Presentation of our Lord (Mal 3:1-4; Heb 2:14-18; LK 2:22-40) Forty days ago, we celebrated Jesus’ birth and we promised Jesus many things. It is over a month since we made our New Year resolutions. Somehow, most of us, are perhaps back to the past ways. Scripture presents to us this story of Jesus’ presentation in the Temple, so that we may once again look upon God’s “present” that is Jesus, and change our “present” way of life. The presentation is where Joseph and Mary make of Jesus a “present” to God. It is also, where Jesus is first “presented” to the whole world. It is also a feast of purification. Yet again, we are called to be pure and holy. It is a feast of consecration. Just as the first born child is consecrated to God. We too can consecrate our lives, our children and all we have to God. It is also a feast of redeeming. The “redemption” part reminds us of when God first redeemed the Jews out of slavery. While God struck Egypt, He spared Israel. As a token, a lamb was slain in place of the first-born. Poor parents like Mary and Joseph would offer turtledoves. While God spared the first-born children of Israel, He did not spare His only only Begotten Son, who is the pure Lamb of God, offered as sacrifice in redemption for our sins. At His presentation in the Temple, Jesus is revealed yet again to the world, in His Father’s House. Surely, many people had come to the Temple seeking God’s blessing and to see God. However, when He is verily present among them, how do they react? Let us look at various people at Jesus’ presentation. First, we have the baby Jesus. No doubt, He is God, but here He is present as a little baby in the arms of His mother, dependent entirely on Joseph and Mary to bring Him into His own house, the House of His Father. Elsewhere Jesus says in Scripture (paraphrased), “who are my mother … the one who does the will of God”. God gives us Jesus in our hands, in our hearts (in many ways). How do we react to this? Do we lovingly hold Him, as His mother would, or do we just not care about this great gift of God? God in His great love is willing to take our nature, and later is even manhandled by the very people He created, just because He loves us very much. This is the example of love that we have before us to compare our own love for others – maybe in a marriage, in the family and elsewhere. We also have Joseph and Mary, who bring Jesus to the Temple. Joseph and Mary are two simple people who otherwise might never have found a mention in history. However, there is surely something beautiful about them. After all, Scripture says, “nothing unclean can come in God’s presence”. God often chooses those who are otherwise insignificant to do mighty things. God thus shows that even most seemingly insignificant in the world, can do greater things than the most intelligent, strong and beautiful persons in the world, through His grace. Mary and Joseph in obedience to God’s word, bring the child to the Temple to present Him to God. Are we willing to present the best that we have to God? In doing so, we will find great blessings. That which we present to God; God will surely use for His greater glory. It is also true that Mary and Joseph did not understand everything that some of the prophets mentioned about Him, even in the Temple. Yet, they go willingly with God’s plan in their lives and in the life of Jesus. We then have the prophet Simeon. He is promised through the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had seen the Christ. Simeon was a righteous and devout man, as Scripture says. Such people will find God Himself, through the Holy Spirit guiding them in their longing for God. Simeon is happy not just to have seen this beautiful scene. In his great joy he testifies to God’s goodness. Simeon uses many beautiful words to describe the Child and how His coming (as the Messiah) touches people’s lives. First, Simeon refers to Jesus as God’s promise of salvation to the nations. Next, Simeon calls Jesus as a light of revelation to the gentiles. He further calls upon Jesus as the glory of Israel. Simeon next turns to Jesus’ mother and says that this Child is the rise and fall of many in Israel. He is also a sign to be contradicted. Even though many will see the sign, they will deny it, perhaps to their own fall. Many will hear Jesus’ words and then claim to be Christians, but then deny His own words while claiming to be believers. Simeon speaks of Mary too saying that a sword shall pierce her own heart, so that thoughts of many may be revealed. We find this true even in our times. Many claim to be Christians, but then use filthy abusive language against Jesus’ mother Mary, that you would perhaps not dare use against any other woman even on the streets. In doing so, Mary’s heart is surely being pierced by these filthy words, and the truth in the hearts of these people, their inner thoughts and filth is being revealed. There is also Anna the prophetess. Many, in her situation would perhaps have been depressed and perhaps cursed God. She is a woman who lost her husband around the age of twenty or thereabout (seven years of marriage) and is now a widow of the age of eighty-four. Instead of being depressed, she clings even more firmly to the Lord, spending “night and day” in prayer and fasting, within the Temple. She is rewarded, by a sight of Jesus in the Temple. She too testifies about Jesus to others. When adversity strikes, we too have two options – either to grumble and curse God, or to grow into an even closer relationship with Him. Finally we have the crowds. This crowd includes even the priests and Levites. After all, the child in being presented in the Temple, was surely in the presence of the priests and Levites. Surely they heard the words of Simeon and Anna. Surely they knew Scripture. However, we do not see any rejoicing among them at all, that salvation is now at hand. Perhaps some in the crowds came there to hear out of curiosity what Simeon and Anna were saying. Some may have been happy too. How did it affect their lives? Or is it that after that momentary joy, they forgot all about it? How does Jesus’ presence affect our lives?
Posted on: Sun, 02 Feb 2014 09:07:30 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015