The Presentation of the Lord in the Temple (02.02.2023)
Theme: Jesus Christ – the Light to the Nations
A. Today, we recall that 40 days ago, we celebrated the Birthday of Jesus Christ.
→Today, we celebrate His presentation in the temple in Jerusalem in fulfilment of the ancient Jewish Law.
→On this day; Jesus, the Son of God & Son of Mary, goes forth to meet His people for the first time.
→Mary carried Him in Her arms to present Him to the world.
1. Gospel: tells us of that presentation – what happened?
i. A Just & pious man named Simeon takes the Child in his arms and blessed God in these grateful wards: ‘Now Master, you can……
ii. Another important Person, Anna, who had been spending all her time praying in the temple, saw the Child and went out to spread the Good News … ‘to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem…’
2. Simeon and Anna are 2 of the most symbolic people in all sacred history:
i. They represent Israel, indeed, all humanity;
ii. They are waiting & longing for the Promised Messiah to come;
iii. They had longed to see the glory of God’s face shining in human eyes. And here He was and He is.
Note: As we celebrate this Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, maybe we should ask: Why Simeon and Anna are able to recognise this baby or child who is in the arms of Mary is the Promised Messiah?
B. “Before we try answer that question; I would like to Invite you to recall the Gospel Passage of yesterday (Mk 6:1-6), there it tells us that Jesus, after traveling throughout the countryside performing miracles, teaching the crowds and gaining many followers, He returned to Nazareth where He grew up with His disciples. Perhaps His disciples were excited to return with Jesus to His native place, thinking that His own townspeople would be overjoyed to see Jesus again because of the many stories of His miracles and authoritative teaching. But the disciples were soon to have quite a surprise.
1. After arriving in Nazareth, Jesus entered the Synagogue to teach, and He taught with an authority and wisdom that confounded His own people. They said among themselves, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him?” They were confused because they knew Jesus. He was the local carpenter who worked for years with His father who was a carpenter (He was Mary’s son, and they knew His other relatives by name.)
2. The primary difficulty Jesus’ townspeople had, was their familiarity with Jesus. They knew Him. They knew where He lived. They knew Him as He grew up. They knew His family. They knew all about Him. Therefore, they wondered how Jesus could be anything special. How could He now teach with authority? How could He now do miracles? Thus, the townspeople were astonished, and they allowed that astonishment to turn into doubt, judgment and criticism.
3. The same temptation is something we all deal with more than we may realize. It is often easier to admire a stranger from afar than one whom we know well. When we hear of someone for the first time who is doing something admirable, it’s easy to join in that admiration. But when we hear good news about someone we know well, we can easily be tempted to jealousy or envy and to be skeptical and even critical.
C. Let us now return to the question; Why or how Simeon and Anna were able to recognize the baby or child was the Promised Messiah?
i. Prompted by the Holy Spirit;
ii. Desire or longing for it; God will satisfy that longing
iii. Proper Disposition: To Encounter him
