A sermon given during the 6:00pm Choral Evensong, by The Rt Rev’d Chris McLeod, on the 29th January 2023
Behold I make all things new (Revelation 21: 5)
Simeon and Anna – examples for now.
Luke 2:22-40
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Jesus Is Presented in the Temple
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.[a] 27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon[b] 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[c] 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[d] to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
The Return to Nazareth
39 When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favour of God was upon him.
- All things new.
New things can and do happen. How we welcome them can be the real challenge. Most of us are creatures of habit and we find change difficult. Occasionally, however, we surprise ourselves and welcome something new with joy and excitement. However, by and large, certainty is what brings us comfort. The tried and true with the results assured. This is even more so with ‘religious’ certainty, which I think is at the heart of fundamentalism. With fundamentalism, there are no questions, no doubts, no alternative thoughts, no discourse, no changing of minds. All is certain and assured. Fundamentalism is often what we accuse others of, but I sense there is a little fundamentalism in all of us.
Yet, when I think about the response of Simeon and Anna to the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, I see an older couple who see something new about to occur. Simeon and Anna are those who welcome the baby Jesus at his presentation with joy and expectation (Luke 2:22 – 40). They are aware that the old order was passing away and the new had come. Jesus was to be the fulfilment of their expectations. If any had cause to be reluctant to something new it would be these two, however, Simeon bursts into song:
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.”
Anna launches into praise and her excitement speaks to all about Jesus.
The ability to catch the moment is what impresses me about Simeon and Anna. They were not rejecting the past, but they saw in this infant Jesus its continuation and fulfilment.
2) What Simeon and Anne teach us.
For some time now I have sensed that the Anglican Church of Australia has got stuck. We have been stuck in old divisions, old arguments, old rivalries, a certain lack of creativity, and an unwillingness to give up on entrenched views and prejudices. This was confirmed when I went to the Lambeth Conference and I had a sense that even the staid old Church of England was moving ahead in many ways. The Anglican Church of Australia looked in comparison tired and increasingly out of touch. I include myself in these comments. I am as much part of the problem, but I hope I can also be part of the solution.
It was Archbishop Rowan Williams who made popular the saying that ‘mission is finding out what God is doing and joining in.’ This is what I see in Simeon and Anna. They say, basically: ‘if this is what God is doing in this infant Jesus then I am joining in’. As we read through the Gospels, how many times do we read of those who say the complete opposite?
3) What is the challenge?
The challenge for you and me as we begin 2023, is what could God be doing that seems to be new and different and how can we join in? On another occasion I will be preaching about ‘checks and balances, and tested the Spirit of the times’, but not tonight. As we launch into a new year, I wonder what God has in store for us. I wonder what ‘Light and Glory’ (vs 32) Jesus will bring to us this year. Perhaps, we can be like Simeon and Anna and rejoice in the fulfilling of God’s long-awaited promises and look with hope to the future.
The Right Rev’d Chris McLeod – Dean