office and prides in His previous achievements and knowledge. Jesus is more interested in a fisherman Peter or John, who never went to school but who are open to Him with a broken heart, than a Professor of Theology who has all the knowledge, but is empty of grace. Are you coming to Jesus today like an Expert or like a child who needs help? The Physician is not interested in those who are whole and correct, He only came for those who have problems and are willing and ready to submit to His diagnosis and prescription.

Jesus answered them, “It is the sick who need a doctor, not those in good health. My purpose is to invite sinners to turn from their sins, not to spend my time with those who think themselves already good enough.” [Luke 5:31-32 TLB]

Am I beginning to approach Jesus now based on some qualifications that I have possessed? As a singer, preacher, teacher or minister of the word, am I beginning to walk into the stage/pulpit as an expert without minding the grace of God that has brought me up? Am I beginning to feel that those men who have not climbed up spiritually are unserious people, while I arrogate my height to my personal efforts and seriousness? Am I beginning to cling to empty knowledge that I have filled my head with? Though I call all these attitudes spiritual or biblical growth, yet they are the pompous arrogance taking up the space in me that Christ Jesus in His simplicity ought to fill.

My prayer today is "Lord, empty me...".

Over the years, many great things there were which God has bestowed, poured and released upon me. Initially in my tenderness, I received them with utmost grace and they blessed my soul. Day after day in hunger and gentle quest, I returned in openness without pride and pomposity back to the throne of grace, to receive more freshness from His presence and I was daily blessed by the release. I was carried on eagles wings by His divine sustenance alone as I daily emptied “me” of “self” to be filled with His freshness. As grace received yesterday is insufficient for today, I moved away from that which was great and fresh yesterday, but which has soon become old and stale today. Quickly and daily, I returned back into Gods blessed presence for todays fresh consignment of His grace and power. I depended solely on His grace, no matter what height I had attained. I could not go on if I did not receive His direction and impartation for the next segments of my journey.
But as time went on, because of numerous activities and the feeling of expertise and haven arrived, little by little, I began to depend on the manna of yesterday for sustenance today. I began to heap things up which I ought to have discarded. By much laziness and slothfulness, I began to depend on yesterdays oil which had started fermenting overnight and could kill. The space I ought to have daily created by letting out the old for the newer revelations from on high, were increasingly occupied with piles of stale, smelling beauties of the past. Though these growing heaps taking up space actually were once great revelations that were fresh at their reception, but over time, they had grown moulds, mucus and weeds. They are now poisonous, and are capable of causing more harm than good.

Though I was filled with them, yet, I was empty of divine freshness. I had permitted the glorious revelations, visitations, inspirations of the past to take up space in my life, and as debris and garbage, they have prevented and hindered the newer best from the Lord from reaching my humble soul. I need to be emptied today not from outright sins or the sinful activities that repel Christ and separate him completely from the presence of God, but from seemingly harmless accumulation of knowledge that have taken up divine space and prevented Christ from revealing His freshness to my soul.

Oh Lord, I am too full and there is no space left for You to fill. I am full of self, full of empty knowledge, full of stale revelations and letters that kill. I am too full of personal ideas and head knowledge that have displaced You. I am full of rules and regulations I felt would set me right, but which have instead replaced divine answers. I have gone about establishing my own righteousness like Israel of old, while neglecting Gods righteousness obtained by Christs death. I have thought I could work things out, since I have gained some knowledge now, instead of me to surrender absolutely beneath Your eternal cross that finished and ended it all for me. I am full of church dos and do nots, full of personal ambitions and desires, full of denominational dogmas, full of doctrinal letters, full of administrative excellence, BUT, empty of Jesus.
I need you to empty me of all I am full of O God, and fill me with Thyself alone.

”...mother kept all these sayings in her heart.”

You may not understand so much now, this is not a crime. Only let your heart be tender and broken to receive as much as Jesus would be revealing and releasing by and by. As the treasures of divine grace are being opened daily unto you, keep drinking, but make sure your hunger for more never dies out. The only criteria for more of Christ, is an insatiable hunger for Him. Never be satisfied with keeps, they will block you from receiving from heaven, the fresh quota for today…