2270) There are many verses which I have not really understood through the years and when I come across one of them, I like to look up what the verse stated in the original languages because it gives the ability to fine-tune what the author meant.

One such verse is Luke 2:52. Here the verse reads, and Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.

It’s been a confusing verse to me because Jesus clearly did not grow in favor with every man. After all, men plotted against him and crucified him.

When I look up the word favor in the Greek, the word is charis. This word means graciousness. Jesus grew in graciousness.

This verse in context is found in a passage describing Jesus’ childhood. During his childhood, he grew in graciousness.

Remembering that Jesus is the God-man, this could be stating that graciousness is something Jesus had to learn. If that’s the case, Jesus would have learned a lot of this from his parents, Mary and Joseph.

This is a good reminder that we are role models to others, specifically to those who spend the most time with us. What are we modeling?