A very smart person told me that St. Luke's emphasis of Christ reaching out to the Gentiles, women, and the outcasts, such as the shepherds in the fields, reminded him of the Mary and Joseph finding Jesus in the Temple.
But, in what court did they find him? This vsp indicated that Christ could have been in the Court of the Gentiles, as Mary was allowed to find him, and she would not have been allowed in the normal court of the Jewish teachers, which was reserved for men only.
Of course, Mary could have, as a distraught mum, "gate-crashed", as I pointed out.
The vsp noted that Christ could have been teaching in the Court of the Women.
Interesting idea, as Mary would have been accepted there, and, as this vsp noted, nowhere does Luke indicate that any men asked Jesus where his parents were, as they would not necessarily do either in the Court of the Gentiles or the Court of the Women.
If Christ was found in either, this would be another poignant passage where God is showing that His Son was being sent to the outcasts, those who were not the "in-crowd", the Sadducees, Pharisees, and scribes.
This is an interesting theory. As I noted earlier on this blog, I believe that the shepherds were outcasts and the fact that the angels came to them was God showing that His plan for salvation went beyond the call of the People of the Promise, the Jews.
Thinking that Mary would have caused shock and horror in the main court, and would have been accepted in the Court of the Women and the Court of the Gentiles, I believe this theory may be true.
The teachers could have been teaching anywhere, but Mary would not have been allowed anywhere.
The finding of the Child Christ in the temple has always intrigued me and is an important event in Scripture, as it proves absolutely without a doubt that Christ always knew He was God, which is the teaching of the Catholic Church.
None of this modernist heresy, that Christ did not know He was God until His, baptism stuff...nope.
From the moment of His Conception, the Incarnate One was aware of Who He Is.
And, He was reminding His Mother in this event in the Temple.
Mothers need to be reminded of the work of their children, which is not their work, but God's.
I now wonder in what court Jesus was found....I wonder if Luke, a Gentile, was telling us that Christ had come for all men...and women.