I have intentionally focused on music this Advent and Christmas season. In part
because I know how much many of us like to hear and sing well loved and known carols at
this time of year. In our Christmas eve message I mentioned I haven’t picked up a musical
instrument in years. Most of you don’t know that from grades 5 thru to 12 I played the
violin. In fact I played in the school orchestra and travelled to Boston and Montreal with
our orchestra. The first carol I ever learned to play was “Good King Wenceslas”. The tune
is rather simple, especially for beginner violin- GGGAGGD-and that’s because those are
the strings on a violin- no fancy finger work required. The tune is actually taken from a
much older madrigal, sort of the Baroque periods version of spoken word music. The
lyrics were written by John Mason Neale and if you know the carol you know it is about a
man who braves a winter storm to assist a poor neighbour. This story is actually based on
a real person, Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia. He was adored by his subjects because of
his charity and compassion. Which eventually led to him being named the patron saint of
the Czech Republic. Now I know that this carol isn’t really a church carol. In truth it’s not
even a Christmas carol because the whole narrative takes place on the feast of Stephen
which is Dec. 26th. I think that’s one of the reasons why I like this carol so much. It takes place in this gentle in-between time between Christmas and the end of the year.
Similarly the gospel passage today is one of those in-between stories between
Jesus’ birth and Jesus’ ministry. When Mary and Joseph present Jesus at the temple in
Jerusalem they are in effect dedicating his life to God. The story thus sets the stage for
Jesus’ life to be dedicated fully to his heavenly Father. It’s funny how Simeon and Anna
are not included in our nativity scenes or pageants. As they indeed occur before the magi.
This is also a very rare look into Jesus’ childhood. This story is not intended to explain or
develop his character but rather to make some theological points.
At the moment when the parents would present their offering, Mary and Joseph
are interrupted almost intercepted. Instead of a priest residing over the blessing we have
two old but very wise people, Simeon and Anna. In our translation Luke writes, “When the time came”The words in Greek, literally mean the “days were fulfilled.” Fulfilment is the
real message this morning. Simeon and Anna function as the people who realize that God
has fulfilled a promise. They serve to embody the hopes of Israel and depict the fulfilment
of those hopes.
When Simeon lays eyes on this child he cannot help himself but take the child in
his arms, perhaps a startling moment for the parents, and he begins to sing! Anna in her
great age and deep piety recognizes Jesus for who he is and begins to praise God and
speak about the child to all who are looking for redemption in Jerusalem. Both have a
great and important prophetic role in speaking God’s truth about the child’s future. They
provide a clear model of what faithful behaviour looks like. Their patient waiting, their
rejoicing at the good news and their deep desire to share that good news all seems to
exemplify the proper response to the gospel.
Simeon and Anna play another key role. At this point in the story we know that
Mary and Joseph, Elizabeth and Zecharaiah and a few Shepherds know about Jesus’ true
nature. These two seniors worshipping in the temple are the next to respond. I often hear
sentiments like “we’re getting older and can’t do the things we used to” or “It’s too bad we
all have grey hairs’ but this story of Simeon and Anna, two elderly people, tells me that we
are never too old to worship God or to see the true nature of Christ among us. Never too
old to praise. They both model a faith that embraces Jesus fully, full of what such faith
means and may cost but they also share it so that people of every age may respond.
Similarly, Wenceslas in his compassion for a less fortunate neighbour also embraces
discipleship. And he wasn’t a young man either.
You know this year has not been normal and I for one am glad to see it go.
However, when I think about what lessons are learned through Wenceslas and Simeon and
Anna I realize that praising God in word and action does not hinge on what is normal. We
might be limited in who we can see, who we can lift in our arms, how we can gather, but
praising God is never limited. We can share blessings regardless of what is normal or not.
Because in truth Jesus, this 8 day old Baby in an old man’s arms, was not normal. Amen