Friday, January 2, 2015

A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons

Luke 2: 22-40, NT page 59 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, “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.” And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “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.” There was also a prophet Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. Sermon I sometimes underestimate, or, as my wife Sara would say, I often underestimate. I might tell her that I’ll be gone running errands for 15 minutes, but 15 minutes turns into 30, then 45. When I say that I’ll be a little late, late generally means about an hour, but the worst case of underestimating was when she was pregnant with Lily, and I started renovating the downstairs bathroom. I told her that she’d need to use the one upstairs for four or five days, which she didn’t appreciate, pregnant as she was, but it was a solid four months before the downstairs bathroom was operational again. I tend to downplay how difficult things are going to be, and maybe that’s to protect myself. Had I known that the bathroom was going to be a four month project I might never have started, and assuming that other people think the same way I do, to encourage others along I might be guilty of underestimating for them as well. When the time is right for a new class of church officers, some will call me to ask about the commitment required before they give their answer, which is a mistake, because without hesitation I tell them that “it won’t be too bad,” and “it will be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life.” The last part is true, it will be rewarding, but like all rewarding experiences, serving as a church officer is rewarding because it is challenging, often stressful, and the reality is that church officers are elected, not to go to a monthly meeting where nothing really happens, but to keep the church from falling apart which can be a big undertaking. I shouldn’t underestimate as much as I do, and it’s when parents ask me about the sacrament of baptism that I am afraid I underestimate to the highest degree. “What do we have to do?” young mothers and fathers will ask. I’ll walk them through where they’ll need to stand, give them a chance to gain some clarity about the significance of Christian baptism, and I’ll tell them not to worry, it will be wonderful. But what I should tell every mother if I weren’t such a notorious underestimate-er, is that, “You’ll need a full stick of antiperspirant for each arm pit because everyone in the church will enjoy this moment much more than you will.” I should tell each mother, “You’ll try to keep your daughter quiet and calm while the congregation is watching, but you won’t be holding her, so it will be about as relaxing as coming to terms with your lack of control ever is.” Mary and Joseph went to the temple with Jesus, and that occasion turned out to be a much more dramatic event than they were prepared for as well. The law told these parents what they should anticipate for the ritual that would designate their son as holy before the Lord – a more wealthy family would have offered a lamb to be sacrificed at the temple but Mary and Joseph could only afford the minimum, so they purchased “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,” but what would it really cost them? They realized the real cost when the prophet Simeon, this man, righteous and devout, who had dedicated his life to waiting for the fulfillment of a prophecy that declared a Messiah would come to restore the fortunes of Israel. When he saw the baby Jesus, led by the Spirit, he went to his mother Mary and said, “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.” Being a parent costs something. You have some idea of the cost while the child grows, is born, and keeps you up all night – but could you have imagined that the child might pierce your soul? That he would grow and develop, only to become a man you don’t always recognize? That as you held him in your arms, you would have to come to terms with having little control over who he would become? That keeping him in your lap wasn’t an option, and letting him go was the only way to let him live, though letting him go meant watching him be rejected and even seeing him look into the face of death? Young Mary knew it. She knew it when Simeon spoke to her in the temple. Christmas prepares us for a gift, but it takes the words of Simeon and the prophet Anna to come to terms with who this man truly is and what your relationship with him will cost you. The reality of Christ is that this child at the temple, so innocent and young, will grow to return to that temple to topple the tables of the money changers, oppose the religious leaders who were so respected in that place, calling them white washed tombs – clean on the outside but dead in the heart. If we confine him to the manger where he coos and babbles we have underestimated the Lord of Lords who speaks a truth that unsettles the self-righteous, challenges the pious, and pulls the powerful down from their thrones. Simeon and Anna knew this about him, but do you? He won’t be confined to the manger, for he came not to be the perfect complement to your arrangement of holly and ivy, but to speak words that make you question the life you’ve been living. Simeon told his mother that he was 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.” Are you ready for that? Gentle Jesus, meek and mild – following him may cost you more than you realized. Mary and Joseph were prepared to give “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,” not knowing that for them he was prepared to give his very life. He will not save you from every trial, but though you may walk through the valley of the shadow of death – he will be with you – willing to give far more than a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons out of love for you. Amen.

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