Luke 2:40 (ASV)

Passage

And the child grew, and waxed strong, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Nearby Context

Luke 2:38 And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks unto God, and spake of him to all them that were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Luke 2:39 And when they had accomplished all things that were according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.

Luke 2:40 And the child grew, and waxed strong, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Luke 2:41 And his parents went every year to Jerusalem at the feast of the passover.

Luke 2:42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up after the custom of the feast;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "grace", "child", "grew", "waxed", "strong", "filled", "wisdom", and "upon". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "grace" and "child", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 39's "And when they had accomplished all things..." into verse 41's "And his parents went every year to...", so "grace" and "child" belong inside that flow. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "grace" and "child" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.