Luke 2:22-40
Today is exactly 40 days after Christmas and it is the day we celebrate the Presentation of our Lord at the Temple in Jerusalem, a festival day also known as the Purification of Mary or simply Candlemas. It interrupts the chronology of the season after Epiphany and sends us back to Jesus’ infancy. And we only get this text on a Sunday once every seven years, so it’s a special thing to read this Gospel this morning.
This festival day, the Presentation of our Lord, seems to have begun being celebrated in the 4th or 5th century. The festival involved candles and soon became known as Candlemas. Over the centuries in Europe a tradition began that if the candles were bright it meant that winter would last longer, and if they were faint then it meant there would be an early spring. This tradition evolved and in medieval Germany the tradition shifted to watching for a badger to emerge on Candlemas which would signal whether there would be a longer winter or an early. And when those Germans moved to America the traditional animal became a groundhog, which is where we get the tradition of Groundhog Day! I must admit, until I started researching for this sermon I had no idea there was a connection between baby Jesus and Groundhog Day—but there you have it!
Now in the scripture reading itself, Mary and Joseph are following a tradition too. They’re following the Torah which says that 40 days after giving birth a woman would need purification. And at the same time they’re following the Torah that every firstborn boy would be presented in the Temple, dedicated to the Lord. They are doing their parental duties faithfully when a man named Simeon approaches them, takes baby Jesus in his arms and rejoices in seeing the Messiah. Then an old woman named Anna approaches and does nearly the same thing. The Holy Spirit revealed to both Simeon and Anna that this baby in Mary’s arms is the Messiah of Israel, and not only of Israel but to Gentiles as well—the Savior of the world!
Whenever I read about Jesus’ birth and infancy, I can’t help but try to take on the perspective of Mary and Joseph. What were they thinking? Were they scared, were they excited? Perhaps both? Did they doubt what was happening or wonder if they were up for the task of raising the Messiah? Scripture tells us they were amazed at what was said about their baby boy. I imagine that this young couple must’ve found great reassurance in this encounter. Perhaps it inspired them and gave them the encouragement they needed to fulfill the mission God entrusted to them.
And in this text I also wonder about Simeon and Anna’s perspective. Just like the younger Mary and Joseph, this older pair seem greatly encouraged by this encounter. They see baby Jesus and know right away that this is God’s Anointed One, the Messiah. We don’t know if Simeon and Anna knew each other, but we know they have basically the same reaction to seeing Jesus. Anna was a prophet who lived in the temple, who fasted and prayed night and day. Simeon is not called a prophet, but he is called righteous and devout and we learn that he had been told he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. And after seeing baby Jesus, he is ready to die and his departing words echo through the ages, words we sing during this Epiphany season every Sunday before we depart from worship.
What strikes me about this passage is how affirming and encouraging the older pair are for Mary and Joseph. And also how affirmed and encouraged Simeon and Anna are by meeting Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus. When we’re young hopefully we have the blessing of having spiritual elders who encourage us. And when we’re older hopefully we have the blessing of feeling encouraged by our connections with the younger generations. I see both aspects present in this text. It reminds me that sometimes we may feel wandering and lost—but God sends us elders to guide us and help us find the way. And sometimes as we age, we might feel bitter or discouraged—and at those moments hopefully God graces us with an encouraging encounter that shows us the world is in good hands and reminds us of God’s faithfulness throughout all generations.
When I was in seminary I searched out spiritual elders. I had a lot of spiritual influences growing up, starting with my parents and family and my home pastor. Then I had college and seminary professors and mentors I’ve gotten close to through my PhD research interests. One particular encounter that sticks out to me is the time I got to meet Father Thomas Keating, one of the co-founders of centering prayer, the meditation method I practice twice every day. It was the winter of 2013. I was on internship at a congregation in Denver Colorado. I had shared my passion for centering prayer with the congregation and started a group there, and one of the members got me connected with Contemplative Outreach of Denver who in turn got me connected with Thomas Keating’s monastery in Snowmass Colorado.
The monastery offered me a free visit one weekend in early December. The weather conditions were terrible, but I had a one-on-one appointment with Thomas Keating the next day. So I set out in my two-wheel drive junker that had already broken down on me three times over the years, and drove through a blizzard at night in the Rocky Mountains to get to the monastery. The speed limit on the highway was 70, and I was literally going no faster than 30 or 40 the whole way there. I still managed to lose traction and hit a snowbank that kinda destroyed my bumper, but I kept going. And after seven hours of driving what should have been a three hour drive, I managed to arrive a little after around 2am.
It was worth it. The next day I joined the monks for prayer, hung out on the grounds, and that afternoon I got to meet Thomas Keating. We talked about Lutherans and Catholics and Buddhists; science and religion, the psychology of mystics, divine union and enlightenment; and his hope for a reunification of Catholics and Protestants and Orthodox Christianity. He signed some books for me and, though I didn’t have a smartphone yet, I did manage to take a half decent selfie with my camera. It was a privilege to meet him.
Thomas Keating died five years later in 2018. And I am forever grateful that I had the blessing to meet one of the world’s great spiritual elders. And one of the things that struck me most is how encouraged he was to meet this young Lutheran seminary student who appreciated his books and the centering prayer method he had founded. Keating was hopeful and optimistic about the future, like all authentic spiritual teachers are. And like Simeon did for Mary and Jospeh, he inspired me to keep doing what I was doing, and to trust that God was with me.
God gives us elders to show us the way. And God used Simeon and Anna to give Mary and Joseph inspiration they may have needed to fulfill their mission: to raise the Son of God, the Messiah. God used these elders to them, and I pray we all may have the gift of spiritual elders, the Simeons and Annas in our lives.
Likewise, God lifts up young people to carry on the ministry handed down by older generations. I pray that whenever we’re feeling jaded or bitter or discouraged by the sin and cruelty and spiritual rottenness in the world, we see signs of hope: like Simeon and Anna saw a courageous young couple and their baby boy destined to change the world.
The life of faith can be a struggle. We may have doubts. We may encounter hardships. We may have to make difficult decisions between safety and standing up for what’s right. Simeon tells Mary that her baby boy will be a “sign that will be opposed, so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed”. How true that is. How people respond to Jesus’ proclamation of good news for the poor and his cry for mercy for the vulnerable, still reveals the inner thoughts of many to this day. And then Simeon ends with ominous words to Mary “And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” We’re not sure if he knew about the crucifixion, but he obviously knew that the road of the Messiah was going to be a difficult one. And that Mary would endure hardship when she saw whatever it was her son was called to endure.
Simeon’s words reflect the reality that this journey is hard. But this encounter also gives us hope in seeing that Mary and Joseph had people like Simeon and Anna, and that Simeon and Anna had hope and joy in meeting the Holy Family.
And so we remember, that though the road may be hard, we have each other. We have spiritual elders like Simeon and Anna to inspire us with their lives of devotion and faith. We have young people like Mary and Joseph who are ready to follow God’s call wherever it may lead. I pray that God may give us the mentors we need, and that God lift up new generations ready to proclaim Christ’s love and change the world. And may we all experience the fullness of the good news of God’s presence with us and God’s deliverance for us, that all generations find in the Christ child.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Pastor Brian | Sunday, February 2, 2025 | Presentation of Our Lord
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