M: "Mama, what did Jesus want to be when he grew up?"
Mama: "Mmmm. What a great question! I don't know for sure, but I bet he wanted to be just like his Papa."
M: "So... do you know for sure that when we meet Jesus in Heaven that we'll get to talk to him and hear him, like for real, like really really hear him and talk to him, like I'm talking to you right now? How do you know?"
Mama: "I sure hope so! He told us that we'd be with him again, and since he was a man here on earth who could talk, I'm sure he's still able to do those things in Heaven! But the best thing is that we can talk to him right now, anytime, and we know he can hear us!"
M: "I know, I know. I just mean like really really hear him, with words, ya know."
Mama: "What do you think about this, L ?"
L: "Hmmm....Hmmm...I tink...I tink...I just wuv you so much, Mama...you're my Tootie-Pie." (accompanied with a huge tackle of a hug and full force kiss, almost sending me backwards to the ground!)
Ah! My little philosopher daughter and my lover son. Yes, quite the dynamics in our daily conversations, I must say!
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The wonderful question, "What should I be when I grow up?" surfaces regularly in our house. We've heard a wide variety of answers, some very pious (a nun), some impressive (a doctor, a veterinarian, a nurse, a dentist), some very dear to this mother's heart (a mama, a singer, a dancer, a writer, an artist), and some well, a little more creative (a crocodile hunter!). Nonetheless, a fascinating thought to ponder- what will these precious Treasures I've been given to raise and train in the ways of the Lord choose to do in this lifetime??
What did Jesus want to be when he 'grew up'? When did he know he was actually God ? Did he always know, and was he the God-Child so many of the icons portray, with this all-knowing God sitting on the lap of his Holy Mother, always aware, always enlightened? Or was he simply an infant who needed to learn how to walk and talk and think, like the rest of us? I've always wondered these things, though probably not as early as little M! In college, I took a wonderful class in which we discussed the possible 'theory' that Jesus understood himself to be Israel. We looked at the Old Testament Scriptures about Israel, and how the 'first Israel' failed, but Christ was the fulfillment of the true Israel. Extremely interesting theory, especially when reading through Scripture....one that I find myself going back to often as I read Scripture. I'll have to go back to my college notes and reread some of them! This morning I spoke with my sister-in-law (who's almost finished with her doctoral dissertation in theology- woohoo for Auntie Kristin!!!), and discussed this topic with her. She greatly enlightened me to the Church's Traditional teachings on this matter, laid out best by St. Thomas. My understanding now is that Christ always knew who he was from the moment of conception. He had a beatific vision of the Trinity (in other words, Jesus knew God immediately and he saw God face-to-face) from the moment of conception. I imagine that is why he is depicted the way he is in many icons. Here's a quick link to read up more on this. It explains better how he continued to grow in knowledge as he grew: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08675a.htm
Despite my current lack of knowledge in this area, I take great comfort in knowing that he was human, he did leap down from Heaven to become one of us... and because of that, the great God-Man understands me, knows my day to day struggles, and shares my joys and pains. And in the end, whether I know the best answer to 'what he wanted to be when he grew up', I know that HE is what I want to be when I "grow up", and is Who I will point my children to as the One they should desire to be when they grown up.
