Scripture/Sermon of the Day.    December 31, 2023

Luke 2:22-35, 39-40     

Jesus Is Named

21 A week later, when the time came for the baby to be circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name which the angel had given him before he had been conceived.
[Jesus Is Presented in the Temple]
22 The time came for Joseph and Mary to perform the ceremony of purification, AS THE LAW OF MOSES COMMANDED. So they took the child to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, 23 AS IT IS WRITTEN IN THE LAW OF THE LORD: “Every first-born male is to be dedicated to the Lord.” 24 They also went to offer a sacrifice of a pair of doves or two young pigeons, as required by the law of the Lord.
25 At that time there was a man named Simeon living in Jerusalem. He was a good, God-fearing man and was waiting for Israel to be saved. The Holy Spirit was with him 26 and had assured him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's promised Messiah. 27 Led by the Spirit, Simeon went into the Temple. When the parents brought the child Jesus into the Temple TO DO FOR HIM WHAT THE LAW REQUIRED, 28 Simeon took the child in his arms and gave thanks to God:
29 “Now, Lord, you have kept your promise, and you may let your servant go in peace. 30 With my own eyes I have seen your salvation,  31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 A light to reveal your will to the Gentiles and bring glory to your people Israel.”
33 The child's father and mother were amazed at the things Simeon said about him. 34 Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, “This child is chosen by God for the destruction and the salvation of many in Israel. He will be a sign from God which many people will speak against 35 and so reveal their secret thoughts. And sorrow, like a sharp sword, will break your heart.”

39 When Joseph and Mary had FINISHED DOING ALL THAT WAS REQUIRED BY THE LAW OF THE LORD, they returned to their hometown of Nazareth in Galilee. 40 The child grew and became strong; he was full of wisdom, and God's blessings were upon him.

Reflection/Sermon:

I.      This year when I read this passage, one verse is louder and more attention-grabbing than the others.  Verse 34.  (Interesting — it was the same verse last week — when Mary said to the angel Gabriel — “What?  I’m having a child?  But — I’m a virgin!  I’m engaged!  This can’t be!”  That was verse 34 too — from the second chapter of Luke’s Gospel. This week, verse 34 says Jesus will be rejected.  Which is as shocking, or more, as what happened to Mary.  First Simeon thanked God for letting him see the Messiah before he dies, and he proclaimed that this child will be GOD’S SALVATION TO ALL — “A LIGHT TO THE GENTILES” and GLORY TO ISRAEL.  Then Simeon says — “But many will reject him.”

II.      Thats the Bible, full of contradiction.  In Egypt people begged God for 400 YEARS to free them!!!!  God said — “I will send Moses to rescue you and take you to a promised land.”  But after a couple weeks in the wilderness the people begged God to let them go back to Egypt!  God said no so the people rejected God and made an idol out of metal.  This is the Bible.  Now — thousands of years later — the people are crying again, “Give us a savior!”  God said, “Yes — I will.  Here he is — Jesus!”  The people said, “That’s not the savior we want.”

III.    And why does Luke give us such detail about Jesus’ circumcision and Mary’s purification rituals, saying FOUR TIMES “in accordance with the law of Moses?”
We’re even told the animals that were sacrificed.
Why are these rituals so important to Luke?  Because Luke wants us to know that Jesus was Jewish.  When he was grown, he didn’t try to start a new religion.  He taught synagogues.  People called him Rabbi.  Jesus was born and lived and died a Jew.

IV.     And here we are in the 21st century maybe calling ourselves“Christians” but still many of us rejecting Jesus the Jew and his teaching to love everyone!  Groups like Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups — the millions of Christians during the time of Nazi Germany — “Christians” who allowed the deaths of millions of Jews, Jesus’ people.  CHRISTIANS CHEERED AT THE NAZI RALLIES IN NUREMBERG — AND TODAY AT THE HATE-FILLED LANGUAGE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA OF RACES OF PEOPLE WHO “POISON THE BLOOD”—  People calling themselves  “Christian” still cheer words of hate, racism, and white supremacy. 

Did Jesus worry about one race poisoning the blood of another race?  Did he try to keep the races separate?  Why do “Christians” stand by someone who calls God’s greatest creation “poison.”

V.      The gospel of John says people love darkness more than light.  And Simeon warned Mary.  We call ourselves “Christian” — but do we really want a savior who commands us to love everyone?

VI.     The Bible is a mirror — it says:  “Look — this is who you are.  But God’s grace, working through Jesus, will change that.”  This is a New Year and right now we can say “Yes” to God.
Because, according to our Bible, the problem of people spewing hatred to crowds in Nuremberg and New Hampshire — and crowds embracing the hate —  will not be solved by law enforcement agencies or the FBI or the Supreme Court.  EVEN CHURCHES  —paradoxically — have become part of the problem.

The DIVISIONS in our nation and the DISEASE of hate for PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFERENT FROM US CAN’T BE OVERCOME BY WILL POWER or POLITICS or LEADERS.

The salvation we seek, and the power that CAN heal our hearts, and our world, is in the infant Simeon holds.  Notice, Simeon doesn’t give Jesus back to Mary and Joseph.  That’s because he has turned toward us — and he hands the Christ child to us, right now.  By God’s grace, we may receive the Christ child from Simeon, so he may grow in strength and wisdom IN US. 

JESUS GROWING IN EACH OF US, ONE BY ONE — that’s how God plans to heal this world.