Sunday 1st February – Take the Baby
22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord’), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: ‘a pair of doves or two young pigeons’.
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 ‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss[c] your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.’
33 The child’s father and mother marvelled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: ‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.’
36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.
Whenever I hear this account of the old man Simeon cradling the baby Jesus in his arms and speaking these words that have been viral for millennia, I think of that movie (and now the musical), The Lion King. It begins with Rafiki, the shaman of the pride, holding up the lion-cub, Simba, on Pride Rock as that song ’The Circle of Life’ begins.
Simeon is doing a ‘Rafiki’!
28 Simeon took him [infant Jesus] in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 ‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.’
This old guy had been waiting all his life for this. Like a tennis ace finally winning the Open or an astronaut finally getting that view of the planet from space, this man was longing to see this new-born boy all his life.
He somehow knew that there would come a boy who would be ‘the consolation’, the comfort, the solace of a nation, and indeed, the whole world. Here he was!
Luke tells us about this day. He is keen to show us that Jesus is legit.
There are actually three things going in here this day in the Jerusalem temple.
- This is the purification observance for the re-entry back into the worship life of the community for any pregnant women who has just given birth.
- This is the redeeming or ‘buying back’ from the Lord this gift of a first-born son.
- This is the presentation of the newborn child to the Lord for blessing.
PURIFICATION
According to Leviticus 12, when a woman conceives and bears a child, she is ritually unclean and can’t participate in the public gathering in the Temple for a time (about a month).
Once the month is over, she is then able to bring her newborn to the priests on duty at the temple, with an offering to the Lord.
The offering is to be a first-born male lamb in perfect nick. Or, if that was more than the family could afford, two pigeons will do. Then the woman can continue normal participation in public worship. Mary is doing all of this purification practice as required. Mary and Joe can’t afford the lamb. They go the pigeon option.
PRESENTATION
They present their boy with their offering to the priest, and pray for the Lord’s blessing on his life.
REDEEEMING
In Numbers 18: 15-16 we hear;
15 The first offspring of every womb, both human and animal, that is offered to the Lord is yours. But you must redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals [because they cannot be used for holy purposes]. 16 When they are a month old, you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels of silver, …
So, you are supposed to pay a symbolic sum (5 shekels) in an act of ‘redeeming’ or ‘buying back’ your first-born son from the Lord with thanks to him for that newborn child.
But I notice something strange here. Where are the five shekels? Luke does not mention them. Mary and Joe only have the purification offering (two pigeons) as they present their child to the priest – so we have purification and presentation but no redeeming.
What’s Luke saying?
I think Luke is saying they don’t need to redeem this boy because this boy’s whole life has a set holy purpose that can’t be bought back.
See, the Numbers law goes on …
17 ‘But you must not redeem the firstborn of an ox, a sheep or a goat; they are holy. Splash their blood against the altar and burn their fat as a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.
So, the first-born goat or sheep or cow does not need to be ‘redeemed’ or bought back’ because they are already set aside for holy purposes of the Lord. Their fate is sealed: no need to redeem them because their life’s purpose is set for God’s purposes.
But you do have to buy back or redeem a first-born boy because they remain in your care to nurture and love.
So, why aren’t faithful and obedient Mary and Joe coughing up the shekels for their boy, Jesus?
Because he is like those first-born goats, sheep, cattle and pigeons – already set aside; ‘holy’ for God’s holy purpose in the world.
Jesus does not need to be bought back from the Lord because he is the one who is going to buy back all of us by his sacrificial life and death.
He is one who will redeem Mary and Joe and Simeon and Anna, and everyone else – and not with 5 shekels, but five wounds and whole lot of splashed blood.
Remember what John the Baptist called Jesus when Jesus begins his public ministry down by the river?
“Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
This boy is the first-born sacrificial Lamb of God that will be sacrificed for all of us like a lamb led to the slaughter.
By his blood splashed on the doorpost of our hearts in baptism we are redeemed/purchased by God.
By his blood we are adopted into the family and called to serve as holy priests in God’s holy temple of people as we proclaim him to others and pray to him for others.
Luke is telling us that this little guy is the One, the only one, who will buy back the world on the world’s behalf. It will cost him everything and us nothing.
Friend, God does the redeeming of you, not you the redeeming of him.
God does not need your money, your ability, your family, your enterprise or our technology or anything else for you to achieve his gifts of new covenant, new relationship, new hope and new future to you and me.
That is why old Simeon is so stoked. God does the redeeming of me, not me, not us!
A fallen world will now rise!
So, Simeon can says that he is now at peace and can depart this life in peace.
Are you at peace, and could you depart in peace like Simeon if you had to?
And what has or would deliver the peace of a life well lived when you’re Simeon’s age?
What are your markers now, for being at peace then? Paid off a nice house. Had a successful career with respect of your peers? Got a couple of old cars in the shed to hand on? Lots of grandkids who love you, or even just one? Life-long membership at the club, your name on a board? Just to be remembered by someone for something good after you’re gone?
Simeon did not seem to mention any of those as bringing the deep peace as he faces his limited life and mortality. He only mentions this boy. He took that baby. He only hung on to this boy.
He says why.
‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.
Yes. Deep peace in your soul hangs on this boy. Manyu will (and do) speak against this boy, for sure. But he remains a sign of God’s presence and hope for the world and your life.
Maybe the thoughts of my own heart and many others are being revealed today?
But Anna is clear.
38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she [Anna] gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem
Jerusalem has been redeemed by this boy.
There is a moment when I stand together with you at the grave of a loved one.
There we pray these very words of Simeon.
Lord now let your servant depart in peace
According to your Word.
For my eyes have seen your salvation.
Which you have given in the presence of all your people.
“This redeemer boy is light for all”, “This is our shining glory for the world”.
In that loss, grief, sorrow and wondering about one’s life, it all gets as clear as it was for these four adults.
This boy is how you depart in peace.
This boy is how you live in peace before you depart.
He is the only one who can make you rise after you have fallen.
I tell you where else this redeeming love of Jesus for me gets very clear. Immediately after we hold him in our hands: after we receive the body and blood of this risen Jesus for forgiveness, healing and life, in his holy communion. There this songs breaks out:
Lord now let your servant depart in peace
According to your Word.
For my eyes have seen your salvation.
Which you have given in the presence of all your people.
Friends, take the baby! Hold the Saviour-boy in your hands and heart and know that grace, that hope, that love in your bones.
And even though there are soul piercing moments up ahead, as there was for Mary (so Simeon said) you will be able to keep passing the kid to your kids and grandkids. as you speak these words.
With him they and we have hope and love no matter what.
Yes. Take the baby!
… on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
In the our threatened and dangerous places as person and as a nation comes the dawn of a new way, a new day, a new hope…
We know those citizens of Galilee were the first to see this dawn. Matthew told us, even in these very words of Isaiah:
12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali – 14 to fulfil what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
15 ‘Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles –
16 the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.
17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’
The light that changes everything comes in words – words of Jesus.
God used words to shine this light of a new way to be at peace in joy with the God who surprises us, moves for us, seeks us out and finds us and directs us anew.
He has not stopped shining light in our darkness by words. Our God has been speaking light into the lives of billions across millennia. Our God has been speaking light into our country Australia since we were first names the Great Southland of the Holy Spirit.
There is a future of light up ahead for us all. The Apostle John gives a picture of what this word of light eventually will create …
God used words to shine this light of a new way to be at peace in joy with the God who surprises us, moves for us, seeks us out and finds us and directs us anew.
He has not stopped shining light in our darkness by words. Our God has been speaking light into the lives of billions across millennia. Our God has been speaking light into our country Australia since we were first names the Great Southland of the Holy Spirit.
There is a future of light up ahead for us all. The Apostle John gives a picture of what this word of light eventually will create …
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
‘Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.’
I don’t know your despair or darkness. I know we have all been feeling various gloomy things these last few years, and even now with what is happening in our country and our world.
We are responding to these threatening things is some good ways, but Isaiah is saying that this bright future that ends our gloom does not ultimately come from us. We can do some things – make laws, reduce guns, speak up for ourselves and etc. but the only light that can transform a person comes from the Lord’s mouth.
He is the only one who can change everything in and for us – despair to joy, dark to light, injury to healing, doubt to faith, fear to love.
And, we believe he has arisen and he is shining; he is speaking his light into our lives, no matter how worried or fearful we may feel.
Friend, trust him today. Listen in his light to your soul in all you face.
Jesus has defeated that darkness in your life. He has healed that despair you are still holding.
Arise and shine for the light of Jesus has come and you are in it.
See, I am doing a new thing.(Isaiah 43:18)
Perceive it. See it. Hear it in his light filled words.
There is an end to this gloom we often know.
His name is not Jock and his cheque book!
Isaiah names him ‘Immanuel; the Servant.
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