4th Sunday after the
Epiphany, B
February 3, 2013
Luke 2:22-40
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| An Orthodox icon on the Presentation of the Lord. From left to right: Joseph, Anna, Mary, Jesus, and Simeon. |
Introduction
Forty days ago, we
celebrated the birth of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Today, we celebrate
his Presentation in the Temple.
We read in the Scriptures that the Torah says the every male child that opens
the womb (i.e., a firstborn son), is to be sanctified to the Lord. Furthermore,
the Torah also requires that forty days after the birth of a son, a woman
offers a sacrifice to the Lord (cf. Leviticus 12). Today, forty days after we
have celebrated Christmas, we must meditate: What does it mean for Jesus being
in the "temple" of our lives?
Excursus. Now, we must first clarify: The Presentation of Jesus
at the Temple
is NOT a pattern for Christian experience. Some people have taken this as proof
that Christians should not have their children baptized, only
"dedicated". But we United
Methodists must never speak of the baptism of children as a mere
"dedication". "Dedication" is not a Christian ordinance but
a Jewish one. (But not during modern times: the dedication of firstborn sons
can only be done at the Temple.
But since the Temple has been destroyed, all Temple rituals, like
sacrifices and the dedication of the firstborn, cannot be done.) Just as Jewish
boys are entered into the covenant of Abraham through circumcision, the
children of Christians are entered into the New Covenant through baptism.
Now, just as Jesus was
presented at the Temple,
Jesus is also in the "temple" of our lives, our bodies being a
"temple of the Holy Spirit" (I Corinthians 6:19). If Jesus is present
in the Temple
of our lives, what does this mean?
I. The presence of Jesus brings Obedience to the Law
(Luke 2:22-24)
Joseph and Mary is a picture
of obedience to the Torah when they presented Jesus at the Temple and offered sacrifices as required by
the Law. Poverty was not a hindrance to their obedience, because they still
offered the required sacrifices, "A pair of turtledoves, or two young
pigeons" (Luke 2:24; cf. Leviticus 12:8).
A. Of course, for us Christians, this does not mean
observance of the laws of purification (niddah,
which is what Jesus parents do here), of dietary laws (kashrut) or even of holy days (moedim):
Let
no one therefore judge you in food or in drink (kashrut); or because of holy days (or festivals, moedim), or of the new moon (Rosh Chodesh), or of the Sabbath day (Shabbat); which are shadows of things to
come; but the reality (lit., body) is in Christ. (Colosians 2:16-17)
B. However, some have taken the grace of God in the
New Covenant to mean free from obedience, even of Scripture itself. John Wesley
writes of an instance:
While
I was here, I talked largely with a pious woman, whom I could not well
understand. i could not doubt of her being sincere, nay, and much devoted to
God: But she had fallen among some well-meaning enthusiasts, who taught her to
attend to the inward voice, as to quit the society, the preaching, the Lord's
Supper, and almost all the outward means. In find no persons harder to deal
with than these. One knows not how to advise them. They must not act contrary
to their conscience, though it be an erroneous one. And who can convince them
that it is erroneous? None but the Almighty (quoted from A Wesleyan Spiritual
Reader by Bishop Rueben P. Job, p. 62).
This is
what Wesley calls "enthusiasm". In his sermon, "The Nature of
Enthusiasm", he defines enthusiasm as such:
Every
enthusiast, then, is properly a madman. Yet his is not an ordinary, but a
religious, madness. By “religious,” I do not mean, that it is any part of
religion: quite the reverse. Religion is the spirit of a sound mind; and,
consequently, stands in direct opposition to madness of every kind. But I mean,
it has religion for its object; it is conversant about religion. And so the
enthusiast is generally talking of religion, of God, or of the things of God,
but talking in such a manner that every reasonable Christian may discern the
disorder of his mind. Enthusiasm in general may then be described in some such
manner as this: a religious madness arising from some falsely imagined
influence or inspiration of God; at least, from imputing something to God which
ought not to be imputed to Him, or expecting something from God which ought not
to be expected from Him.
There are
those who, claiming to receive a "special revelation" from God, or
alleged "guidance" from the Holy Spirit, act as if they above human
accountability or supposed themselves (though they do not admit it) above Scripture.
There are those who perform exorcisms in ways that are questionable by biblical
standards; or those who overthrow common worship of the Church, the liturgy, to
human whims.
C. A example of a person who is truly guided by the
Holy Spirit is Simeon, an old man who is "just and devout", and who
waited for the "consolation of Israel" (a term used for the awaited
Messiah; in Greek, παράκλησις, paraklesis, the same word used by Jesus
to describe the Holy Spirit, who is the "another Comforter"). It was
revealed to him by the Spirit that he will not see death until he had seen the
Messiah. It was by the impulse of the Spirit that Simeon went into the Temple courts. Perhaps it
was even by the impulse of the Spirit that he sees the parents and the Holy
Child with them--his long-awaited Messiah.
II. The presence of Jesus brings Assurance in our
Lives (Luke 2:25-35)
The Canticle of Simeon, the Nunc Dimittis, is the traditional night
prayer of the Church. It is short enough to be memorized, so it can be recited
as one's last thoughts before finally falling asleep. Sleep has been seen by
monastics as a rehearsal for death; for we do not know if we will wake up the
next day or not. Therefore, sleep should be seen as a preparation for death.
A. The Nunc
Dimittis begins with a prayer for the Lord to let his servant to depart, or
die, in peace: "Lord, let your servant depart (or, dismiss your servant)
in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which
you have prepared before the face of all people..." (Luke 2:29-30). Because
Jesus, the Savior, is in our lives, we can be unafraid of anything, even death.
Many people are afraid of death: for the worldly things they will leave behind
or for the things they yet have to achieve. The presence of Jesus in our lives brings
assurance, even in the face of death.
B. The Nunc
Dimittis continues with references of God bringing light to the nations and
to Israel: "A light to
enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel" (v. 31). The Canticle
of Simeon is the night prayer of the Church because, even in the dark of night,
Jesus is the light that never ends.
III. The presence of Jesus bring Quiet Trust (Luke
2:36-40)
Another character in our
Gospel reading is Chanah bat Peniel (Anna daughter of Phanuel), the prophetess,
from the tribe of Asher. She had been married for only seven years ("lived
with a husband seven years from her virginity", Luke 2:36) and is now a
widow for eighty-four years (or, is eighty-four years old). She spends her time
in the Temple,
serving God with prayer and fasting (v. 37).
A. Anna is a picture of a monastic way of life. Her ascetic
lifestyle is not an example of a normal way of life; but she is an example of
prayer without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17). "Prayer without
ceasing" does not mean continuous
prayer, but continual prayer; that
is, a lifestyle of prayer. With Jesus in our lives, we can block out the noise
around us and focus our minds on God through prayer.
B. Anna is a picture of quiet trust. People nowadays
are uncomfortable with silence: we let our radios and televisions blare even if
no one is listening or watching. We can see a lot of young people with headsets
or earphones, with music players pumping upbeat music (nay, garbage) into their
ears. There are also people who are no longer comfortable the melodies of our
hymns; presuming instead to use the worldly, sensual music that they prefer to
worship God. We need to return to silence, for in silence we can open and hear
the quiet voice of God.
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