By the Rev’d L. Nguyen
Season: The Fourth Sunday of Epiphanytide/Presentation of Jesus in the Temple (Candlemas)
Readings: Malachi 3:1-4 | Hebrew 2:14-18 | Luke 2:22-40
The Feast of the Epiphany marked the beginning of the season which recognized Jesus to be the Son of God. The word ‘epiphany’ we remember means ‘manifestation’ or ‘appearance’, and the Feast of the Epiphany marked the recognition of the newborn Jesus by the world. We were, on that Sunday, encouraged to look for the stars, to the lights shining in the darkness as we find our own ways forward.
Continuing into the year we, the Church, remembered the Baptism of Christ, when a voice from heaven declares Jesus to be God’s beloved Son. And we were encouraged to notice within ourselves the empowerment or encouragement we have received not from ritual water but from the Holy Spirit herself, who dwells in us.
And now today, on 2 February, the season of Epiphany ends with the Feast of the Presentation.
Today we read that Jesus was presented in the Temple 40 days after his birth and yes, today is 40 days after Christmas, and this year it happens to be a Sunday. (1) We’re keeping to the script.
Jesus is brought to the Temple by his parents according to the law of Israel. In the only gospel account of the presentation, the gospel writer Luke seems, as one writer suggests, a little confused about Jewish rituals – the 40-day rule was actually for the “purification” of the mother after childbirth. (It would have been 80 days if Jesus had been a girl – as the mother of a baby girl was doubly “unclean” – (we won’t go into that, for now.) Luke has conflated the purification rite with the Jewish ceremony of the redemption of the firstborn. “Literary license” we can suppose.
So, staying with Luke, Mary and Joseph go to the Temple for Mary’s purification ceremony; and to offer a sacrifice in thanksgiving for their firstborn son. You may have noticed that they offer two birds rather than a lamb which tells us they were people of limited means. Ie “the poor” (1). A point to be remembered.
At the temple, Jesus is recognised by Simeon and Anna. Simeon declares Jesus to be ‘a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of God’s people Israel.’ And some of you may be aware of a traditional service for this feast day which includes a procession of candles, today is often known as Candlemas. Christ is the light of the world!
Luke in his telling includes both male and female elders in the story. Not only is Christ’s light and resurrection available to all peoples, there is also no distinction in gender or rank. And take note whenever “widows” are mentioned! There’s code again – the marginalised are welcome.
Writers suggest that Luke’s purpose in recording this story was to set up the birth of the Jewish Messiah as a counter to the birth of the Roman Caesar – who was also hailed as the “Saviour, Redeemer, Son of God.” (2)
The scene in the temple in Jerusalem is to confirm that it is the child Jesus who is the expected one to redeem Israel from bondage to imperial injustice and oppression. (3) God in Jesus comes to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed (Luke 4:18)
Of course, the Gospel is not our only reading on a Sunday. Some time ago lectionary creators paired this gospel reading with Malachi and Hebrews. (a bit like a wine tasting when dishes are paired with the wine). (2)
For this morning I’m staying with the pairing of the Gospel and the First Testament reading, The Prophet Malachi.
Malachi was a priest serving in the temple as it was being rebuilt in 538 BCE following the people’s return from Babylon.
It is recorded that the people were lax in their religious observances. Malachi was speaking out in support of Ezra, the Chief Priest, and Nehemiah, the Persian Governor, both of whom complained of these practices. (3)
In Malachi’s context, the sons of Levi have been purified by the Lord through a process that burns away faithlessness to God’s covenant.
The prophet wants to remind people that God’s covenant is not about belief. God’s covenant is about active, distributive, justice and compassion. (2)
For fickle we are.
And history is often a foreshadowing of what we are about to do again and again … we are also not quick learners.
When Jesus was born, Israel was occupied by the Romans who worshipped their pagan gods. The Jewish leaders and the Pharisees were described as hypocrites. Moral standards were lax leading to a context like the time of the Prophet Malachi. And Luke is pointing us back to the emphasis on the coming of the Lord’s justice with salvation as liberation from injustice to salvation. To have mercy and love. To see and respond with care.
Today many of us are concerned that there is a turning from understanding Christianity as liberation from injustice toward keeping the rules of power which brings material success as a sign of blessing.
In a season where young ones are being sent to military versions of “boot camp” to help them grow into loving well balanced humans I suspect we “Christians” could do with a bit of refresh.
We are very simply followers of Jesus and as we move out of the Christmas-Epiphany season we are asked to bring our first fruits to God …
What are our first fruits?
What should they be?
We’re not bringing doves or lambs, we bring ourselves, with all our foibles our hopes and hurts and we bring them to be loved and revived for the world. A world where we are very simply called to love others and not just one or two or the easy ones but everyone from crazy leaders to spaced out druggies to sweet children getting rickets! Rickets in NZ can you believe it? check the Herald (5).
The presentation of the first born in the temple reminds us that the first fruits of the harvest are presented to the God. The gifts in our lives are presented to God, in ways that serve God, by caring for God’s creation and all who live in it.
When Jesus is presented in the temple, he is recognised by the Temple servants, Simeon and Anna, as the one of whom Malachi prophesied as the refiner and purifier. His life is then dedicated to God.
A quote mentioned in a reflection on this reading was from Carl Jung
(6) and I thought it worth repeating.
“With a truly tragic delusion…theologians fail to see that it is not a matter of proving the existence of the light, but of blind people who do not know that their eyes could see. It is high time we realized that it is pointless to praise the light and preach it if nobody can see it. It is much more needful to teach people the art of seeing.” — Carl Jung
Two points struck me.
Firstly, even if the people could see – what are they seeing from the church? How do people see God’s love in the world? We know … through simple and tough actions of caring for others, caring for creation … how are we as a community with some resources behind us getting on with these tasks?
Secondly (and maybe this should be our first concern) … How are you feeling individual and collectively? We may have had a break over Christmas and the summer, but have we done that spiritual refresh – recharge? What does that even look like in this crazy life? How do we stay mindful so we can respond as Anna and Simeon did. What are our spiritual practices that will sustain us for the year ahead. We see what’s happening in the USA, right?
There is deep concern that church has flipped off the lights and headed to the hills or perhaps to the malls. That we have lost focus and community, we’ve looked into the church, found nothing to exclaim about to others so we apologized and sloped off to coffee shops or book clubs.
And we didn’t look as we went because it was all too hard, and we feel like we just don’t have the answer or the wherewithal inside us …
Recall our first reading
(Malachi anticipates that the people will make crisscrossing responses to the coming of the Lord. The message will inspire delight (Malachi 3:1a) as well as alarm (verse 2a) (4) and I suggest exhaust us.
The intersection of hope and despair resonates today, more than ever. Malachi helps us imagine that the appearance of the Lord will take us by surprise — as all amazing grace does. Once again, God’s messenger prepares the heart of the people for the coming of the Lord, who will be soon in our midst. (4)
Anna and Simeon were not young, but they were present, and they spoke out!
Today we will bless not just the backpacks but the very beings of our young and not so young heading off into the school year. Let us gather around them and our wider community – ready to shine the lights to keep them safe as they learn their ways and discover amazing this and teach us along the way.
And let us all feel God’s blessing upon us that we may speak up, act up, lean into the way of Christ and not be shut down because its too hard.
Reminding someone that they are loved that we are all made in the image of God and asking of ourselves and others to care for those in need is not rude or silly or hopeless, it is the way of Christ, and it is the way of many faith traditions.
We are not alone, and it is not impossible. The lights are on, the stars do shine!
Amen
Footnotes
1. https://www.stmatthews.nz/custom-9/k65ia8ck26/Watching-and-Waiting
3. https://michaeldavidjay.wordpress.com/about/
6. https://www.saintsophiadc.org/on-the-presentation-of-christ-to-the-temple/
Additional reading
02-02-2025 Presentation of the Lord, Brian FitzPatrick