Tavern Talk #85 - The In-Between

This month, we explored one of the most intriguing and often overlooked periods in the life of Jesus: the in-between years. Drawing on Luke 2:41–52, the only extended glimpse we have of Jesus’ childhood, the talk invited us to reflect on what Scripture tells us and what it leaves unsaid.

The story is familiar and unsettling: a twelve-year-old Jesus is lost during Passover, only to be found days later in the Temple calmly listening, questioning, and astonishing the teachers with his understanding. For his parents, especially Mary, the moment is one of fear, confusion, and anxiety. For Jesus, it is a moment of clarity about his relationship to his Father, even as he returns home in obedience.

We framed this episode as a kind of spiritual “In-Between” - a "Stranger Things" like space where expectations are disrupted and God’s purposes don’t line up neatly with human plans. These “hidden years” remind us that much of life, including faith, is lived in ordinary, unseen spaces.

Several key themes emerged:

• Jesus’ humanity. His childhood was unremarkable, human, and real. He learned, asked questions, participated in community, and even got in trouble.

• The tension of trust. Mary’s anxious question, “Why have you treated us like this?” mirrors our own tendency to assume the worst when life veers off course. Yet God may still be at work.

• Growth through obedience. Jesus balanced obedience to God with obedience to his earthly parents, modeling humility and respect within human relationships.

• Community and formation. Faith was lived out in shared customs, annual rhythms, and communal learning. Even Jesus learned in community.

• Hope for growth. The passage ends not with certainty, but with development: Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, and favor with both God and man. Growth is possible for Him, and for us, both with God and among our communities. Jesus was liked. If we are acting out of love, as Jesus was, we would be too.

  
  

We should not despair in seasons of uncertainty. The in-between moments of life are not wasted. They are often where growth quietly happens, where trust is formed, and where God’s purposes unfold - sometimes long before we understand them.