For my eyes have seen your salvation

Presentation of Christ in the Temple

In the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Jesus, the light of life, constantly draws men and women to himself even in the form of a baby. On this day, we celebrate the presentation of Christ in the temple, as well as the purification of the blessed Virgin Mary. It was appointed and customary that 40 days after the birth of a male child the mother and the child shall come to the Jewish temple, to make sacrifice, and to give an offering unto the Lord. The mother was to present a lamb or a sheep on her behalf, for the priest, to make a sacrifice for her atonement. And the blood of that sacrifice was then sprinkled on the mother in order to make that atonement. It is clear that the family of our Lord was relatively poor, as indicated by their offering. In Leviticus, 12.8 we read "if she cannot afford a sheep, she shall take two turtle doves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering, and the other for a purification offering, and the priest shall make atonement on her behalf, and she shall be clean.” It is evident that our Lord came into this world as a child born into a family of meager means. The foolishness of this world God would humble the wise. Mary and Joseph, being devout, Jewish parents, bring their child to the temple to be presented to the Lord, as is the practice, when the child is male. This is to remember and commemorate the Passover of the angel of the Lord in the Exodus. This ritual brings to mind to the Jewish people their deliverance by the Lord. So, each male child was presented unto the Lord, in recognition of God's rightful claim to them and to their service in his kingdom.

And although we are not observant of all the Jewish rituals and traditions, we do recognize and hold up the notion that God is the owner of all things. In our offertory liturgy, we say "all things come of the Lord, and of thine own have we given thee.” The very son of God himself lived his life under the direction of God, the Father. Everything that he said, and everything that he did was submission to God, the Father and to his will. And we would do well to emulate Christ in this practice.

So, in obedience to the laws of God, and the customs of the times, the holy family presents themselves before the Lord to offer up to him what was already his to begin with. Simeon met them there to witness to those around them of God’s amazing and abundant grace. Scripture tells us in Luke 2.25 that Simeon was a man from Jerusalem, who was righteous and devout, and upon whom the Holy Spirit rested. And it was the Holy Spirit that brought him to the temple at the time of the presentation. It was the Holy Spirit that revealed to him who the Christ was. And by that same spirit, Simeon represented a promise that would come decades later, that God's holy spirit would be poured out upon all flesh. Joel 2.28, we read "I will pour out my spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions." Simeon prefigures this pouring out of God's spirit that will occur later after the ascension of Christ. Years later, Jesus Christ will assure his disciples that the Holy Spirit is coming upon them. In John, 16.7 Jesus says, "nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you." and it is this Holy Spirit, that guides the Christian believer. It is the Holy Ghost that testifies to Jesus Christ himself. This same spirit of God convicts us of our sin and leads us to repentance. In the case of Simeon, we see the Holy Spirit guiding this man who was seeking God. He guides him to the temple to witness the presentation of Jesus Christ, not only as the first born of the holy family, but as the coming of the son of God in the flesh to redeem all mankind.

Simeon, guided by God, then takes the child from his mother and sings a canticle that we now call Nunc Dimittis, which means “now thou wettest depart.” This is a canticle found in the evening prayer service. And it echoes the words of Simeon, which he sings as he holds the Lord in his arms. You see, Simeon was awaiting the salvation of Israel. Not a political salvation, to be freed from the tyranny of the Roman Empire. But a true salvation, to be freed from the bondage of sin, and to be made righteous before the eyes of God. He says “I can now die in peace.” Which means that he has been waiting for an extended period of time for God's salvation to be made known to him and to Israel. Notice the patients and the determination and the commitment and loyalty of Simeon. He had waited his entire life presumably for this moment. The Holy Spirit gave him not only the discernment to patiently wait but the grace to endure it, and how often do we do the opposite. I confess for you, and our Lord, that I am perhaps the most impatient person that I know. When I see something that needs to be done, I want it to be done immediately. I am just a product of our time, a product of the instant gratification generation. I pray that the Lord would give me the wisdom and discernment through his Holy Spirit to wait patiently for his salvation. Because his salvation is the only one that can truly bring us peace and truth and light. When we try to save ourselves, we always end up messing things up even worse. Simeon didn't try to go out and make things happen for Israel. He didn't rally support. He didn't protest the Roman Empire. He prayed. He relied on the Holy Spirit. It was all in God’s time. And perhaps what I love most about Simeon’s words that he recognizes and proclaims the truth that Jesus is a light to the gentiles as well as to the Jews.

Several years ago, our family had two boxers. One was a male, he was very large, and his name was Cash, because he was mostly black with some white spots on him and so he reminded us of Johnny Cash in Black. the other boxer was a female named Lucy, who we named after a Beatles song. Lucy and Cash both had their own ways of knowing that I was coming home or that I had arrived. Cash could hear my truck pulling up the street, so he would get excited and run to the front door and greet me as I came in. Lucy was deaf so she could not hear my truck. But, Lucy had a good sniffer. And if she happened to be asleep when I arrived home, eventually, after walking around the house and greeting the other family members, the familiar scent of me would float through the air and arrive at her nostrils as she was taking a nap, and she would immediately pop up her head and look around to see if indeed, she was correctly, smelling what she thought she was smelling. And when she recognized my scent and saw my face. She would hop up and run to me to greet me with excitement. It was like they had distinct ways of recognizing my presence. When they recognized my presence, they were always overjoyed, as if it were the first time they had ever met me. But in reality, the more they got to know me, the more they loved me. And our relationship with God is much the same.

If you are baptized believer, you have the Holy Spirit within you. And if you have been confirmed, then you have been anointed for an increase in the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life. but the Holy Spirit is not going to force you to recognize him or to be moved by him. God's Holy Spirit want us, however, to call upon him and to wait for him. He desires communion with us. the reason God has given us himself to dwell within us, is that we might be lights to the dark world. And that we might be salt. The Holy Spirit bids you to come and receive the body and blood of Christ, not so that you can go back home and hide your gifts under a bushel, or to keep the gift for yourself. But that you might shine the light of Christ to others who are desperately in need of hope and faith and love. The time for in action and apathy is over. As we leave this service after the dismissal, I will light the candles of the servers and they will light your candles. And after the choir has processed out, you will follow them with your light shining bright into the darkness of this night. Into the darkness of this world. In the name of the father of the son of the Holy Ghost amen.