Epiphany 4, Year A – Presentation of the Lord

I.Theme –  The Temple as the place of God’s revelation

 

"Presentation of Jesus in the Temple"  (detail) – Rembrandt (1631)

The lectionary readings are here  or individually: 

1.  Old Testament – Malachi 3:1-4

2.  Psalm- Psalm 84 OR Psalm 24:7-10

3.  Epistle – Hebrews 2:14-18

4.  Gospel – Luke 2:22-40 

The readings focus on the Temple as the place of God’s revelation. When Jesus is brought to the Temple, he becomes the living revelation of God.

Luke 2:22-40. Luke shows Mary and Joseph observing the requirements of the Torah by presenting their firstborn to the Lord and then ransoming him back. Within this scene, Luke paints a meeting between Jesus and two representatives of Israel: Simeon, who is “righteous and devout,” and Anna, a “prophetess.” (Luke frequently presents women in leadership positions where his audience would normally expect a man.) 

Malachi 3:1-4. In Jewish thought, the Temple was God’s footstool on earth, the point at which the divine touched creation. In apocalyptic thought, it was the place where the final judgment would take place. That is Malachi’s vision: God will appear seated in the Temple, “refining and purifying,” so that the people might offer pure sacrifice. 

Psalm 24. This song was sung by pilgrims as they reached the Temple. Standing outside, they called on the gates to lift up. From inside the Temple, voices sang back a question of faith: "Who is the king of glory?" The answer, given in faith, allowed access to the Temple.

Hebrews 2:14-18. An excerpt from an extended reflection on why Jesus had to be human—he had to be one of the “children” in need of redemption that he might “expiate the sins of the people.” 

II. Summary 

Gospel – Luke 2:22-40

We are back in Luke briefly for this important in the life of Jesus – the presentation of Jesus in the temple.  

Luke has an emphasis on the Jewishness of Jesus and his family. Five times in our text we are told that they observed the Law (vv. 22, 23, 24, 27, 39). . Not only the names, but also the practices of Jesus’ family demonstrate that they are devout followers of Torah. Luke presents two regulations — the purification of the mother and the dedication of the firstborn male child.

After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; Circumcism was the cutting of the foreskin on the male penis. It was a Jewish ritual to be a sign of a covenant/contract between God and the person being circumcised. It marked him as a member of God’s chosen people, Israel, through whom world salvation was to be achieved. This ritual had its origins in Genesis 17

Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover

Mothers waited forty days after the birth of a boy to go to the temple or synagogue to be declared pure by the priest. Mothers waited eighty days if they gave birth to a girl. The presentation of Jesus (as well as baptism for all people) is a giving away of children to God.

She was expected to offer a lamb, along with a turtledove or a pigeon; if she were poor (as Mary is), two turledoves or pigeons sufficed. Exodus 13:1-2 required that every firstborn boy be consecrated to God. Jesus’ presentation in the Temple is like Samuel’s. Jesus and his family fulfil the requirements of Mosaic law.

The Simeon story is outside of the normal dictates of the law. Imagine an old man comes forward out of the shadows to scoop up their child into his arms and prophesy about him. . Startled at first, perhaps, even a bit frightened by the old man’s ecstatic face, Mary and Joseph yield to him because they sense the Lord’s Spirit upon him. Hearing Simeon’s prophecy, they are reminded of the events of the previous weeks and months when angels and shepherds had intruded into their lives to foretell the greatness of their Son.

Simeon and Anna are elders, true saints of Israel, sources of wisdom. Their focus was on Israel These two devout Jewish characters are portraits of the Israel that accepted Jesus.

Notice their focus. Simeon was ‘longing for the consolation of Israel’ (2:25). Anna speaks to ‘those who were awaiting the liberation of Israel’ (2:38).

Simeon is at the temple because of the leading of the Holy Spirit. Anna is there because she is naturally always there. Anna was an old prophet of the tribe of Asher. She had lived a long time as a widow after the death of her husband. As a prophet, her special gift was to see into the future.

The Spirit has told him that he will see the Christ before he dies (v.26). Simeon’s words in vv. 29-32 are known as the Nunc Dimittis, from the first words in Latin. He begins by saying that God is setting him free, as a slave is granted liberty. He is now free to die (for the Spirit’s revelation to him is now fulfilled), and Israel is free of bondage. God has saved Israel, as he promised to “all peoples”; his salvation is for Gentiles too.

Simeon also blesses the parents and speaks to Mary. Simeon wanted Mary to know that her baby Jesus would grow up to be a sign that will be opposed by many in Israel. Perhaps in contrast the universal salvation, he talks about the "falling and rising of many in Israel." At the time of Luke, there certainly was a division within Israel about Jesus. Even among those who believe in him, there were some who did not rejoice that he was the salvation which God had prepared for all people.

That prophecy came true. Jesus faced intense opposition from the Jewish leadership who wanted to kill him. Simeon also wanted Mary the mother to know that a “sword will pierce your own soul too.” That prophecy also came true. Mary experienced the deepest of agony as she watched her son tortured and killed on the cross

Simeon and Anna together stand before God; to Luke, men and women are equal in God’s eyes. Anna praises God, and tells many the meaning of Jesus, as Simeon has prophesied. Like Samuel, “the favor of God was upon him” (v. 40).

Take note. This is more than merely stark realism. For St. Luke is clear that Simeon is able to speak of death so honestly only in the light of the coming of the promised messiah, only, that is, by the confidence that in this helpless child God has come to redeem Israel and save all the world.

Simeon does not ask for death; rather, he accepts it courageously and confidently in the light of God’s promised salvation. Death with the promise of life. And he does so, again, only upon seeing and holding God’s promise in his hands, only after touching and feeling the promise of life which God granted to him through Christ… and which God grants also to us.

Luke stresses the universal aspect of salvation. It is for all people — and for that we should rejoice. When Simeon and Anna see Jesus, their only response is to sing and worship, to thank God and share the news with others.

Perhaps the description of Jesus "growing" (2:40) and "increasing" (2:52) might encourage us to keep growing and increasing in our wisdom and in divine and human favor. Having been presented to God (as Jesus was and as we are in baptism) is just the beginning of our life of faith.

Old Testament – Malachi 3:1-4 

Malachi was a Jewish prophet in the Hebrew Bible and the writer of the Book of Malachi, the last book of the Prophets section in the Jewish Bible. In the Christian Old Testament, the Prophetic Books are placed last, making Book of Malachi the last Old Testament book before the New Testament.

He lived at the time of the Persian control of the Jewish community in Babylonia.   

Cyrus, King of Persia, has permitted the people of Israel to return to Palestine. The Temple, gutted in 586 BC, has been restored, but Israel is still a Persian province. People expected that their fidelity to God would be rewarded by (material) prosperity, but life has continued to be hard, so after several decades, they have lapsed into waywardness. It is the ungodly who prosper. In the old days, the king was God’s agent, but now (there being no king), the priests have assumed this role. In previous chapters, the prophet has condemned the priests for despising God, corrupting worship and misleading the people.It was not a good time for worship. People going through motions of ritual but clearly people are bored. People were complaining that serving God did not pay off since evil doers come on top. “Where is the God of justice ?”

Malachi announced that the Messenger would appear to prepare the way for the coming of Yahweh. His arrival would be sudden and unannounceed. Yahweh would come to the temple and men would shrink back in fear for he is “like a refiner’s fire.” A refiner used the heat of a fire to separate ore into pure metal and slag; a fuller cared for newly shorn wool or woven garments by cleaning them, purifying them, with lye. Yahweh purpose is to refine the priests purifying them until they present right offerings to Yahweh. God will judge adversely those who deviate from proper moral behaviour and from his ways. He will bless all who return to his ways, for he still cares for his people. 4:5 identifies the messenger as Elijah (who ascended to heaven without dying: see 2 Kings 2:10-12); hence the popular belief in Jesus’ day that Elijah would return.

Psalm -Psalm 24

This psalm is based on a Canaanite myth which tells of the divine conquest of the unruly forces of chaos. The psalmist has transformed it into a hymn of praise to God, the victorious creator, followed by a liturgy on entering the Temple.

In question-and-answer form, it was probably sung antiphonally, as the Ark was borne to the Temple. Vv. 1-2 acknowledge God as creator. V. 3 asks: who will be admitted to the Temple? Vv. 4-6 give the answer: those who are pure, do not worship false gods, and do not harm others with false oaths. They will be blessed by God, with prosperity. In vv. 7-10, the pilgrims identify God in terms traditionally associated with the Ark: he is “King of glory”, the “Lord of hosts” (v. 10), the war hero of Israel (v. 8b). The “doors” (v. 9) are those between the outer court and the sanctuary of the Temple. Perhaps a priest asks: “Who is the King of glory?” (v. 8) from within, and the people answer from the court. (The “heads”, v. 7, are the lintels of the doors.) God dwells in the sanctuary. 

Epistle -Hebrews 2:14-18

Hebrews couches the good news in Jewish terms: it sees Jesus as the great high priest. V. 10 says something like "It was appropriate that God, the creator, should – in bringing us to share in his glory – make Jesus (the forerunner of our salvation), a priest, but (unlike other priests) a priest who suffers." Why? V. 11 says: because Jesus and we have the same Father. God reveals himself in the Church. There is a close affinity between Jesus and his followers.  

In v. 14, “flesh” refers to human nature, considered in its weakness and infidelity. The writer sees the devil as having the power of death – perhaps a reminder of the link between sin and death portrayed in the story of the Garden of Eden. Jesus, through his redemptive act, frees us from the fear of death – death is no longer separation from God. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, the nature of death has changed: it has become the way out of the domain of sin. The “descendants of Abraham” (v. 16) are those who believe in Christ. Old Testament priests were expected to be “faithful” (v. 17), but Christ, the “high priest” is unique in being “merciful”, compassionate. Before Christ, when one deviated from God’s ways (sinned),

God became angry and separated one from him, one offered a sacrifice (thus obtaining purification), and regained a right relationship with God.

Christ’s “sacrifice”, death, ends this cycle: he continually takes sins on himself, keeping us in unity with God. Then v. 18: it is because Christ was “tested” in life and when dying that he is able to help those who are tempted to abandon his ways.

III. Articles for this week in WorkingPreacher: 

Old TestamentMalachi 3:1-4 

PsalmPsalm 24

EpistleHebrews 2:14-18

GospelLuke 2:22-40

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