Difference between revisions of "Sermon for December 28th, 2014"

Revision as of 14:15, 27 December 2014

Luke 2:22-38

22 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 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), 24 and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” 25 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. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 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, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, 29 “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” 33 And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 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 35 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” 36 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, 37 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. 38 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.

Advent Encounters: Anna & Simeon

This week is the last sermon in our series on "Advent Encounters." Of course, technically we're not in the season of Advent anymore... today is the first Sunday of the Christmas season. But the sermon series has been about the simple, person-to-person human encounters surrounding the birth of Christ, and there are two more of these encounters that I just couldn't leave out.

Our two principal characters today are Simeon and Anna. Simeon seems to be a priest in the Jerusalem temple, and Anna, as a widow, likely lived at the temple and would have been taken care of by the temple authorities. We don't know exactly how old Simeon is, but we get the impression he has waited many years to see Jesus, and when he finally does, he is ready to die. There is an ancient tradition that holds that Simeon was actually two hundred years old, and had lived to miraculous old age in order for God to fulfill his promise in the right time. Anna, on the other hand, we are told has lived as a widow "to the age of eighty-four." But the Greek text is a little ambiguous here, so it's also possible that she has lived 84 years as a widow, which would make her considerably older than that. By all accounts, both Anna and Simeon qualify for the seniors discount at Village Inn.

I suspect that a few of you here today can identify with Anna and Simeon. But just in case you can't, I've compiled a list of the top ten signs you might be getting older:

10. Everything that works hurts, and what doesn't hurt doesn't work. 9. Your memory isn't as sharp as it used to be, and you often repeat yourself unneccesarily. 8. Your memory isn't as sharp as it used to be, and you often repeat yourself unneccesarily. 7. Your little black book only contains names ending in M.D. 6. You fall down and wonder what else you can do while you're down there. 5. Santa Claus starts looking younger and younger every year. 4. Your knees buckle and your belt won't. 3. Your back goes out more than you do. 2. You sink your teeth into a steak, and they stay there. 1. You finally know all the right answers, but nobody asks you the questions anymore.

Asked by a reporter how he had managed to live to the age of 100, an old man explained: 'Well, son, I got married when I was 21. The wife and I decided that if ever we argued the loser should take a long walk to cool off. So I guess I've benefited from 79 years of fresh air."

This old guy was talking to his neighbor telling him about the new hearing aid he just got. "It cost a fortune, but it was worth it. It works perfectly."

"Really," said the neighbor. "What kind is it?"

"Ten thirty."