The Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ: A Light to Enlighten the Nations

Today's Scripture Readings

Malachi 3:1-4 (NRSV)

Thus says the Lord, See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight-- indeed, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the LORD in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.

 

Hebrews 2:14-18 (NRSV)

Since God's children share flesh and blood, Jesus himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

Luke 2:22-40  (NRSV)

When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord"), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."

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. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. 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, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

"Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,

according to your word;

for my eyes have seen your salvation,

which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles

and for glory to your people Israel."

And the child's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 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 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed-- and a sword will pierce your own soul too."

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, 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. 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.

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

Blog Reflection

What an amazing man Simeon is.  A man who is so in tuned with the Holy Spirit that he knew that God would not allow him to die until he saw the Messiah of God.  Simeon had to see God's revelation to know that he would be able to die in peace.

The times that Simeon would have lived were not enlightening times by any means.  The Roman Empire controlled Palestine and Jerusalem.  The Sanhedrin were caught in between Roman Procurator Pontius Pilate and the people in their ability to exercise the full authority of their religion. They were high in prestige.  The poverty of Israel during the time that Jesus was born into, in which Simeon lived was full of darkness.  The poor and marginalized were exploited and dehumanized.  Famine, disease and a sense of helplessness was all around Simeon and Jesus.  I can just imagine how much old Simeon would have liked to have died and be done with everything around him.

Mary and Joseph brought the Child Jesus to the temple, to offer their first born son to the Lord, according to the Law of Moses.  The parents and Jesus exercised their obedience to what God commanded from the people.  The offering of Jesus to the Lord in the temple prefigures his crucifixion on the cross.  The first born of Mary and Joseph, and the only begotten of God, offers himself without blemish or stain of sin, to take away the sins of the world.

When Simeon takes the Child Jesus into his arms, he gives thanks God. Simeon recognizes Jesus as the long awaited fulfillment of God's promise to him.  Now Simeon can die in peace.  Our Book of Common Prayer in the use of the Canticle of Simeon from today's Gospel account calls Jesus "A light to enlighten the nations" (p.135).  It is from Simeon's understanding that Jesus is the "Light of God's revelation" that the "Light" will "enlighten the nations."   A Light that will make all who are estranged from God, will now be able to find God because of the perfect revelation of God's Self in Christ.  The Light of Christ is not to be kept unto ourselves as some private treasure.  It does not separate us from others who are different from ourselves.  It is the Light by which we understand that all people are perfectly created by God, and called to the fullness of life and hope by the God of unconditional and all-inclusive love.

Christians are a people of great light and hope.  We have the redemption of our souls because of the sacrifice of Jesus.  God has spared no expense, not even God's Son to bring salvation to all humankind.  Yet, Christians are often so selfish.  So unwelcoming. So insistent on deciding who we should show radical hospitality and reconciliation to.  Then we Christians make ourselves gods, by deciding when it is okay to exclude someone from being the recipients of hospitality and reconciliation.  Rather than letting Jesus be the Light that guides us to welcome everyone, to wash everyone's feet in service of even those who don't quite share our views of things, and working towards peaceful understandings of each other; we use the Bible, the Sacraments and our doctrines as reasons to exclude, to spread a world of darkness where there is already too much despair. 

Our Anglican Tradition in the Episcopal Church is one that embraces the via media.  That middle way between Catholic worship, prayer and our Bishops as successors to the Apostles; and, the protestant reformers of Martin Luther, John Calvin, John and Charles Wesley and so forth.  We invite everyone to pray in common even if we do not believe in common. Our Altars are open to all Baptized Christians.  In some places, Baptism is not required to be welcomed to receive Holy Communion, because of their commitment to the radical hospitality in the Rule of St. Benedict chapter 53.  Yet, one of the things we find over and over again, that those things that make us strong as Anglicans and Episcopalians, are also the source of the weaknesses we have in accepting diverse individuals with varying points of view. 

I think the challenge for all who call ourselves Christians, and claim to follow God in our lives, is to recognize that Jesus is the Light that shines in the midst of all our confusion and tension.  Jesus offered himself to be God's Light where their is darkness, despair and doubt.  Jesus is that "Light to enlighten" as we try to discern what God is calling us to and how we are to respond to God's invitation to grow in our lives and communities.  Rather than seek to stomp each other out and push each other aside so that the only voices we listen to are our own, or even those who agree with us; the Light that is Jesus Christ invites us to reach across political, religious and social divisions to seek the common ground of God's unconditional and inclusive love for all. 

The Light that enlightens calls us to give hope where hope seems lost.  As the poor continue to be targeted by political agenda's that prefer to cater to the richest among us, and be the source of more suffering and degradation.  The Light that wants to enlighten us to protect the bargaining rights of workers, women, LGBT people, immigrants and to protect other religions from being targeted, by recognizing that everyone has a place and purpose in this world.  To understand that each person, among all classes, races, sexual orientations, genders, gender identities/expressions, languages, health status etc are not their for us to manipulate and classify in such a way that they are made second class citizens with no expense to them spared.  The Light wants us to know and understand that there is no scapegoating, or justification for scapegoating.

As Jesus is presented in the temple as an offering to God, perhaps a very good question for us to ask ourselves is: what kind of offering of ourselves are we making to God?  Are we offering God a self that is masked and pretending to be something or someone that we are not?  Are we offering God those things we want to run from, rather than face as they are?  Are we willing to offer to God those things that need the Light of God's enlightening grace and mercy?  Are we willing to become the hope of God in a world where hopelessness and darkness, need so very much the Light of God through our hearts and arms open to all?

We are the only one's who can ask those questions.  The person(s) God wants to talk with and use is us.  How God wants to talk to and use us to make our lives and the world a better place is something that is between God and us individually and collectively. 

Are we offering and listening?


Prayers

Almighty and everliving God, we humbly pray that, as your
only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple, so
we may be presented to you with pure and clean hearts by
Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.  (Collect for the Presentation, Book of Common Prayer, p. 239),


Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in
heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of
your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through
Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, Book of Common Prayer, p. 215).


O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us
through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole
human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which
infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us;
unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and
confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in
your good time, all nations and races may serve you in
harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.  (Prayer for the Human Family, Book of Common Prayer, p. 815).