The Presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple
Feb 2, 2020
Malachi 3:1-4; Psalm 84; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40
Opening prayer: O God of grace and glory, lift up our hearts and turn our eyes upon Jesus, open them wide with wonder and love, to look full in His wonderful face; so we may see that the things of this earth will grow strangely dim, in the gracious light of His glory and grace, in the gracious light of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. (adapted from a hymn: Turn your eyes upon Jesus)
A little background info first, about today’s special feast day on the church calendar. No… The celebration of Groundhog Day or Super Bowl Sunday is not on the church calendar today… On the Church Calendar for today is “The Presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple.”
It is defined this way in the book: An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church:
“The Presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple”
A feast of our Lord celebrated on Feb. 2, also known as Candlemas and the Feast of the Purification. It commemorates the presentation of Jesus and the purification of Mary in the Jerusalem Temple forty days after Jesus' birth, in accordance with the requirements of Jewish law (Lv 12:2-8). The feast is celebrated about forty days after Christmas. According to the account of Lk 2:22-39, the presentation of Jesus was also the occasion of the meeting of Jesus with Simeon and Anna. Simeon's prayer of blessing is the basis for the canticle Nunc dimittis (or commonly known as the Song of Simeon) (see BCP, p. 120). Celebration of the feast dates from the fourth century in Jerusalem.
It was introduced in Rome in the seventh century, where it included a procession with candles and the singing of the Nunc dimittis. The celebration came to include the lighting and blessing of candles which were carried in procession. This feast was known as "Candlemas."
No matter the name that one refers to this special feast day…it’s primary focus is on recognizing Jesus, as the Light of the world…
…. recognizing Jesus as the promised One, the Light that has come into this world, to overcome the darkness…to give us hope, when there seems to be no reason to hope…to enlighten a path towards healing, reconciliation and peace, where one cannot see how this is even possible….and to remind us that the light of God, the love of God… is right here, in our midst, for all the world to see… in the long-awaited Savior, the long-awaited Messiah, who Simeon acknowledges when Jesus is lifted up in the temple, for all of us to see…in the hearing of today’s scriptures…
When Simeon took the child, Jesus, into his arms…he knew…in the depth of all his being…he knew that Jesus was the One he was waiting for his entire, long life…it was a moment of peace that surpasses all understanding…a moment of grace upon grace…a moment of deep joy and gratitude…an encounter with love so powerful, so pure, so blinding…that everything around Simeon grew dim for a moment…the years of heartaches and suffering and worrying and waiting….all he could focus on, was lifting up this child of pure light and love, praising God:
"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."
Joseph and Mary were amazed to hear what Simeon was saying about their child. I imagine they could see in Simeon’s face, the joy, the peace, the hope, and the love, that was being held in his hands, as he lifted Jesus up in thanksgiving to God….
I imagine they were sharing in Simeon’s joy and thanksgiving for their child, too. But that joy, for a moment was interrupted, when Simeon blesses them, and turns to Mary and says, “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.”
I imagine Mary, already knew this deep in her soul, from the moment the angel Gabriel had announced to her, that she would conceive in her womb and bear a son, and name him Jesus. I imagine, she knew, as only a mother of her child could know...the heartaches that were to come upon her, and her child…the suffering that she could only hope would not come to pass…
But, she knew…she knew that all of us…man, woman, child…will endure a lifetime of joys and sorrows…but Jesus… Jesus was destined for something different….something more… By his death, we would have life…eternal life…by his suffering, and rising to life again…we could live in hope…
Mary must have known, deep in her heart, the preciousness of her child…this gift of light and love…so powerful…that no darkness, no suffering, no sorrow could ever extinguish it…
Her son, Jesus, would be lifted up for the whole world to see…that God is light…God is Love…and when we lift up Jesus, through our words and actions….when we lift up this light and this love for others to see… it changes things…it changes us…it changes others… it transforms people’s lives and the world among us…
I have seen how lifting up this light and following this light and love in the church is making a difference:
In the times when an elder, turns and lovingly smiles at a wiggly child in the pews…and the child and the parent return the same glance of joy in each other’s meeting…
In the times when the children get up to read, and I look at the smiles on the adult’s faces, as you send up quiet thoughts of support and affirmation for the great job they are doing…
When the children are helping out with different parts of the service, and encouraging the adults to join them in singing, and clapping hands…I see hope twinkling in the eyes of all gathered…
In the times when children of all ages come up to the communion rail…I see a family of God…united by the light of Christ and the love of God…
In the Friday morning prayer service, when the members of the Society of St Simeon and St Anna gather to pray for the children of St Peter’s and the youth in our community…I see the light of Christ’s love shared and lifted up…
I see all of this, and it gives me great hope…
Hope for the children, of all ages, who are outside of the church doors… the ones who are hungry, suffering, hurting, lost, lonely….
I have hope…because I have seen in you here, in this place…the light of Christ, shining through you…I have seen how you lift it up, and make it known..
I have hope… because I have seen already, how you are taking this light out to the community, by visiting and working with elders, helping out with transportation, taking care of children and family members, advocating for the care and stewardship of creation, volunteering with the Manna meals, working with people who are homeless, people who are living in abusive relationships, people who are struggling with addiction…There are many other places, I know you are called to go throughout the week….
I have hope, because I believe that there will be new ways, yet unknown, where the light and love of Christ will invite you to go…and you will have the courage to answer the call and go!
I have hope…because, in the hearing of today’s scriptures, I am reminded once again, through the witness of Simeon and Anna, that the gift of light and love, the gift of Jesus has been given for us, and has been lifted up in the temple, for all the world to see and to believe….
To believe…that God is light…God is Love…and when we lift up Jesus, through our words and our actions….when we lift up this light and this love for others to see… it changes things…it changes us…it changes others… it transforms people’s lives and the world among us…
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of this earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. (Hymn #97 – Praise Chorus Book)
Audio recording of sermon here
Rev Julie Platson, Rector
St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church
Sitka, Alaska