020220 – The Presentation of Our Lord Luke 2. 22-40
According to the Torah, the Five Books of the Law or the Pentateuch there are at least three rituals that must be followed after the birth of a male-child.
On the 8th day, Jesus had to be circumcised. Circumcision was always a ritual of the “HOME.”
Which is to say, it did not take place in Temple in Jerusalem, nor at the local Synagogue in Nazareth…but in the family home itself. It was a celebration of “the Jewish FAMILY.” Circumcision was also “NAMING DAY.”
During the actual ritual of circumcision the question is always raised, “How shall THIS child BE NAMED.” This was IMPORTANT stuff. Family gathered together. Family looking ON and listening IN.
This was the occasion that Jesus was given his name. YESHUA or JOSHUA…or JESUS, a common enough name in his day and time.
On the thirty-first day after birth another ritual needed to be observed.
The new born child would have been brought to the Temple IN Jerusalem for the FEAST of DEDICATION.
This was an important occasion in the MALE-DOMINATED PATRIARCHAL society.
The DEDICATION RITE signified that this child was to be HEAD of the FAMILY. He would be the PRIMARY HEIR of the family INHERITANCE. He would be the future NUMBER ONE AUTHORITY in the family for ANY and ALL DISPUTES.
In a patriarchal society it was “the position” to be the first-born male! So yeah, off to Jerusalem THEY WENT.
THEN, on the fortieth day, there was a third RITUAL, but this one had to do with the MOTHER of a MALE child.
This one was called the rite of PURIFICATION. Mary needed to be “purified.”
AGAIN, according to the sacred texts giving birth to a male child meant MARY had to STAY AT HOME for 40 days and COULD NOT leave the household.
According to Jewish Law, Mary was to come to the LOCAL SYNAGOGUE on the 40th day. The law specified that she was to offer a sacrifice of a LAMB, or if she were too poor, she could offer two TURTLE DOVES or TWO PIGEONS.
Mary sacrificed two turtle DOVES or two PIGEONS and that indicated that Jesus was born INTO POVERTY.
This is all in the way of background information (it is our context.) THEN…
There is this “OLD” tradition in the church that says Simeon was 270 years old when he met Jesus in the Temple and that he was completely blind. More than likely a little bit of Oriental Exaggeration!
But I always like to think there is “a little bit of truth” in some of those old traditions…
I like to think of Simeon as being very elderly and probably with extremely poor eyesight.
Yet Simeon BOLDLY says, “My eyes have seen YOUR salvation.” Not MY salvation. Not OUR salvation. But YOUR salvation. He is talking to God! This child is GOD’s DOING. And he will be a blessing for ALL PEOPLE.
BUT at the very same time, he will be the DOWNFALL of MANY!
His physical eyesight may not have been in GREAT SHAPE. But he saw what he saw. He SENSED it. He FELT it. He was OVERWHELMED by it. He KNEW IT in his heart.
Yeah, he was OLD, older than DIRT. He probably could not HEAR well either. I get that! Aging HAPPENS…and takes its TOLL.
So, there is this old guy – expecting great things in store for his people. The text says that he is filled with the HOLY SPIRIT. Biblically that’s a really “big DEAL.”
Whenever the HOLY SPIRIT gets mentioned…it reminds me of one of those BRIGHT FLASHING MARQUE SIGNS.
Saying: We’d better pay attention, because something IMPORTANT is ABOUT TO happen or occur! And sure enough…IT DOES!
When Simeon SEES Mary, Joseph with Jesus IN the Temple, he totally embraces Jesus and gives a “SHOUT OUT” to God.
He actually tells God that is OK to let him die NOW, for he has SEEN God’s MESSIAH – just like the HOLY SPIRIT had told him he would.
This KID will mean SALVATION for ALL KINDS of people and will be like a FLASH-LIGHT to help other people find their way in the DARK.
Meanwhile, Mary and Joseph’s jaws DROP and hit the FLOORBOARDS! And I can see them both look at each other and say, “WHAT DID WE GET OURSELVES INTO NOW?”
Amen.