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“Embracing the Savior”

Rev. William G. Lamont, Pastor

“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.”  Luke 2:29-32

Christmas is a wonderful time of year but it doesn’t seem to have much staying power.  I wish it would last a bit longer than it does.  On Christmas night, for example, I tried to find a Christmas movie on television – “Miracle on Thirty-fourth Street,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “A Christmas Carol”...anything at all with a Christmas theme, but nothing!  I finally had to settle for “Home Alone,” which wasn’t really what I had in mind but it’s all they were offering.  And by the next day, Christmas was clearance priced at the mall and gone completely from the radio! 

To add insult to injury, I went into the church sanctuary on December 28 to discover Christmas quickly disappearing there too!  The Angel tree was pulled off to the side in the narthex (granted it’s no beauty to behold), the candelabras around the perimeter of the sanctuary had disappeared, and the Advent wreath was gone from the chancel.  I had to go rescue it from the back hallway so we could use it for today’s service!  

What’s with this rush to get rid of Christmas?  With all the build-up you’d think we’d want to hang on to it for more than a day!  But it seems as soon as the turkey supper is devoured, Christmas is passé and we’re ready to move on to something else...New Years, Valentine’s, and Ground Hog Day...anything but Christmas!

It’s a shame really - Christmas is over faster than a Kardashian marriage!  It’s supposed to be a 12-day festival, not a one-day event.  It begins on December 25 and it’s supposed to carry on through till January 6 - Epiphany. Why? Because a longer Christmas is a richer one...it gives more time for reflection on the season, to ponder the mystery of the incarnation of God, to embrace the newborn babe and consider “What Child is This?” 

You see, any event of significance has three parts.  The first part is rehearsal - and Christmas is always well rehearsed.  We start anticipating it in early November and soon choirs are practicing special music and we are making our list and checking them twice.  Stores stay open late before Christmas to accommodate even the reluctant shoppers and the radio is abuzz with carols.  Oh, do a good job of rehearsing and preparing for Christmas.    

The next part of any significant event is the event itself - Christmas day, and we certainly do a good job of celebrating it...the stores and retail shops know enough stay closed so that everyone can be with family and friends on that day, people travel to be together with each other, and there’s usually a big feast to celebrate.  If you were here last Sunday, you’ll know our choir did a great job of helping us mark that day!  Best Christmas ever.

Lastly there is reflection – every event of significance requires reflection...a time to steep in the meaning of what we’ve experienced and allow it to impact our lives.  This is the part we tend to ignore or at least minimize.  When we move on from Christmas too quickly, we deny ourselves the opportunity to reflect and steep in its meaning.  It’s a good time without much impact. 

And without reflection we ignore some of the finest stories in the Bible surrounding Christ’s birth.  Take today’s story for example, most people do not know the story of Simeon and Anna or even think of it as part of the Christmas story...but it is!

According to Luke, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the Temple after he was born to perform two separate rites; the purification of the mother after childbirth, and the dedication of the firstborn son to God.  The purification rite required the sacrifice of a lamb and a pigeon, though in cases of financial hardship, two young doves would suffice. (Luke suggests they offered the latter which hints at their status.)  As for dedication rite, according to the book of Leviticus a firstborn son could be redeemed from his status of “belonging to God” with an offering of five shekels.  Luke mentions nothing of them making such an offering, which suggests that Jesus, like Samuel before him, was dedicated to God.  This throws fresh light onto the later story of Jesus being lost in the temple during Passover, and it helps make sense of his comment to his mother when she finds him: “Did you not know I would be in my father’s house?”

According to today’s story, when Mary and Joseph arrive at the Temple, they meet up with an old man named Simeon.  He was a righteous and devout man, who’s prayed regularly to God for the opportunity to see the face of the Messiah before he passed away.  Simeon’s prayer was answered.  Guided by the Spirit, he was led to the Temple the same day Mary and Joseph came to present Jesus.  When Simeon saw the baby he recognized him as the Messiah, the One who would redeem Israel, and he took the child in his arms and praised God saying:  ‘Master, I can go to my grave in peace now, because I have seen your salvation with my own eyes...  prepare for everyone to behold; a light to the Gentiles and the glory of Israel.”

And the truth of Simeon’s prophetic witness is then confirmed by Anna.  This 84 year-old prophetess had been living within the Temple walls since her husband’s death.  Anna too was drawn to the scene precisely at the time Jesus was presented.  When she saw the child she began to testify to everyone who had been looking for the redemption of Israel, proclaiming Jesus as the hope of God for Jerusalem. 

These two aging saints represent Israel in miniature.  They are Israel at its best - devout, righteous, prayerful, Spirit-led, at home in the Temple, and most of all, longing and hoping for the fulfillment of God’s promises.  They believe God’s promises to be trustworthy and true so they kept their eyes peeled and their hearts hopeful.  And when Jesus shows up, they recognize him - they see in him the fulfillment of the hopes and dreams of all God’s people.

It’s a beautiful story, and so fitting that Jesus should begin his journey here, in the Temple, in the arms of a faithful elderly prophet who recognized him as the promised savior.  It just fits that someone at the end of life’s journey should be there to behold and bless him at the beginning of his life journey.  It brought to mind the story of our son’s baptism many years ago.  When David was born in 1985, we were living out in Indian Head, Saskatchewan, far from our family and friends.  When it came time to have him baptized it was up to our church family to take their place and celebrate with us.  And they did a good job.  They closed one of the churches that Sunday so both congregations could worship together that day.  They even hosted a reception for us afterwards and gave us gifts.  We knew who to ask to come perform the baptism on that day - there was no question of whom to ask - it was Rev. John Nelson, superintendant of missions, was the one.  John and Dora were like adopted grandparents to Sue and I out there, so David couldn’t have been in better hands.  We cherish the picture we have of David in his tuxedo sleeper set being baptized by John.  

Four years later when Beth was born, we were living back in Ontario again.  Once again the two congregations came together as one to help celebrate her baptism, and once again, John Nelson did the honors of baptizing her.  As fate would have it, he had retired back to Ontario so was available to come.  I had other ordained friends who could have done the baptism but it just fit to have John Nelson again.  He provided continuity and a familiarity in the family journey that just fit.  And we have pictures of him holding Beth in a beautiful white gown after her baptism.  We also have a special photo of Sue’s grandmother at about 90 years of age holding Beth and peering into the face too - something special about those at the end of their faith journey greeting those at the beginning of theirs. 

With Jesus, of course, it’s more than the sentimental meeting of young and old.  What we have here is Simeon embracing his savior.  He’s wise enough to recognize Jesus as the promised One, and he rejoices that God has allowed him to behold the Messiah before he departs from this world.  His hopes in God are fulfilled in this meeting.  Simeon stands in sharp contrast to the others who meet Jesus later in Luke’s gospel and rejected him as Lord.  Simeon also stands in contrast to those today who may celebrate Christmas as a holiday but never embrace Jesus as Lord and Savior.  They box up Christmas and with it they box up any real hope for their lives.  For some its pride, some its plain ignorance, some its selfishness or greed, but for all of them there is a lack of real hope in life...and it is a dangerous thing to enter the New Year without hope.  But if we embrace the savior we can move ahead in confidence no matter what the New Year brings.

Years ago now a good friend of mine lost both of his children in a car accident just before Christmas.  They were on the interstate headed to a family gathering when a truck slammed into the back of their car and killed both children in the back seat and sent the wife into intensive care with head injuries.  They eventually held the children’s memorial service without mom present because she just couldn’t be there.  I attended that service along with about 800 other people.  The bulletin cover was beautiful...it was a watercolor picture of two children walking away, hand in hand with Jesus as they made their way to the “other side.”   

The artist apparently had awakened one night from a dream and she decided to paint what she saw for the family.  It was an immensely helpful image for them.  It said that their children were gone, yes, but were not alone; they were in the loving hands of their savior who would take good care of them.

As we come to the table today, may your eyes be open to the presence of Christ in this meal.  And as we enter the New Year, let us, like Simeon, embrace our savior whose presence is real and promises to be with us not just at Christmas but forever.  And like Anna, let us be bold to proclaim Christ to all who seek the comfort of their redeemer. Amen.