Did Joseph and Mary ever give Jesus the wooden spoon?

I recently watched the movie “Talledega Nights – The legend of Ricky Bobby” and I must confess laughing uncontrollably for nearly the whole movie. (I know that this probably makes me horrendously un-spiritual – but God moves in mysterious ways)

There is a discussion in the movie about Jesus that was the catalyst for me to rethink the question who was Jesus? Ricky Bobby’s son Texas Ranger likes to “think of Jesus as a ninja fighting off evil samurai.” Cal Naughton Jr. says “I like to picture my Jesus in a tuxedo t-shirt, because it says, Hey I'm formal, but I like to party. I like my Jesus to party,” and then “I like to think of Jesus like with giant eagles wings, and singin' lead vocals for Lynyrd Skynyrd with like an angel band.”

I always went to Sunday school every week as a child. I have seen the whole Bible conveyed with the lost art of “flannel-graph.” But I must admit to developing a somewhat two-dimensional view of Jesus.

One of the things I have often wondered about is whether Joseph or Mary ever had to give Jesus the wooden spoon. (The wooden spoon was the chosen item of punishment when I grew up) The Bible does say…

“He who spares the wooden spoon hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.” (paraphrased obviously)[1]

I do recognise that Jesus was entirely without sin – but did he ever get a whack from his parents because they sinned.

Consider this…

Every year Jesus' parents travelled to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up as they always did for the Feast. When it was over and they left for home, the child Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents didn't know it. Thinking he was somewhere in the company of pilgrims, they journeyed for a whole day and then began looking for him among relatives and neighbours. When they didn't find him, they went back to Jerusalem looking for him.

The next day they found him in the Temple seated among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. The teachers were all quite taken with him, impressed with the sharpness of his answers. But his parents were not impressed; they were upset and hurt.

His mother said, "Young man, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been half out of our minds looking for you."

He said, "Why were you looking for me? Didn't you know that I had to be here, dealing with the things of my Father?" But they had no idea what he was talking about.

So he went back to Nazareth with them, and lived obediently with them. His mother held these things dearly, deep within herself. And Jesus matured, growing up in both body and spirit, blessed by both God and people. [2]

Did Joseph take the wooden spoon to Jesus now? Did he get grounded? I think most 12 year old boys have heard “Young man, what were you thinking…Your father and I were worried sick!”

I like the last bit where Jesus “returned to Nazareth with them, and lived obediently with them…..” He also grew up.

Set in today’s times, Joseph and Mary would have called the police and appeared on television…the media would have broadcast alerts and pictures of the young Jesus. When he was found in the temple, all the teachers of the law would have been hauled down to the police station and questioned for hours. Jesus would have received the ‘wooden spoon’ from Joseph…and his brothers probably would have copped it too for not looking out for their older brother! Jesus would have been grounded for a year.

What can we learn from this passage?

1: Jesus went through what went through growing up and understands. (see Hebrews 4:15)
2: Jesus never sinned but his earthly parents were fallible just like us – except they were entrusted with the welfare of the Son of God.
3: Ricky Bobby is almost certainly an unreliable source of revelation.
4: God really does have a sense of humour.


[1] Proverbs 13:24
[2] Luke 2:41-50 – The Message