Friends,
Anna was really Hanna, and she preached the message
about the child to all who waited for the
consolation of Jerusalem, which probably were a great
many.
She wasn't old, she was a person 'of great age.' There
is a difference, I think. It is not only a reference to Hanna, called
Anna, but it should be said of anyone who has lived a long time. After
84 years, Hanna became very productive, a reference to the Hanna of
old who bore Samuel in her 'great age.' There may be a sermon nugget
right here...
Simeon said something profound about this child that I
discovered in "Feasting on the Word:" "This child is destined for the
falling and the rising of many in Israel." Falling then rising fits
with his own life, and it isn't found in any history books about Rome
or any great person; The rise always comes before the fall. But Jesus
said, "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the soil and dies it remains
just a single grain; but if it dies it bears much fruit" (John.
12:24).
There is more to the story about Hannah (called Anna).
She is (and, of course, Simeon too)--"Israel at its best: devout,
obedient, constant in prayer, led by the Holy Spirit, at home in the
temple, longing and hoping for the fulfillment of God's promise." Fred
Craddock
This woman had lived in the temple since her husband
died probably well over 50 years ago. Nearly all of her life, then,
she has been living in the temple, eating temple food and being
sheltered there. This is a long time to be waiting, to be on hold.
Hannah of old had been waiting a very long time as well; she too had
gone to the temple and shed tears while she waited for God's promise.
"Those who wait for the Lord shall mount up like wings of eagles; they
shall run and no be weary, they shall walk and not faint..."
Hannah of old rose! And this Hannah (called Anna) rose
too. She came to the couple who had brought their first born son to
the temple for circumcision on the eighth day of his life --as the law
of the Lord prescribed, and he was dedicated to the Lord at that time.
She rose up from her bed of waiting and preached about this child.
What was her message? Simeon was being dismissed in
peace; Hannah was spreading abroad
the message about this child to all who were waiting
for 'the redemption of Jerusalem.' One was
spiritual, the other (Hannah called Anna) deliverance
from bondage. She knew first hand what
consolation would mean. And she recognized this in the
child who was born to parents struggling to
make it in a cruel world. Their sacrifice told the
tale-- both in their faces and in the two turtle doves they brought to
the temple. It wouldn't end there, for soon another angel would come
with a warning, and another harsh journey was necessary.
Hannah rose, and so did Jesus later on. It was the
"Fall and Rising" worked out in real life.
Blessings to you and may your New Year be productive...
Steve Souther
"This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed--and a sword will pierce your own soul too."
As I read that verse the life of Jesus we know from the scriptures jumps out at me. If you really think about it the very same thing is still happening. Jesus' way of life is still threatening. His commands are beyond what most people will do. It seems to me that when one decides to follow his call to discipleship the very same thing happens. We are are opposed because in our sharing of Christ inner thoughts are touched and souls are pierced.
Oh how I pray for a miracle that will cause all doubters to have no question of the truth.
KB in ks
Dear KB in KS,
I was with you till the last sentence. Doubt is a part of life. It is inescapable. John the Baptist had some doubts or he would not have sent his disciples to check Jesus out later. His mother and brothers thought he was crazy. His disciples thought he was nuts. The last sentence reads one of two ways. One is that of a prayer to wipe away doubt. The other sounds like you have no doubts. If it were my sermon, and it might well be, I would stick to the line of thought in your first two paragraphs. Indeed, Jesus is making many rise and many fall even as we type. His life is dangerous. It requires faith, thought and action. My couch and cable TV are more accomodating to my flesh.
Other thoughts worth pursuing 1) Jesus family was dirt poor according to the sacrifice. 2) Mary and Joseph went to the temple for "regular" service that turned out to be anything but regular. 3) Simeon and Anna make two witnesses the requirement for testimony in the Law. 4)2:40 begins that mysterious period we know virtually nothing about in Jesus life. Mike in Sunshine, NC
Luke apparently knows nothing about the time Jesus and his family fled to Egypt to escape the ire of Herod. No kings (wise men) are mentioned. With the melding of the Christmas stories, we often see the wise men at the stable, but some say they may not have arrived until Jesus was almost two years old. If so, this story of the visit to the temple could easily have taken place before the flight to Egypt.
I appreciate the comment about the two witnesses, I hadn't thought of that before.
"What Child Is This" is an obvious hymn to use with Simeon's comments.
With a Christmas service still to come, this text will need more thought after the 25th!
Michelle
What a text! Though tempted to focus a message on "don't miss church, you never know who might show up", I look forward to preaching on Simeon and Anna as being in the right place at the right time. That is...God's place in God's time. As I reflect on 25 years of ministry, I can recall countless moments of God placing me in a specific situation and as a humble servant, having the opportunity to minister in the name of Christ. Regretfully, I must confess that I have avoided opportunities that perhaps God had intended for me to proclaim, "my eyes have seen Thy salvation!" The power in this text is the devoutness of both Simeon and Anna. Since they are devout, they await, they seek, they expect, they long, they persevere, they are tenacious in their desire to be at the right place at the right time to declare Christ as Savior. My prayer is for such devoutness.
ARMY CH E, Fort Belvoir.
I am always intrested in the transilation of names in the bible because often they make a point in the story. Simeon in the Hebrew language means "to hear." It's intresting that Simeon says these words in praise to God, "for my eyes have seen your salvation."
He had heard the Good News from God now he see's the Savior in the flesh. I agree there are points made in this scripture that let the audience know Mary and Joseph were good Jews and fulfilling what was expected for them to do under the Law. I even like how Gentiles and Jews are brought up in the passage as how they will be effected by the Savior, "a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." Two entirely different reactions.
What stands out to me is that the hearing is now backed up by seeing, the foretold Emmanuel has come. "Simeon blessed them," (Mary and Joseph). Just think what an encouragement that must have been to these faithful servants of God.
So far it looks to me like I will dwell on where each of us are in our understanding of God being with us. Have we heard the Good News and waiting for more evidence? Have we heard and seen the Lord alive among us? (It's interesting that these two witnesses, Simeon and Anna, were waiting at the temple to see the Christ. Holy ground, being connected to the church, is a good place to be looking.) When we know and see Christ with God's faithful servants do we as Simeon does... give them our blessing? (our encouragement) KB in ks
We (RC) celebrate the Sunday after Christmas dedicated to the Holy Family.I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately on the effects of moderist and post-modernist philophisophies on how we relate to the world and to God. At present I am rereading Mircea Eliade’s - “The Sacerd and the Profane.” Eliade writes of how religious people relate to the world and attempt to ceate a godly order out of chaos.
Few would doubt that we are living in a time when former patterns of living in the world have broken down. This has made our work as preachers more difficult as there are less points of commonality among the people. Former images and stories don’t relate well as they are not common knowledge and experience anymore. Two areas in life still exist, though both are damaged - the family and the Church.
I thought that I would use this Sunday’s Gospel as a jumping off (or in) point for speaking about the family as a sacred and sacrilizing structure instituted by God as a mirror reflection of the Holy Trinity.
There is a concept in the Catholic circles of the family being the “domestic church.” The reality today is that the family is seldom what it was once. My own children, because of divorce and remarriage, have only visitation rights to some of their children and often have more normal relations with step-children than their own. If everyone lived in the same region it would be easier - but they are throughly modern - the live all over the country.
I see some of this in the Gospel narrative. Jesus, Mary and Joseph are away from home and yet they are able to find connection in 2 old people at the temple. Simeon and Anna are as thrilled to see this child as any doting aunt or uncle. The proclaimations they make are stunning and yet they have the form of the kind of loving remarks that would be made by kin.
There is a need to recenter ourselves in Christ. The world is steadily devolving into chaos. What will come is anyones guess - but it is God who brings order out of the chaos and God will show us the way. It may be that we are at a fullness of time when we can co-act with God as did the handmade of the Lord to birth the Kingdom into the world.
I’m not sure where I’m going to go with this. I just found out that I’ll be preaching this Sunday. Deke in TX - Pace e Bene
Last Sunday I preached on Gabriel's visitation to Mary using the title "Pondering Perplexing Pronouncements." Mary pondered what the angel's greeting meant, she pondered the message; and then the scripture for Christmas Eve was the visitation by the shepherds following Jesus' birth. Mary again pondered "these things in her heart."
Here we are again, pondering, pondering, pondering. Imagine yourself as Mary, having old Simeon walk right up as bold as you please, take the newborn Jesus out of her arms (we would have big problems with that today), and after returning his prayer of thanksgiving to God, giving his blessing upon the new family as well as the warning of the sword piercing Mary's side. I am thinking of going with "Still Pondering Perplexing Pronouncements."
Mary and Joseph are carrying out their obligation of taking the child for the purification rites according to Jewish law. I like the comment above regarding you never know who you might meet at Church.
Thanks for letting me put my 2cents worth in. Betty in NCNY
Mike in Sunshine, NC, while the Law may not have said this, am I right in having read that a woman's testimony was often not accepted in court? If so, then it is clear that God is above cultural prejudices and shows us the truth. With God, there is no "male or female" in terms of their merits. This may be a prelude to the first witnesses of the resurrection being women.
The unsigned comment about how the supposedly routine can become something new. I'm a fairly "routine" guy pastoring in a fairly routine church in a fairly routine unincorporated burg that Mapquest can't even do right. But God has called, and that makes it new and special.
The idea of the translation of the names is exceptonal. I see a translation for Simeon that not only means "to hear," but also "to harken" - to pay attention. I find Anna meaning "grace" and, as the daughter of Phanuel, "face of God," of the tribe of Asher, meaning "blessed," there is much fodder for thought here. May we all find grace in the blessed face of God!
I don't mean to slight anyone, since all comments have been so worthy of consideration. Thank you all.
JG in WI
My question: If Jesus had been born in Nazareth, Mary and Joseph's home town, would they have taken him all the way to Jerusalem to present him in the temple? Or would they have presented him in a synagogue in Nazareth?
Clare in Iowa
There's something about the last verse that really grabs me .. "The child grew, and become strong, and filled with wisdom." We live in a world filled with countries and national leaders who have grown and become strong ... but seem totally lacking in wisdom. And, unfortunately, I have to lump our own USA leaders into that. My eyes seem to filling with tears on a regular basis as I have considered (and preached) about the contrast between the Christmas message of peace and joy, and our leaders' messages of war and power. When Rumsfeld announced that we were ready to go to war with N. Korea as well as Iraq (and can Iran be far behind?), I entered a despond that I cannot seem to get out of. My best friend (a reservist chaplain) has been called into active duty and leaves to go overseas in two weeks. I'm afraid I may not see him again.
I'm rambling, I know. But I just had to comment on that last verse ... The child grew and became strong and filled with wisdom. Would that there were more of that in our world! Especially his kind of strength and wisdom!
Blessings, Eric in KS
Eric, I too am beside myself with the dissonance of our Christmas message and our leaders' apparent looking for a reason for war. But as a new preacher I am unsure of how to preach such a message. I went with my gut feeling of Christmas in the Trenches and used it as an example of the transformative power of God's love, along the lines of your Christmas Eve sermon which I found powerful. I have not heard any direct feedback, but also did not hear and "good sermon" from that night. My older congregation (80% over age 75) take any talk against war personally as a pronouncement against WWII in which they fought. I am humbly looking for help. I am a long-time reader and infrequent poster because I just feel so inadequate but hoping to move beyond my fear and participate more. Linda in NJ
Linda in NJ -- I know that feeling... and I know the difficulty of speaking to the WW2 generation, of which my parents were/are a part. My dad fought in France was awarded medals for bravery, for being injured, for exemplary service, etc. What distinguishes that war from our current situation is that then there were clearly defined goals and enemies (Nazi Germany and Imperialist Japan) who were the initial aggressors and clearly engaged in evil conduct. In the current situation, we are considering taking the first aggressive actions as "pre-emptive defense" (whatever the h... that means!)
A stand against the US doing what it has never done, i.e., firing the first shot, is not the same as criticizing what our parents did in WW2.
But, as JG has said, the best way to state this is to take a stand for peace, rather than against war. That is the wisdom of Christ. He stood for peace, which the world mistook as weakness.
Blessings, Eric in KS
Simeon held in his arms the consolation of Israel. He held in his arms the one who brought "not peace, but a sword". He held in his arms the Prince of Peace. He held in his arms a saving thing, a light, a glory. He held in his arms the Christ child.
Could it be that our nation is facing a crisis because of that very Christ child who brings life and hope to humanity? Those who currently conspire against our nation do so because we are NOT of their faith. It is true that our nation is not exclusively Christian. Some will argue that the Christian era in America has passed. Perhaps they are right. Regardless, the reality is that our nation was founded on Christian principles and ideals, that our republic stands on Judeo-Christian values. This is precisely what is abhorred by fundamentalist Muslim groups. The same faith that drove devotees to acts of terror on 9/11 (the first shot) is the same faith that is assembling and hiding weapons of mass destruction while we gather with our families to celebrate Christmas, the birth of the savior. Eric in KS, the first shot was fired 15 months ago and I spent two weeks in the soot-covered halls of the Pentagon finding the remains of its target...our citizens, men, women, and children. Having returned from 6 months in Qatar, Afghanistan, and Pakistan and now sitting in on weekly briefings on the Middle East, I can say with certainty that your way of life and mine are being threatened by those who despise our faith, our people, our nation and all that they stand for. And I speak here not of oil or riches, but freedom and human rights. A state in which common citizens have a voice, a vote, and can elect leadership to enhance quality of life is dangerous to those who believe that divine authority to rule is given to a select few.
There are those who truly believe that they have a diving mandate to destroy our nation because it is, in their minds, godless. And they do possess the capability to inflict tremendous damage to our economy and way of life. The reserve chaplain now deployed and countless other men and women are doing everything they can to insure that we will worship this week in safety and security. And they are doing it with pride and great sacrifice. This posting comes to you, not from a WWII vet, but a vet of Desert Storm, Bosnia, and Operation Enduring Freedom.
As for this text, we dare not preach anything other than Christ and Him crucified. We dare not be any less devoted than Simeon, any less outspoken than Anna who could not contain her joy. I have no crystal ball to predict the outcome of the coming days. I know that the strength of our nation will never lie in its military might, rather in the spiritual fortitude of her people.
My apologies for rambling. It shall not happen again. ARMY CHAPLAIN E, Ft. Belvoir
Army Chaplain.... I know all too well about the "first shot" (as you put it) of 9/11 ... but that "first shot" - so far as anyone has been able to show - was not fired by Iraq and was not fired by North Korea. And the administration's current efforts are directed toward war with those two countries -- what has happened to the "war on terror" directed against those who did fire that shot? what has happened to the pledge to "get" UBL?
Here is the "wisdom of this age" ... The war we are preparing for with Iraq and North Korea uses someone else's action (al-Qaeda's of 9/11) to excuse a pre-emptive agression by us against the leaders of Iraq and North Korea because the MIGHT have weapons of mass destruction and MIGHT use them.
The wisdom of this Child .. "If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt" (Luke 6:29) and "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile." (Matthew 5:38-41)
I don't plan to preach politics, but the wisdom of this Child impacts politics ... I plan to preach his wisdom of peace.
Blessings, Eric in KS
When I heard last week that the Time Magazine persons of the year were going to be the three women who did the "whistleblowing" in their respective organizations -- FBI, Enron, WorldCom -- it clicked with me that there was some similarity with them and Simeon and Anna. It seems that all these characters had good eyes, and spoke up about what they saw. Certainly, the women's declaration upset their organizations tremendously. They saw the truth and spoke the truth, and the truth rocks boats. Simeon talks about about how this "truth-teller", this baby will rock boats. Indeed, JEsus was the ultimate whistle-blower. The women blew the whistle because they believed it was the best thing and that ultimately their organizations would be better for it. It's more comfortable to hide things (and you get less punished if you stay undecrcover and safe), but more healthy to come clean. The women had a vision that their companies could be better if they responded well to their concerns. Simeon sees a baby, but he has eyes and vision for what the baby will become, which is much more than meets the eye.
Another part of my ramblings is that old children's toy, "See 'n' Say." It seems to me that that's what Simeon and Anna, and the Whistleblower women, were about -- See 'N' Say. And the challenge for us is to see -- to boldly not refrain from hiding our heads in the sand or ignoring stuff hoping it will go away -- and to have the courage to say -- to speak up when it is warranted.
JEL
Linda in NJ,
Glad to hear I'm not the only one with a seriously senior congregation. We had to rail in their grandchildren to have enough to put on even a scant nativity scene. No time to practice, it was take whoever showed up, put them in bathrobes or tinsel halos, and have them walk on at the appropriate time during the reading of Luke 2. Took about two minutes. It is sad to have Christmas and no kids.
But then I read this text and realize that Christmas is for old folks! Maybe this will preach to my Annas and Simeons.
I appreciated the post about watch standers, on ships and city walls. That works, too. I wish the submitter had signed so I could give credit.
I can hear Simeon and Anna singing in the temple, in little chipmunk voices, "I can hardly stand to wait. Please, Christmas, don't be late." Well, maybe you can't hear them. You'd have to be where I am. Maybe you don't want to go there. I still want a hula-hoop. "You know, for the kids." tom in TN(USA)
ARMY CHAPLAIN E, Ft. Belvoir and Eric. Thank you for your discussion.
I don't know where I got it, but a few years ago I picked up three questions from this passage. 1. Who Brought us here? 2. Who holds us now? and 3. To what is our life dedicated? For example, who are the people who have brought us to "the temple," who have brought us thus far? Who are the people who hold and bless us now? and, To what goals and causes are our lives dedicated? I think it is a pretty honest use of the passage.
Another thought about this passage is that on the one hand Simeon thought he was going to be able to depart in peace once he saw the promised "Messiah" (according to God's annointing - not people's). But, on the other hand, he had to deal with the fact that he saw in Mary that her heart was going to be broken or pierced. So... why is there often a shadow side to everything? Why does every silver lining have a cloud? Christmas has a shadow side. Receiving a gift has a shadow side. We just got a dog for Christmas, and there is a down side to a dog, even though there is clearly an up side. (There is even a back side). Is there a shadow side to having Jesus? There was for Mary. Could Simeon really now depart fully in peace? How do we deal with the mixed blessings in everything? Brent in Pincher
Brent in Pincher,
I hear you. New puppy in our house, too, after losing our dog last spring.
Yes, life always has its shadow side, but, as a good artist can tell you, without some shadow, there is no depth. Without shadow, there would be no need for sunshine. In fact, pure light cannot be stood by humans, but is used as a means of torture.
Without yhe dark side of life, we would not need Jesus. Without the dark side of his suffering, would we accept his sacrifice? More distance to go here...
Michelle
i'm thinking of how easy it would have been for both simeon and anna to have overlooked jesus & his family -- they were, after all, just an impoverished family from the hills. you know how we make people invisible to ourselves: miniscule visual details, like old clothes, or messy hair, or weathered faces, and we simply pass them over or tune them out in favor of the more sparkling, beautiful, "productive" people in our congregations. i was relatively unaware of this dynamic until an african-american friend told me how invisible he felt in our divinity school commons room -- how people would walk in, sweep the room with their eyes, consistently pass him over and speak to others all around him. since his revelation, though, i've realized that i unconsciously do it all the time ... even though i'm a person who generally champions the cause of the outcast and impoverished! so ... how natural it would have been for anna and simeon to do the same. or would it? would they have picked up in clues from scripture that god has a preferential option for the poor? would they have known, because they were so in tune with god's spirit, that messiah was indeed likely to come in a stranger's guise, in the form of a needy one? and then i wonder: is it even possible for us to find christ in our wealthy, white, in-crowd church? do i need to say to folks, "if you're looking for jesus, you've come to the wrong place!"? i'd appreciate hearing any insights or thoughts that these questions raise. kay
I seem to be on a completely different wavelength here. I'm stuck on the widowhood of Anna and HER invisibility. Why Anna? Why a widow? Why was her lineage important?
Widow in both Hebrew and Greek has different meaning than for us. It is not simply a woman whose husband has died, but one who is outside the acceptable social structure. This word means a woman who has no man to care for her. Most likely she was refused by her husband's male relations at his death and had, thus, been without male care and the accompaning family relations for many, many years. That would make her both more free than other women and more vulnerable. It would also make her practically invisible. She would have had no formal kin ties since those were traced through the male relations. A woman in her situation (refused the leverite) would usually return to her father's house.
Asher was a place of discord at this time, and a place often viewed as out of the reach of Jerusalem.
So, a widow, one of the opppressed and vulnerable, from outside the fold recognizes the Christ.
Christ has come, both for the powerful and for the oppressed, both to heal and to break down, both to humble and to encourage. This is the gift of the paradox- the gift of God come to us as a baby.
After wrestling with the text I think I will finally settled on something along the lines of the Person, the Purpose, and the Power of each of the two characters of Simeon and Anna.
The personalities are quite ordinary but "righteous and devout" implying godliness inwardly that is manifested in outward piety. One cannot see righteousness but one can see devoutness.
The purpose of both devout worshipers is to await Christ and to proclaim Him to others.
The power comes from the Holy Spirit whom God sends as Simeon and Anna live in daily prayer, fasting, and vigilance. The question facing God's people today is: As persons of God, what is our purpose and from whence comes our power?
Still working this one. Thanks for the postings. ARMY CH E, Ft Belvoir, VA
