Luke 2: 22-40 Candlemass/ presentation of Christ
The presentation of Christ in the temple. Luke 2: 22-40
We got through January.
Sometimes it might have felt touch and go.
Storms – Goretti & Chandra and plenty of wind and rain the rest of the time, too.
Ilnesses – ‘superflu’ and ‘norovirus’ and others.
Terrible turbulence in politics here, in the US, and across the world.
Deaths of those we love – in our family across the pastorate & in our birth families.
Christmas - with its bright lights and good news - feels a way off now.
Perhaps today we have had a glimpse back to the infancy stories of Jesus, with the story of the presentation of Christ in the temple. Is this just an attempt to rekindle some of the Christmas feelings.. or is something more going on? This story might just be what we need to face into the ‘not so new’ year with courage and clarity.
On the one hand, Jesus has a very small part to play in this story – at just 40 days old, Jesus himself does nothing. It is a story about what others said about Jesus and about what they think he was born to do. And yet this story has great power to change our whole perspective about who Jesus is and what he means to us.
The story of the presentation of Christ in the temple can give us the good news that we need to get us through to Spring. This is a story of the power of God to overturn all that assails us in the world. In this story we are promised a God who comes to change our world forever and for good.
We know that the birth of any baby can be a sign of great hope.
But sometimes it is not just the birth of the child, what is said about that child, that can make huge changes.
This week our Bishop of St David’s, Bishop Dorrien, came to Haverfordwest for the licensing of Heather Cale as the new Local Ministry Area Dean, on Wednesday evening.
In the afternoon the Bishop came to visit Spittal school. The whole school gathered in the hall to sing to the Bishop, to listen to him talk a little bit about what being Bishop means, and then to ask questions. After assembly two of the school’s “church champions” showed the Bishop round, and I tagged along. The two boys proudly showed us “Yr Hafan”, the amazing building in the grounds designed by Simon Dale, and explained how all the children were involved in building it. As the time came for the Bishop to leave, he shook hands with each of the lads, looked into their eyes and said “you will do great things. Remember that, I will be praying for you : you will both do great things”.
I found the moment incredibly touching, and I hope they did too. I wonder what they told their parents when they got home.
Mary & Joseph must have been touched and amazed by what Simeon and Anna said about their son that day in the temple. Simeon and Anna see the 40 day old Jesus and know he will do great things.
Simeon, who has been waiting to see the Messiah, proclaims
Anna, who lives constantly in the temple, praying and fasting, begins “to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem”.
We can only imagine how Mary & Joseph must have told and re-told this story to others, as their baby grew, and later began his ministry.
There is so much more going on here than just a proud moment for the parents of this unique baby.
I think Luke, in telling this story, deliberately makes it have echoes of the declaration with which Jesus begins his ministry (Luke 4: 18), when Jesus reads a part of Isaiah in the synagogue:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”
Mary & Joseph are poor. The law in Leviticus states that after the birth of a child, the mother will offer a sacrifice of a lamb – but (Leviticus 12:8) If the mother cannot afford a sheep, she can bring two turtledoves or two pigeons.
When Luke tells us that Mary & Joseph are bringing two birds, he is telling us they are poor.
Simeon has been waiting to see God’s Messiah, who will bring God’s love. When he meets Jesus, he is given the gift of sight – to see Jesus for who he truly is.
Anna has also been waiting, for God’s redeeming love, and has shut herself away in the temple to pray. But when she meets Jesus she is given freedom – she need wait no longer, she can rejoice in the good news.
And so Simeon declares that he is released by God – ‘now Lord you let your servant depart in peace’.
In Jesus there will be
Good news for the poor Sight for the blind
Freedom for the captives Liberty for the oppressed.
Simeon & Anna declare that all this will be realised in the life of this one, tiny child – God’s own son.
As a child, words of blessing are spoken over Jesus.
And as Jesus grows, he will speak words of blessing on his followers: follow me, be made clean, pick up your bed and walk, do not fear - only believe, forgive those who wrong you…
To the child in each follower he says “you will do great things”.
He whispers to each one of us “you are loved beyond measure”.
These are the words that can give us courage and clarity and hope – the hope of salvation for each one of us and for God’s whole world, as the kingdom comes in Jesus Christ. Amen.
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