Simeon and Anna – Luke 2:22-40

A text – Luke 2:22-40

²² 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 firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), ²⁴ and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated 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; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷ Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary under the law, ²⁸ Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

²⁹ “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word,
³⁰ for my eyes have seen your salvation,
³¹ which 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 the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed ³⁵ so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul, too.”

³⁶ There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷ then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. ³⁸ At that moment she came and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

³⁹ When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰ The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon him.

A reflection:

God used many signs to point to his beloved son who had come into the world as a human infant. There was the angel’s announcement to the shepherds. There was the star, guiding wise men from eastern lands. In this week’s gospel we are at the temple in Jerusalem where there is a very very old man called Simeon, who had been promised that he would see the Messiah when he arrived, and who recognizes Jesus as that person. And we see the prophetess Anna, also extremely aged, who lives and prays at the temple and who begins to prophesy that the baby Jesus she has just seen will be the redeemer of Jerusalem.

These were signs in the Gospel of Luke not accomplished by Jesus but done to point to the identity of Jesus to those encountering the holy baby. And who were the people delivering the news? Pointing with certainty to the Christ Child? Two ancient people, ignorable by the rich and famous; some outdoor-living very smelly shepherds, also no one you’d take seriously for theological news; and some foreign astronomers/astrologers with no standing in the land of Israel. We know they were right because we are on the receiving end of this 2,000 year old story.  But God is certainly working at the very margins of society as heralds of Jesus’s kingdom are chosen and equipped to tell the story. Joseph and Mary were at the margins, too – their offering for Jesus’s presentation was the smallest one possible: 2 small birds. Jesus knows what it means to be poor. And most people in Israel were not looking for a savior from the poor working class of a town like Nazareth. Our God loves surprises.

Has God ever surprised you? Think about when and how. Then look for new surprises as God shows up unexpectedly for you again.

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for the testimony of Simeon and Anna in the temple at Jerusalem. Thank you for their story and all the stories of unlikely people with a mission from you. Help us to see that you are calling us, too, to do work with you to co-create a trustworthy world even now. Amen.