Luke 2:40 (DRB)

Passage

And the child grew and waxed strong, full of wisdom: and the grace of God was in him.

Nearby Context

Luke 2:38 Now she, at the same hour, coming in, confessed to the Lord: and spoke of him to all that looked for the redemption of Israel.

Luke 2:39 And after they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their city Nazareth.

Luke 2:40 And the child grew and waxed strong, full of wisdom: and the grace of God was in him.

Luke 2:41 And his parents went every year to Jerusalem, at the solemn day of the pasch.

Luke 2:42 And when he was twelve years old, they going up into Jerusalem, according to the custom of the feast,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "grace", "child", "grew", "waxed", "strong", "full", and "wisdom". 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 after they had performed 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.