What kind of work did Joachim do when they lived in Nazareth and later moved to Jerusalem? Perhaps he and Jesus took walks in the nearby countryside or visited the busy marketplace.
Tradition says that Joachim and Anne lived near the temple. I’m sure they knew the Scriptures well and spoke of them to the young boy, but did they know that he was the subject of many of the Scripture passages? Maybe they all walked together to the temple.
It had to be a happy household with no reprimands or reminders necessary – no “pick up your toys, Jesus. Eat your peas, please.”
Joachim and Anne could tell stories of long ago of the tribes of Judah and when David was king and of their own childhoods in Nazareth. Kind words and hugs abounded. There were no iPods, Facebook and phones to distract from conversations.
Did Anne always have fresh biscuits with honey ready for the young boy when he awoke from a nap? Maybe Joachim served as referee at the games the teen boys played. We don’t know if Jesus played a musical instrument as many of our grandchildren enjoy and provide enjoyment for us today.
Did Jesus share stories and shed tears at their funerals as he did at the death of Lazarus?
We often hear, “What would Jesus do?” Jesus must have had loving grandparents. As grandparents, we could ask “What did Anne and Joachim do?” Even though we don’t know much about them, we can imagine that Anne and Joachim were always there for him – as he was for them.
There is a Welsh proverb that says, “Perfect love sometimes does not come until the first grandchild.” He is the Perfect Love we can see in all of our grandchildren and, hopefully, reflect to them.
