The belief among some that Jesus taught in the Temple as an adolescent, is clearly a misconception and a false reading of the Gospel. Only St Luke records this incident and he says quite clearly: Jesus was listening and asking questions. In his public life, Jesus did question the Pharisees, scribes and others in a way intended to challenge them. But there is no justification to read that attitude back into the Infancy gospel and think of Jesus challenging the learned men in the Temple at the age of twelve.

Jesus became a man in all things like us except for sin: like everyone of us, he had to go through the pains of adolescence in growing up; otherwise he was not a real human being. Adolescence is a time for questioning, self-discovery, learning what life is all about. Jesus grew up in a small remote town in Galilee. Like any Jewish boy he was educated through reading the Bible, but any intelligent child will ask questions that parents and even teachers may not be able to answer. The trip to Jerusalem gave Jesus a marvellous opportunity to listen to the doctors of the law and to ask questions for information, clarification and meaning. The real picture of the adolescent Jesus is more consoling and enlightening.