Simeon and Anna: Journey Home

Simeon and Anna
Journey Home
December 29/30, 2007
Digging Deeper (Questions are on the last page)
Journey Home: Simeon and Anna
(Robert Ismon Brown)

Study Notes
Key Scripture Text: Luke 2:21-40

Luke 2:21-40 21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. 22 When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons." 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." 33 The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." 36 There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. 39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

Introduction
"Jesus was Jewish". With that assertion I began a unit on Christian philosophy for a local community college. Barely a minute elapsed before a student raised her hand. Looking puzzled, she challenged my statement. "Professor Brown, Jesus wasn't Jewish. He was Christian!" After a few minutes of friendly word volleys, we settled the point, as I reminded her that Jesus was born of Jewish parents, in a Jewish society, in the Jewish town of Bethlehem, and, most importantly, when he was eight days old, was circumcised into the covenant community, a very Jewish rite. (I refer the reader to our Summer Series 2007, August 18/19, "The Greatest Hero Ever", my Background Notes on Jesus.) Too often we attempt to force Jesus of Nazareth into either a rigidly Western mold or into an exclusively Greek framework found in the first century C.E. Neither is accurate, and unfortunately distorts how Jesus saw his own vocation in light of Old Testament Scripture.

Perhaps nothing says that more strongly than Luke's account found in 2:21. Following his birth, Jesus underwent the Jewish ritual of circumcision, also know as bris or in the more familiar Hebrew form, brit, the commonly used word for the "covenant", also known as berith. Luke is intent on showing that Jesus was formally connected to the Jewish faith through this rite. St. Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, makes the following assertion about Jesus:
4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons (Galatians 4:4-5).
Here we see the necessity of his circumcision, since it brought Jesus into corporate solidarity with the people he intended to "redeem". By being circumcised, Jesus was plainly "born under Torah (law)". For God to send His son meant that he was 1) born of a woman (that is, Mary), and 2) born under law (that is, was circumcised). Taken together, these allow for the true liberation of Torah-observant Jews and their full acceptance as God's own children. And so when Luke records this account of the bris, he is making an enormously important statement.

Throughout this key passage (Luke 2:21-40), there is a strong emphasis on Jesus' connections to the larger Jewish community. Luke has already been showing us the experiences of faithful Jewish people such as Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. In each case, the persons in question demonstrate that they are righteous, Torah-observant, expectant, but also open to God's new activity already beginning to dawn in the world. Having shown themselves faithful to God's revealed word, they come to experience more of it through Jesus' arrival. Consistently, Luke has been telling us that God is fulfilling His promises made to the prophets, and calling together a remnant of His people whose hearts are devoted to Him, and whose lives are obedient to His word. The stories of these key figures point to the formation of a nucleus of Israelites that will one day become the renewed people of God, the New Israel. The passage before us tells about the emergence of this family of faith. Simeon and Anna are among those who anchor this family within the sacred precincts of the Temple, leading the new parents in obedience to all of the requirements of Torah.

Our series has been about the journey home. For the spiritual sensitive Jew, living in Israel at the time of Jesus' birth, the longing for home had become deeply intense. Reading the sacred texts of the Old Testament only heightened this passion for God to once again come home to His people and make His presence felt among them. As we examine this final passage in this series, we are drawn to the ancient, yet future faith of Jesus' emerging family, the core of what would eventually become God's New Home. Luke wants to make clear that there is no sharp break with the past, no abrupt discontinuity in the storyline. What happens to Jesus that day in the Temple coheres well with the ongoing purposes of God for the redemption of His people. Jesus is, by all accounts, depicted as a good Jewish son, who undergoes the bris milah at the hands of a Mohel. His parents are Torah-observant Jews who undergo the proper purification rituals. But the story of this passage does not end there. For Yahweh is doing a new thing in the world with this newborn child. He is bringing to fulfillment everything that he intended for all of Israel. As the poet wrote in the familiar carol regarding Bethlehem: "The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight." Through the words of Simeon's prayer of dedication, the reader glimpses the mission and future of Israel through the life and work of Jesus.

Circumcised The Eighth Day (Luke 2:21)
How significant is circumcision in the life of Jesus? To answer that question we might want to examine another devoutly Jewish figure in the New Testament, Paul of Tarsus (his Hebrew name was Shaul or "Saul", while his Roman name was Paulus or "Paul"). In his letter to the Philippians this Jewish man wrote about himself in this way: "…circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews…" (Philippians 3:5). Notice how Paul connects his circumcision with being "a Hebrew of the Hebrews". We might use Paul's words as a template for Jesus' ritual in Luke 2:21. Jesus was clearly "a Hebrew of the Hebrews". What then is the teaching of the Old Testament about this ritual?

Above all else, circumcision was the token of the Abrahamic covenant. Those who received it after him enjoyed the privileges and undertook the responsibilities of that covenant. It symbolized 1) dedication to God, to whom Israel belonged; 2) separation from the world, the uncircumcised with whom Israel should not mix; and, 3) departure from sin (Deuteronomy 10: 16; 30: 6; Jeremiah 4: 4; 9: 25-26; Ezekiel 44: 7).

The subjects of circumcision were male Israelites when they were eight days old (Genesis 17: 12), but sometimes at a later age (Exodus 4: 25; Leviticus 12:2-3; Joshua 5: 2-9), slaves born in the house or bought with money (Genesis 17: 13), and strangers who wished to eat the Passover (Exodus 12: 48).

Circumcision was not peculiar to Israel. It was practiced in Egypt, and also by nations with whom Israel had not come in contact. The significance of Hebrew circumcision consisted in its being a token of the covenant that the Lord had made with Abraham and his "seed". It did not matter that other nations also practiced circumcision, since it did not have the same meaning or purpose. On the other hand, the various Canaanite tribes appear to have been uncircumcised (Genesis 34: 14-17; Judges 14: 3; 1 Samuel 31: 4; 2 Samuel 1: 20).

Circumcision was connected to the giving of a name; but there is no express mention of this custom until New Testament times (Luke 1: 59; Luke 2: 21). This would follow naturally from the fact that Abram’s name was changed at the institution of the ordinance (Genesis 17: 5, 10-14).

There was much controversy in the early church with regard to the obligation of circumcision (Acts 15: 1-31). The Christ followers under direction of Peter and the Twelve, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, declared that circumcision was not obligatory for Gentile converts. However, it apparently did not settle the matter of whether or not Jewish members of the Jesus community should have their children circumcised. As we read the Scriptures, it becomes evident that the real issue was not circumcision only, but also the larger question about the continued observance of the law of Moses by members of the Messianic community. The word "circumcision" seems to have been synonymous with the law in these instances. The controversy was renewed later on in Galatia, as we read in Galatians 2: 1-15, 5: 2-6, 11, 6: 12-16. These passages, along with Romans 2: 25-29, 3: 1-2; Philippians 3: 3; and Colossians 2: 11, contain Paul’s teaching on the subject. The Jewish part of the community, especially in Jerusalem, appears to have been very reluctant to cease from the rituals and ceremony of the law of Moses (Acts 21: 17-15).

Of course, none of those later controversies alters the place of the circumcision rite in the life of Jesus. He was, as Paul wrote, "born under Torah", and that included the faithful fulfillment of the requirements of that covenant. In later Christian reflections, theologians would connect this experience with a more significant event in Jesus' life, namely, his crucifixion. Whereas circumcision entailed the cutting of a small piece of foreskin, the sacrifice of Jesus would involve the painful wounding of his body and his sufferings for the sins of the world. That suffering and death, would open the way for the renewal of the covenant with the new people of God: Paul made the comparison when he wrote:
11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Colossians 2:11-15).
The cross is God's instrument of the new circumcision which Jesus would undergo. And its effects would impact our own lives, setting us free from the power of sin, "nailing it to the cross".

When Abraham underwent circumcision ratifying his covenant with Yahweh, he dramatized a powerful truth. "If I do not keep the terms of this covenant, then may I be cut off, even as my foreskin has been cut off." To further underscore this meaning, Yahweh commanded that animals be slain and divided to even more vividly show the meaning of the circumcision ritual. "If I do not keep the terms of this covenant, then may I be cut off, even as these animals have been cut off." So indelibly engraved was this idea in the Hebrew consciousness, that the expression for "making a covenant" was literally, "cutting a covenant" (Hebrew: karath berith).

Through his circumcision, Jesus fulfilled the primary requirements for entry into the old covenant so that, in time, he might authenticate the cutting of a new covenant through his death on the cross. Luke tells us in 2:21 that this ritual accompanied the naming of Jesus. Naming and circumcision were joined at an early stage of Hebrew history. Abram's name change to Abraham and his covenant ceremony occurred jointly, setting such a precedent. In the case of Jesus, his name had deep significance, as we already have seen through Gabriel's annunciation to Mary: "You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus" (Luke 1:31). "Yahweh saves" and "Yahweh renews His covenant with His people" are closely associated ideas.


According to the Torah of Moses (2:22-24)
Luke continues to affirm that Mary and Joseph were, in fact, Torah-observant Jews, using the language "according to the Torah of Moses". We translate the word nomos as "Torah", rather than the more common term "law". To the English reader, "law" has far too many connotations, including the idea of "legalism" which is by no means intended in this passage. Torah encompasses more than a series of regulations, but is the Jewish equivalent to the written word of God. Its Hebrew root means "guide or teach". For Jewish people, the "Word" and the "Torah" can be interchanged. The parents of Jesus followed God's written Word when they:
Fulfilled the "days of their purification".
Presented Jesus to Yahweh.
Offered a sacrifice.
In all three cases, Torah is referenced:
"…according to the Torah of Moses…" (2:22)
"…as it is written in the Torah of Yahweh…" (2:23)
"…what is said in the Torah of Yahweh…" (2:24)

Anyone wanting to discredit the human origins of Jesus within mainstream Judaism would need to overturn this three-fold declaration, as well as challenge the circumcision sign in 2:21. This is quite consistent with the later words of the adult Jesus, cited by Luke, "It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law" (Luke 16:17), and echoed elsewhere by Matthew: "17 Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished" (Matthew 5:17-18).

Purification
Subsequent to Mary's delivery of Jesus, Torah regarded her as "unclean". The key Old Testament text for this is Leviticus 12:2-8:
"Say to the Israelites: 'A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period. 3 On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised. 4 Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. She must not touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over. 5 If she gives birth to a daughter, for two weeks the woman will be unclean, as during her period. Then she must wait sixty-six days to be purified from her bleeding. 6 "'When the days of her purification for a son or daughter are over, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering. 7 He shall offer them before Yahweh to make atonement for her, and then she will be ceremonially clean from her flow of blood. "'These are the regulations for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl. 8 If she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.'"

While it is tempting, at this point, to explain the theology of Hebrew purification rituals, we will allow the passage above to stand on its own merit. Much about ancient practice puzzles the contemporary reader. We might find it odd to associate a normal post-partum biological process with "uncleanness", or the need for "atonement" to be declared "ceremonially clean." However, in the Hebrew mind, living under covenant with Yahweh, there were no sharp distinctions between spirituality and hygiene, or between holiness and wholistic health. Torah is filled with guidance on conducting one's life in holiness and health, including such matters as appear in this Leviticus text. Yahweh wanted Israel to be "whole people": body, mind and spirit. To properly care for one's health after the birth of a child is a godly action, promoting not only health but also righteousness. What Mary and Joseph accomplish through this process is properly called "their purification", since together the come to the Temple and satisfy Torah's just requirements. Some scholars, including some very early writers, have struggled with the fact that the plural pronoun "their" (Greek: autōn) is used instead of the singular feminine "her" (Greek: autēs). In our view, these parents shared in the fulfillment of Torah's requirements. By her covenant obedience, Mary affirmed her commitment to be "holy to Yahweh". We would expect no less from the mother of our Lord. Her body was, after all, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, the home God chose for the conception and birth of His Son. It was kept a "holy home" by Mary's acknowledgement of Torah's requirements.

First-born Male Presented to Yahweh
Immediately upon Israel's departure from Egypt, Yahweh gave this instruction to Moses:
"Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether man or animal" (Exodus 13:2).
Of course, the last plague against the Egyptians was the death of the Egyptian firstborn. But Yahweh saved those belonging to the Israelites. Blood was taken from the Passover lamb and used to "mark" the doorposts and lintels of the Hebrew households. This act was in obedience to Yahweh's command, and consistent with His purpose to "save his people" from the passing of the death angel. But having saved the Hebrew firstborn, Yahweh now claimed them, and that is why the act of consecration took place so soon afterward. Exodus explains this further:
"When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, Yahweh killed every firstborn in Egypt, both man and animal. This is why I sacrifice to the Yahweh the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons" (Exodus 13:15)

In the Old Testament story of Hannah (see 1 Samuel 1-2), we read of a barren mother's prayer to have a son, and her promise to dedicate him to Yahweh's Temple service "all of his life". She fulfills this commitment after Samuel's birth by dedicating him in much the same way Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the Temple.

What significance does this have for Jesus' presentation in the Temple? Simply, that he identified in every way with His Hebrew forebears, as far back as the Exodus from Egypt. It also underscores that he was the firstborn son of Mary. The theme of "Jesus the firstborn" is placed in a larger context by the New Testament in texts like these:
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers (Romans 8:29).
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation (Colossians 1:15).
And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him" (Hebrews 1:6).
Of course, before Jesus became firstborn son to Mary and Joseph, he was already God's firstborn. But when he became a human being, through the incarnation (literally "in-the-flesh"), he is dedicated to God for the unique service he will render to his own people as their Savior.

Ordinarily a ransom of five shekels redeemed the firstborn, and it did not need to be brought to the Temple. Luke mentions nothing about this redemption, though Torah provided for it in Numbers 3:46-51. This fact tells us that what happened in the Temple was not the redemption of the firstborn, but the consecration of Jesus to the Lord instead, much as Hannah had done for Samuel.

The Temple Sacrifice
In support of her ceremonial obligations, Mary brings the lesser of two prescribed offerings, namely, two doves or pigeons. While a lamb was common for those with means, the smaller sacrifice shows that Mary and Joseph were among the poor (see Leviticus 12:6-8). A strong tradition within Judaism speaks of the "pious poor", who, though they do not have much of this world's goods, still are rich in the kingdom of God. The Hebrew word used to describe them is anawim. The little community of the Dead Sea Scrolls, known to archaeologists as Qumran, or the Essenes, called themselves the "community of the anawim". They, like Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph saw themselves as the "remnant" of Israel, living as it were in the last days, awaiting the fulfillment of Yahweh's promises to His people. Soon, we will see Simeon and Anna join their number as more of the anawim. Early in his ministry, Jesus would express God's love for the "poor in spirit" and declare them to be part of God's kingdom (see Matthew 5:3). Scripture would declare that God has chosen the poor to become rich toward God, and heirs of His kingdom. The Epistle of James develops this theme as seen in such passages as James 2:5:
Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? (James 2:5).
Poverty, for early followers of Jesus, was not a sign of spiritual failure, but an opportunity for genuine spiritual enrichment. Wealth was suspect, and the rich were seen as exploiters of the pious poor. When it came time for God to bring His son into the world, he entrusted the Christ-child to the anawim, because He knew they would look to Him for their true riches. And they would echo what Paul himself would write:
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9)
When Mary offers the lesser of two possible sacrifices, she bears witness to the poverty into which Jesus was born: a poverty he accepted so that we might become rich in the things of God.

Simeon and Anna: Elders of Israel
Two important figures cap Luke's telling of this part of his narrative. They are both "senior" citizens within Jewish society, and might properly be called "elders", though not in the political sense. While it was true, that Second Temple Judaism had "elders" who governed in synagogues or in Jerusalem (on the Sanhedrin), that word, "elder", had a long-standing history in Israel. Moses, when he went up to meet Yahweh on Mount Sinai, was accompanied by the "elders of Israel" who ate and drank with God (see Exodus 24:9-18). Then, some years later, after the death of Moses' successor, Joshua, "elders" ruled Israel until the time of the "Judges" (see Joshua 24:31; Judges 2:7). Such persons were witnesses of the work of God over an extended period of time. They were revered for their wisdom, and honored for their faithfulness. Together, they embodied Israel's history through their own lives. And from them the younger generation might learn a great deal about walking with God.

Luke's narrative introduces such "elders" once again. They are Zechariah, Elizabeth, Simeon and Anna. The Holy Spirit is with them, and they are capable of speaking God's words, much as the prophets did in the Old Testament. Jesus' birth marked the arrival of the last days, and the beginning of something new. For such times, the elders of Israel were sorely needed. In the case of Zechariah and Elizabeth, as we have seen in our previous studies in this series, they were forerunners and preparers of the way for the coming of the Messiah. They accomplished this through bringing John the Baptizer into the world, the man who would become Elijah for their generation, and announce the coming day of Yahweh. Messiah would come once this preparation was completed.

Once more Luke introduces two characters into the story with complementary missions. Both are "old", and both are described as spiritually aware. They function much like "grandparents" within the "Journey Home" theme. With deep connections to the past, they are bearers of "ancient future faith". What does this mean?

Simeon
From Luke's account of Simeon, we learn:
1. He was righteous and devout. Luke uses the words dikaios and eulabeia. Simeon's connections to his Jewish faith are strong, as these words imply. The latter word actually means "careful in religious duties". This description shows he was faithful to Torah, and took his relationship to God seriously.
2. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel. Using the Greek word prosdechomai, which means "to await" or "to welcome or receive", Luke paints a picture of Simeon as a "watchman" for Israel, a theme already part of the Hebrew tradition (see Ezekiel 3:16-17). He was entrusted with the task of looking out for God's arrival. The Old Testament exposes similar ideas in such passages as Genesis 49:18, Psalm 119:166, and Isaiah 15:2). This "coming of God" is called the paraklesis, "the comfort, consolation", a powerful idea in Isaiah's prophecy, especially in chapter 40. Such consolation refers to the coming of the Messiah as seen in Isaiah 49:13; 57:18; 61:2. Simeon's role was to be the first to publicly identify the Messiah, but to do so, he needed to accurately recognize him. For this task he requires special insight from God, and that is granted through the Holy Spirit, as examined next.
3. The Holy Spirit was on him. Jewish thought did not place the Holy Spirit into a trinity, at least not yet! Although this is true, Hebrew writers knew of the Holy Spirit's role in the lives of the prophets. When God sent His message through a prophet, he communicated it through the inspiration of the Spirit. A few Old Testament texts supply support for this, such as Numbers 11:19, 24:2-3, 27:18, Ezekiel 2:2, and Micah 3:8. The Micah passage bears a full reading here as illustrative of the point:But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of Yahweh, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin (Micah 3:8).The New Testament affirms the role of the Spirit in revealing the words of God to the prophets:For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21).In Simeon's case, two things would happen. First, the Holy Spirit would let him know which child was the Messiah, and then, secondly, give Simeon the words to explain this to others. As we shall see shortly, Simeon would have additional help in the communication portion of this vocation. Moreover, this passage makes the connection between the "consolation of Israel" and "the Messiah of Yahweh". They are the same thing. Jesus is the consolation of Israel. Jesus is the Messiah. And Simeon would be privileged to bear that message, though only at the first, to the parents of Jesus.
4. He had lived his life under a promise: namely, that he would not die until he had seen Yahweh's Messiah. The reader must admire the stamina of Simeon. How many of us could devote our lifetimes to "waiting" for Yahweh to fulfill His purposes? Yet, at some early stage of his life, Simeon was told that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. Now he had arrived at the fulfillment of the promise after so many years of anticipation.
5. He arrives as the Temple precisely when Jesus is brought for dedication. Throughout Scripture, much of God's guidance is a question of timing. Miracles are often events of precise timing more than overt violations of natural law. Even as Jesus is brought for dedication, unbeknown to either the parents or Simeon, God reveals the Messiah to them at long last. We are reminded of Malachi's words:"See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says Yahweh Almighty (Malachi 3:1).While John the Baptizer would fulfill the "messenger of preparation" part of this prophecy, Jesus plainly complements the rest of the prophecy. Simeon "seeks" and he "desires" to see Yahweh's Messiah, having been commissioned to do so. At the precise moment, the seeker and the one sought arrive together, led by the Holy Spirit.

We do not know if Simeon had any official role in the Temple worship. Some scholars assume he was a priest who actually carried out the requirements of purification for Mary, and who also dedicated Jesus in accordance with Jewish tradition. But any of that official function is sidelined by the more important role Simeon has of praising Yahweh for fulfilling His word by sending the Messiah. We observe some key points in Simeon's words.
Simeon's praise and thanksgiving assume the form of a prayer which has three distinct parts.
His words, in the Greek, begin with "Now" (Greek: nun). Used in the present context, this implies that the time of salvation has arrived, allowing Simeon to die, since God has fulfilled his promise. But this is no ordinary death, for it involves "peace", from the Hebrew notion of shalom, a word rich with meanings, such as, "wholeness, health, well-being", all of which imply "completeness".
Simeon places himself in a servant's role (doulos) in relationship to God's lordship (despotes). As "servant", he is righteous, because he places himself properly under Yahweh who is his only Lord. Apparently, Simeon's role as watchman, waiting for the coming Messiah, bound him in all seriousness to this lifelong sacred task. He had consistently discharged that role, but now he seeks to be released from it, having at last seen the Lord's Messiah. That's the idea behind the Greek word translated here as "dismiss", literally, "to release" (apoluo), as from a duty or obligation. Until Yahweh released him, Simeon faithfully served his Lord.
When Simeon tells us "my eyes have seen your salvation", he confirms his "vision" of God's saving work in the person of Jesus. Of course this is why Jesus comes: to reveal God so that God, who is ordinarily unseen, might be seen. Luke's choice of the Greek word for "salvation" is curious, since he uses an adjective in place of a noun. Perhaps we might render this: "my eyes have seen the means of your salvation". This is very much in the marrow of Isaiah's prophecies, such as: "Yahweh will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God" (Isaiah 52:10); "This is what Yahweh says: "Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed" (Isaiah 56:1); "And the glory of Yahweh will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken" (Isaiah 40:5). Or from the Psalmist: "He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God" (Psalm 50:23). The idea that God's salvation would one day be revealed in unmistakable ways lies at the heart of the Old Testament record. And when that day comes, it is through God's Messiah that this salvation comes.
But also, sings Simeon, this salvation has been prepared by God, not only for Israel, but also for "all people". This was, as seen in the passages above, the burden of the prophets: "all the ends of the earth" would see God's salvation. We saw the same message in the angels' words to the shepherds, earlier in this chapter: "which shall be for all the people" (2:10).
Simeon further explains his "vision" as:
"a light for the Gentiles." Jesus is "the light", Luke tells us by his use of grammar in this text. Once more we see "light" imagery in the advent story. Coming home to God, means coming to the light. We once lived in the darkness, but now have found illumination through God's Messiah. For Simeon the child Jesus has made all things clear for him. For the nations, they will come to that light, as a welcome sign that they are coming home. Isaiah 60 lies behind much of the imagery found in this part of Simeon's poem. Consider:Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of Yahweh rises upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but Yahweh rises upon you and his glory appears over you. 3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn (Isaiah 60:1-3).Or also,The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned (Isaiah 9:2).For Simeon, and other believing Jews, the arrival of God's light to the nations is a high watermark for Israel's history. Beginning with Yahweh's covenant with Abraham, a promise rested on the history of Israel that through them blessing would come to all the nations (see Genesis 12:1-2). Holding Jesus in his arms, Simeon held the fulfillment of that promise, not only for ethnic Israel, but for the New Israel, Jew and Gentile, which God would soon raise up in the world. In the truest sense, Simeon belonged to the "household of faith", acting his role as a kind of grandfather to something new appearing in the world. Simeon held in his arms the hope of the world.
"glory for your people Israel". But not to slight Israel's significant place in Yahweh's plan, our "elder" also declares that Jesus has come "for glory to your people Israel". The use of "glory" language is not mere poetry. Rather, drawing from the rich material found in the Old Testament, we know that "glory" is the visible sign of God's abiding presence among His people. Where God's glory appears, God Himself is present. You will recall the symbols of the "pillar of cloud" and the "pillar of fire" which guided Israel through the wilderness and which rested above the Tabernacle, the place of God's continuing presence.But the glory did not remain in Israel. Sadly, the exile came, and prophets like Ezekiel witnessed the dramatic departure of Yahweh from His temple, shortly before the Babylonians destroyed it in 586 B.C.E. (see Ezekiel 10:4, 18; 11:20 for a descriptive depiction of that event, when "the glory" departs). A new day awaited Israel when a new Temple would appear and once again it would receive the "glory", as proclaimed by Ezekiel in 43:1-7.What Simeon tells the parents of Jesus (and us) is that in Jesus, God's salvation, God's Messiah, the glory of God has once more returned to His people, inside His Temple. That is why it is fitting for Luke to place this story in the Temple, as if to convey a double entendre, a double sense to the word "temple." Jesus, God's true Temple, appearing as he does inside the Temple, brings God's glory to the Temple. And Simeon witnesses its arrival, along with its significance: God has at last come home to Israel.

These are, of course, wide-ranging themes, and Simeon condenses them into this little poem. But their words are not lost on Mary and Joseph. Yet, oddly, the words lead to astonishment on the part of Jesus' parents. What is it about Simeon's message that leads to amazement? Probably what would lead to wonder on the part of any devout, Torah-observant Jew: that salvation has come to the Gentiles. We know from the early history of the Jesus movement that this notion, though embedded in the Old Testament, was not easily absorbed by Jewish people accustomed to their unique place in salvation history. Why would we expect his parents to be any more accepting of it? This would not be the last mystery their newborn child would bring into their lives. If Jesus was truly God's Son, it would stand to reason he would provoke and challenge them in many other ways as well. Luke will tell other stories of how Jesus offended even his own parents, and how he caused them to question what he was doing (see Luke 2:41-50 which ends "But they did not understand what he [Jesus] was saying to them").

Simeon will now expand on their amazement.
1. He blesses the parents of Jesus in light of what will happen to Jesus in the future.
2. Turning to Mary alone, he addresses Jesus' dual meaning in the future:
a. First, Jesus is like a stone causing men to either stumble and fall, or, to rise up as part of the building God is raising up in the world. The words for "rise" and "fall" belong to the vocabulary of the building, found throughout Scripture. Some Old Testament texts support this meaning:Yahweh Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread, 14 and he will be a sanctuary; but for both houses of Israel he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare. 15 Many of them will stumble; they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured (Isaiah 8:13-15).So this is what the Sovereign Yahweh says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed (Isaiah 28:16; also quoted in Romans 9:33).And the New Testament picks up the same theme, especially this text by Peter:As you come to him, the living Stone-- rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him-- 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone," 8 and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message-- which is also what they were destined for. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:4-10).Peter's argument, developed in this passage, is that Jesus is a living Stone, but how we receive him will determine what kind of Stone he becomes for us. By receiving Jesus as our Stone, we find ourselves being built into a spiritual house, that is, we have made our journey home at last, and have found a place among the people of God. On the other hand, by rejecting Jesus as our Stone, he becomes for us a stumbling block, rather than a foundation. When Luke uses "rise and fall" language, he implicitly draws on this metaphor of the stone, and with it comes all this rich meaning.One interesting footnote: in the Hebrew language the word for "stone" is eben, and the word for "son" is ben, the difference of only one letter. Among the Messianic writings leading up to the coming of Jesus, we find that slight difference turned into a word-play. The "stone" is the "son". Jewish scholars examined Daniel 7 which references the "Son of Man" in Messianic terms and compared this with Daniel 2 which speaks of the "stone" which strike the kingdoms of this world and replaces them with God's everlasting kingdom.
b. But in the second place, Simeon sees a dark aspect which takes the form of a "sign that is spoken against". The word for "sign" is semeion, that which points to something beyond itself for significance. Jesus is the sign of God's salvation, as Simeon has previously declared in his poem. Simeon has already been given a sign that he would not die until he saw Yahweh's Messiah. But his words to Mary suggest not everyone will rush to accept this salvation, but will, in fact, "speak against" it (Greek: antilego, meaning, "to oppose, refuse, contest, contradict"). Whereas the parents of Jesus stand in amazement at what they are hearing, by stark contrast, others will rise in vehement opposition to it. Luke will later illustrate this opposition in graphic terms. After he recounts the visit of Jesus to Zacchaeus' house where "salvation has come" (19:9), and that he, Jesus, has come "to seek and save the lost", he proceeds to tell the parable of the nobleman. At a critical turn in the parable, Jesus reveals: "But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us" (Luke 19:14), a not-so-cryptic reference to what Jesus' own countrymen would one day say to him: "We have no king but Caesar!" (John 19:12-15), and in response to the question "What shall I do with Jesus?", the bitter reply, "Crucify him" (Luke 23:21). Simeon's words prove painfully true.Simeon frames this opposition in compelling terms by likening it to the sword which divides, the Greek rophaia which will pass through Mary's own heart. This is the sacrificial sword pointing, like a sign, to the cross where one day Mary will stand, witnessing the death of her own Son. Early on, then, Luke reveals the true meaning of Jesus "the sign". In his revelation of God's salvation, Jesus will face the "opposition of sinners" (see Hebrews 12:3 for this language) and the "sword" of death. The writer to the Hebrews will speak of "the word of God" in these terms, reminiscent of Simeon's language:"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).Understandably, Simeon sees the "sword" as revealing the "hearts of many" when those hearts make a judgment about Jesus. "Who do people say that I am? … "Who do you say that I am?" (see Matthew 16:13-15) Those familiar questions from the lips of Jesus bring the listeners to the point of decision. These questions are the dividing line for his followers and his detractors. They are, in Simeon's words, the sword which divides. Or, as Jesus once said: "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10:34), a saying followed up with these words:"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 40 He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me" (Matthew 10:37-40).Mary, too, must, in due time, become the disciple of Jesus. She must take up her cross and follow him.
3. Lying at the heart of Simeon's prophecy about Jesus, are these foreshadowings of his coming suffering and death. The "heart-piercing" imagery points to the cross where Yahweh's salvation will be seen in all of its painful truth by Mary. For now, Simeon "sees the salvation of Yahweh" as he "sees Yahweh's Messiah". He will leave this world "in peace", but not Mary. She, along with Jesus' faithful followers, must undergo the painful reality of the sword, revealing the true intents of the heart in either its acceptance or rejection of Jesus.

Anna
The reader should not miss the importance of Anna's appearance in Luke's account. At the outset, we see how she adds to the "witness" of Jesus' identity. And, in Jewish thinking, it takes two witnesses to establish the truth of anything (Deuteronomy 19:15; Matthew 18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19). That becomes the case here. Anna's name derives from the Hebrew word for "Hannah", the mother of Samuel, whose story provides a great deal of background for the nativity stories in Luke. Oddly, she comes from the tribe of Asher, one of the far northern tribes in ancient Israel. The survival of her tribe is a testimony to the faithfulness of God, since the Assyrians largely destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C.E. She is, by all accounts, part of the godly "remnant", those spared by Yahweh as He gathers His people once more into His kingdom. The Hebrew meaning of "Asher" is "good fortune" or "happiness" or "blessedness". The name of Anna's father, Phanuel, means "face of God" (Hebrew: penuel). Beyond those details, which themselves are remarkable, Anna is described in terms of her age, her life experience, along with its trials of widowhood, and her single-hearted devotion to God's work in the Temple. Widowed after only seven years of marriage, she spent the next eighty-four years in sacred service.

Jewish readers, familiar with extra-biblical literature within Judaism, would recognize Anna's behavior is similar to that of Judith, whose story is told in the deutero-canonical book bearing her name (Judith 16:23). Judith did not remarry after her spouse died, and Jewish people viewed her with honor for her model conduct (see Judith 8:4-8; 16:22; but also, the New Testament approval of the devoted widow in 1 Corinthians 7:7 and 1 Timothy 5:5). So with Anna, who did not leave the Temple, but passed her days in devotion to Yahweh. Her widowhood, far from making her bitter, transformed her into an expectant and devout member of the anawim, the "pious poor".

Before examining Luke's account of her role in his narrative, we should recall the common situation of widows in Second Temple Judaism. Most readers recall Jesus' observations of the widow who came to drop her single and meager coin into the Temple coffers (see Mark 12:42-44; Luke 21:2-5). His comments on that occasion reveal his disgust with the demanding Temple tax system which milked the poor while elevating the rich. By giving all she had, the woman is not the object of Jesus' blessing, but his outrage at such an inequitable system. Her story was but the tip of the iceberg. Luke himself tells us about the plight of the widows, even in the context of the early Jesus movement. Consider:
In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food (Acts 6:1).
Evidently, the unresolved dispute between Gentile and Jewish Jesus-followers led to a disparity in the management of the widow's food supply. By contrast, Luke tells of the charitable work of Dorcas toward the widows in Acts 9:39-41. Paul, in 1 Timothy 5:3, encourages the care for genuine widows. James writes:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world (James 1:27).

If a widow did not find her way into a loving household, either of adult children, a sibling, or her parents, she would likely be cast onto society without means for support. Her options at that point were grim, entailing either begging, slavery or prostitution. In Anna's case, we see a woman fully devoted the Temple service, without knowing precisely what sort of role that entailed in Jewish culture. We know of no such order of "Temple widows" within Second Temple Judaism. Yet, in a deeply moving way, Luke tells us about Anna "the prophetess" who fasted and prayed constantly during the long period of her life. Of her, our evangelist writes that "at that very moment" (Greek: aute te hora, literally, "this the hour") Anna comes upon them in the Temple, and begins to give thanks to God and to speak about the child. Once more, timing is underscored by Luke's telling of his story. On that all important "day", when the Lord "suddenly" came to his Temple, two witnesses, first Simeon, and then Anna, arrive on the scene to confirm the identity of Jesus.

In ways reminding us of the shepherds, Anna both praises God and also communicates a message about the child to others. Luke uses the Greek word anthomologeomai, translated here as "gave thanks" to God. The word carries a rich payload of meaning, including "recognition, obedience, and proclamation". Her thanksgiving is not idle recitation, but a genuine recognition that she even then stands in the presence of majesty and wonder. Thanksgiving is reinforced with proclamation. Who make up her audience? Luke describes them as "all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem" (Greek: pasin tois prosdechomenois lutrosin Ierousalem). As in the case of Simeon who was waiting for the "consolation of Israel" in the form of the Messiah, Anna's audience make up those who truly looked forward to the day when Yahweh would "redeem" His royal city.

Redemption of a city implies its present captivity. Jerusalem was an occupied capital, thanks to the Romans. All of Israel lived under the occupation. Though back in their own land, Jewish people knew that the exile had not ended. For if it had, they would be living under Yahweh's rule, with His royal Messiah on David's throne. Instead, Caesar held them captive, ruling through his puppet king Herod who was not a son of David. Indeed, Jerusalem was in captivity, awaiting Yahweh's New Exodus, His New Redemption. But why were they still held captive? To many, who took the Old Testament seriously, it was because of some unforgiven sins of national Israel. What will take away this national sin?

The Greek word for "redemption" is lutrosis, conveying the idea of divine deliverance. Such deliverance requires the payment of a price. Simeon has already told Mary what that cost will be. Now Anna directs her own remarks to a troubled, but expectant people, much as the later apostles will spread the word about Jesus, that he is both Lord and Christ, come to save His people from their sins. This "coming redemption", which Anna addresses with her words, points to the cross in much the same way that Simeon's "sword" had done.

If Jerusalem would one day be redeemed, then Israel would again be at home with God. Yahweh chose to place His name in that place, in what came to thought of as the true city, Zion. The journey home would be an arduous and difficult one if Jerusalem was to be redeemed. Once, Jesus wept over the city:
"37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord'" (Matthew 23:37-39).

Only through the fiery trial of judgment would Israel receive back her beloved city, redeemed, washed, and holy again. The songwriter, Jesse Brown Pounds, had it right when writing these words in 1908:
I must needs go home by the way of the cross,
There's no other way but this;
I shall ne’er get sight of the gates of light,
If the way of the cross I miss.

The way of the cross leads home,
The way of the cross leads home,
It is sweet to know as I onward go,
The way of the cross leads home.
Yes, Jerusalem would be redeemed, but not in the way many imagined. No warrior like the Maccabees would arrive to defeat the Romans, and restore Jewish autonomy. No Zealot like Judas would pull down the Roman fortresses or remove Herod from his throne. No alliance of Pharisee, Essene and Zealot would successfully wage war against the siege forces of General Titus' army some seventy years later. A different kind of battle would be waged, where the victor would be the vanquished, and the winner would be the loser. The place of triumph would be outside the walls of Jerusalem, on a hill called Calvary. As if to mock the mighty power of Rome, this holy child now-become-a-man would allow himself the scourge of the lash and the rape of the nail. For without the shedding of blood there is no redemption for sin. In one unexpected moment, when the history of humankind lay in the balance of a wooden cross, this child come-to-save-the-world, would hang suspended between heaven and earth for the redemption of Jerusalem, and for the sins of the whole world.

Anna had it right. All too right, it seems. Yet, together with Simeon, she would bear witness to the momentous events shaping the horizon of Jewish history. "Elders of the pious poor": old enough to have the perspective of the distant past; poor enough to depend on God alone for their salvation. To such, Jesus would declare, belongs the kingdom of heaven. Of such is the marvelous advent witness that in His mercy and love, Yahweh, the Creator God, is once more taking up His residence, His home, with those who will receive Him. With those like Simeon and Anna. Perhaps, with those like you and me.

Back to Nazareth
Luke knows nothing of the magi, or of the flight to Egypt. His story is written as if neither of those happened. While saying that, we cannot find a single line in his narrative to preclude their happening. It appears that soon after his presentation in the Temple, Mary and Joseph took Jesus home. Home to Nazareth in Galilee. Does this mean Matthew made up the story of magi and the sudden exile to Egypt? Hardly. Mary and Joseph no doubt made numerous trips to Judea during the course of the next two or three years. Feasts would take them there. Presumably Joseph had family in Bethlehem, since his roots were there. But Luke has his own agenda, and it does not involve what Matthew records in his Gospel. Once again, we are treated to the wonders of "Gospel criticism" and the often difficult task of allowing each writer to tell their side of the story, guided always by the Holy Spirit as they do so. Otherwise, as we have often noted, why did God give us four Gospels?

Rounding out this precedent-setting narrative, Luke offers a simple, yet profound account of Jesus' childhood:
"And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him" (Luke 2:40).
He would later tell us as Jesus reached his majority:
"And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men" (Luke 2:52).
We stand in the presence of a very human Jesus, when we face the Jesus of Luke's Gospel. For Jesus to go home with his parents on both occasions meant that he "grew". Home is the place to grow. Whenever the New Testament describes the people of God as a "house", or a "temple", it usually reminds the reader that the building is "growing". And it is so with Jesus who is at home with Mary and Joseph. This is consistent with the pattern of God's purposes in history. Nothing happens all at once, though we often wish that it would. Throughout the story of the advent, each writer makes plain that God has been at work for a long time, preparing the world for the time of His salvation. We have just witnessed Simeon who waited for that salvation to dawn, promised by God that he would live to see it. Then there was Anna who did not waste her widowhood in sadness and wantonness, but devoted her life to God in expectation. Neither were disappointed.

But once Jesus goes home, there remains nearly thirty years of additional waiting, as he develops through a normal childhood: fully God, but fully human. Not everyone has been happy with the Bible's version of this part of the story. Some wanted to penetrate the privacy of Jesus' childhood, far beyond what Luke tells us about him in 2:41-52. Well-meaning writers of non-biblical books spun tales of Jesus as a boy, forming clay pigeons, as did his playmates, but then dazzling them by breathing on his creations and watching them fly away. That may be the child-Jesus in fiction, but it is not reality. Going home for Jesus meant, to all accounts, a rather ordinary life, waiting for the right moment to make his way down to the Jordan where John's baptism would inaugurate his public ministry. Until then, he grew and waited, trusting that wherever he might be in his childhood home, he must still always be "in my Father's house" (Luke 2:49). And if we are to follow this Jesus, we must be in that house as we, like him, make our journey home. Glory to God! Amen.
Digger Deeper: Journey Home: Simeon and Anna
(Bob Brown)

To gain a deeper understanding of Journey Home: Simeon and Anna, carefully read the selected passages below. To aid you in your study, we invite you to visit the website http://notes.chicagofirstnaz.org, or pick up a copy of the notes at the Connect desk, or from your ABF leader. Now consider the following questions, as you ask the Lord to teach you.

Special Note: The Background Notes are especially useful in working through some of these questions. You are encouraged to secure a copy as you begin.

1. After you have read our key Scripture, Luke 2:21-40, make an outline of its main sections.
2. How does Luke communicate the idea that the infant Jesus was part of an observant Jewish household? Look for some key phrase that is repeated several times.
3. Examine Paul's view of Jesus' birth in Galatians 4:4-5, and explain why Jesus needed to be "born under Torah".
4. As background to Jesus' own circumcision, carefully read the following passages and make notes on the importance of this rite to ancient Israelites: Genesis 17:12, Exodus 4:25, Leviticus 12:2-3, and Joshua 5:2-9.
5. What else happened to Abraham at the time of his circumcision? Read Genesis 17:5, 10-14. How is this similar to the experience of Jesus in Luke's account?
6. Jesus was presented to the Lord by Mary and Joseph. Read Exodus 13:2-15, and 1 Samuel 1 as Old Testament background. Do you think Jesus' presentation had more in common with the early Israelites or with Samuel?
7. How is Jesus addressed in such passages as Romans 8:29, Colossians 1:15, and Hebrews 1:6? Is he a "firstborn" in more than one sense of that word?
8. In Luke's account of Simeon (Luke 2:25-35), what specific qualities does he specifically mention?
9. What promise rested on Simeon, and how do you suppose it affected his apparently long life?
10. Simeon's poem-song proclaims several wonderful truths about Jesus, but also some painful ones. Identify and label these. Can you divide the poem into stanzas?
11. Compare Simeon's story with the following Old Testament passages, indicating what they have in common: Isaiah 56:1, Isaiah 40:5, Psalm 50:23, Isaiah 60:1-3, Isaiah 9:2.
12. What do you think Simeon means when he says Jesus will cause the "rise and fall" of many? What is the meaning of "the sword" piercing Mary's heart? Read Isaiah 8:13-15, 28:16, and compare these with Romans 9:33 and 1 Peter 2:4-10. How do these passages shed light on Simeon's words?
13. Anna enters the story of "Jesus in the Temple" as a second witness. What role does she play?
14. Does it matter that she is a widow? Examine Mark 12:42-44, Acts 6:1, 9:39-41, 1 Timothy 5:3, and James 1:27. What do these texts tell us about the plight of widows in Jesus' time? What is a widow's greatest need?
15. Why do you suppose God arranged for an elderly man and woman to play these special roles in the story Luke tells?
16. When Jesus is finally taken home to Nazareth, what observations does Luke make about his development? What does this tell us about what home should be like?