Dec 27

Written by: Paster Larry Griffin
12/27/2009 3:32 PM

Simeon and Anna
December 27, 2009
Luke 2:22-40
22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant [1] depart in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”
33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. [2] She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
Dear Friends in Christ,
Our Christmas celebrations and rituals go hand in hand, I am sure you would agree. Although my two sisters and I are separated by the miles and have not celebrated Christmas Eve together for many years, all three of us share the childhood memories of the children’s service at our little church and then coming home and waiting in the car while Dad went inside and made sure Santa Claus had come and gone and then inside for an oyster stew meal which only Dad really enjoyed and then finally sitting down and opening presents one by one. Those rituals as well as many others bind us together as do each of your own family rituals.
Rituals and babies go hand in hand as well. A husband and wife find out that she is pregnant and they go through the ritual of keeping their little secret to themselves for awhile. Then they tell immediate family and a few close friends. Then they go through the ritual of deciding on a name and the ritual of baby showers and when the baby is born we used to give out cigars that few would smoke and of course there is the ritual for boys to wear blue and girls to wear pink and there are the rituals of coming home for the first time and planning the baptism to mention just a few. These rituals bind us together as families and give us a certain sense of structure and orderliness in life.
In Jesus’ day, there were at least three infancy rituals which we should understand before we consider the response of Simeon and Anna to the baby Jesus in the temple. The first ritual for Jesus as the firstborn son was at 8 days when He would be circumcised and named. In that day it was a ritual that took place in the home with relatives coming over for a potluck meal. Remember that everything that happened to Jesus and that He did was in fulfillment of OT prophecy and for the salvation of the world. Including circumcision, which was the first time Jesus shed blood. Colossians 2 teaches us to be uncircumcised is to be sinful and in rebellion against God. The benefits of Jesus’ circumcision are received by us in Baptism, where our hearts and minds are circumcised or changed and we receive the forgiveness of sins and incorporation into the people of God.
A second ritual for firstborn sons would be at 31 days, when the sons were to be consecrated and redeemed or bought back in the temple. The firstborn sons and animals for that matter belonged to God, you see, and needed to be bought back with a sacrifice of animal blood. The firstborn sons and animals had been spared and passed over by the angel of death in the Exodus from Egypt. At every Passover meal, the son would ask what was meant by all of these detailed rituals in the Passover, and the father would teach the family the story of the Exodus.The firstborn son was a continual reminder that he had been spared by the Lord to be able to live as part of the family.
A third ritual for the holy family was on the 40th day when the mother could come out of the house for the first time and go to the temple and go through certain rituals of purification. If the family could afford a lamb they should sacrifice that lamb, or if they could not afford a lamb, they would offer two turtle doves or two pigeons.
All three of these rituals bind Jesus and Mary and Joseph together in the nation of Israel, and it is in the context of temple ritual that Simeon and Anna enter the picture. These rituals also emphasize that Jesus was human, and it was the humanity of Jesus that Simeon predicted would be a stumbling block to so many. Simeon prophesied that the baby Jesus was appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a sign that is opposed.
Simeon is like the Christmas angels as he proclaims the Good News in the temple area that his eyes were now seeing and his arms were now holding the salvation of the world, the promised Messiah. Anna is like the Christmas shepherds as she responds to the Good News by spreading the message of Simeon to all were there in the temple waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
The name Simeon means “one who hears” and as he had been listening to God over the years, God had revealed to Simeon that he would not die before he met the Christ. Simeon was most likely an elderly man and he represents the prophets of old as he takes the child in his arms and does not keep Christ to Himself but speaks words we call the Nunc Dimittis and use to this very day immediately after receiving the Holy Supper. Simeon doesn’t just bless Jesus but Joseph and Mary as well. He wishes for them happiness and joy even as he predicts that as Jesus grows up and begins public ministry a sword would pierce Mary’s own soul and the thoughts from many hearts may be revealed. Mary’s heart was pierced as she watched her precious Son be pierced and crucified unto death, and she goes through that piercing as a widow, with Joseph apparently not living at that time. Luther wrote that “Mary lived in all three estates, in the state of virginity, in that of matrimony and in that of widowhood, the latter being the most pitiable, without any protection or aid. A virgin has her parents, a wife her husband, but the widow is alone.. And in this pitiful condition Simeon announces to her such great sorrow…”
Anna is described as a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Ashur. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was 84. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. Anna had also lived through all three estates that a woman can live. At one time she was a virgin and cared for by her parents. For seven years she was married and protected by her husband. From the time her husband died and to the age of 84 she was a widow and was serving God by fasting and praying in the temple. Luther remarks that God may be served in every calling, whether single or married or as a widow in old age. We learn again today to reflect on our own stations of life and to do the good works that are required. To be sure we are saved by faith alone in Jesus Christ but remember that faith in Jesus Christ as Savior never comes alone. It is necessarily accompanied by good works. Faith without works is dead, but faith with good world is alive and dynamic and a blessing to our neighbors and in glory to God.
Luke records that coming up at that very hour Anna began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. No doubt the highly educated priests and scribes and Pharisees in the temple area wanted nothing to do with this old foolish woman. They considered themselves great and worthy of the highest honors people could give instead of as poor and miserable sinners worthy of temporal death and eternal punishment. To this very day, the gifts of God are received only by those who are looking for them. In the last few days, many of us went to our family Christmas celebrations looking to receive gifts from loved ones, and we received them. Parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles etc are famous for making sure that children have one or more presents to open when the time comes to give and receive.
So also has our Father in heaven made sure by sending His Son Jesus from heaven above to earth below that you and I would have gifts of grace and mercy to open, as often as we come looking for them. If you came into the house of God today looking for nothing special you will probably find nothing special. If you came tired and sad and looking for spiritual rest and gladness, you will find rest and gladness. If you came confused and distracted and uncertain and looking for a peace that surpasses human circumstances and joy that cannot be diminished by the storms of life, that’s exactly what you will find. If you came today feeling empty and guilty and lonely and irritated and unsatisfied looking for fullness and freedom and fellowship and stillness and satisfaction, that’s exactly what you will find. On this Third Day of Christmas, we follow in the footsteps of the angels and the shepherds and now Simeon and Anna and the celebration continues. (Illustrate with plates of cookies and sweets given to me in the church office – some of which are eaten within the hour and never make it to our house, here this hour and gone the next) While most Christmas gifts have a short life expectancy, the gift of a baby Jesus keeps on giving and giving. May God do whatever it takes and permit whatever it takes in our lives to keep us coming back again and again spiritually hungry and thirsty. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satifsfied.

A blessed Christmas to you!

Pastor Larry J. Griffin
 

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