Revealed
Luke 2:22-40

December 28, 2008


I have now completed one and one half years in the Master of Divinity Program at the Atlantic School of Theology (AST) in Halifax, Nova Scotia. After one more semester I will be placed in a church somewhere in Canada for an eight month internship. Then, after a final year back at AST, I will graduate and be placed in a United Church somewhere in Canada for a three year term and will be ordained as a United Church minister.

This past semester has been a good one for me. The workload was heavier than last year but the learning experiences have been invaluable. I am actually beginning to think of myself as a ‘minister’ in some ways.

My first year was a tough year. I had difficulty settling into student life, which was quite a change from my life and work prior to moving to Halifax. Once I learned how much I needed to learn before I could become an ordained minister I lost some of my confidence and began to wonder if I would ever succeed. I began to believe that if God had called me to ministry I should be able to find ways to adjust to my new life without bothering others. I didn’t really want my friends to know that I was finding my new life experience difficult. In my aloneness I even began to question my call and for a while I even believed that God had made a mistake by calling me. At times I really wished that someone would tell me what my future would be.

In the passage from Luke that we just heard, we are told what Jesus has been called to do in his life. The scene takes place in the temple. “When the time came...” our gospel lesson begins, giving us the idea that there was a specific routine or process that was followed in order to obey the law of the Jewish people following the birth of a child. When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem for the rites of purification, they made a sacrifice according to the law of two turtledoves or two young pigeons. At the temple the family encounters Simeon and then Anna, an elderly priest and a prophet.

Both of these individuals, like the shepherds and Mary, had received the revelation that Jesus, the one who was King, Savior and Messiah, had come in the name of God. Simeon wanted the time to come when God would provide for Israel as had been promised to their ancestors. Jesus would be the one to make this happen. So it was a joyous time for Simeon as he dedicated Jesus to a life of serving God and purified Mary after the birth of her child according to the law. Simeon, knowing that Jesus would be one of greatness, uttered the words of prophecy. Jesus’ greatness would be as a result of his obedience to the laws of God and by the power of the Spirit. However, all that Jesus will do will not necessarily have positive results. Simeon revealed that although Jesus would bring salvation for both the Gentiles and the Jews there would also be rejection and catastrophe, and Mary would be one who would suffer. Simeon was saying that Jesus was sent by God for the purpose of judgment, and that for some he would become “the cornerstone in their life” while for others “Jesus would be a stumbling stone.” This is already giving us insight into the crucifixion of Jesus by those who would perceived him as an interference in their lives.

Anna was a widow who devoted her life to worship, prayer and obedience to God. As a result of the Christian life she led, Anna was given the gift of prophecy, which enabled her to recognize Jesus. She hoped for the salvation of Jerusalem, and believed that through the life of the infant Jesus, touched by the Holy Spirit, this would happen.

The prophecies of the life of this tiny, fragile infant show us the path which Jesus would follow as the Son of God. But, as mentioned earlier, the life and the ministry of Jesus would not be without obstacles. Jesus as he grew and matured would slowly learn, sometimes the hard way, about the journey he was taking. At times Jesus was confronted by his own discomfort, pain and confusion in his efforts to show his obedience to God. Although the journey was often difficult Jesus did not turn away or stop doing what God was calling him to do with his life. Even with God at his side and the power of the Spirit with him Jesus’ ministry was too great for him to accomplish on his own. He had disciples, friends and followers who were there to help and support him in his humanity and he accepted that support.

In my opinion, God does not expect any one of his creations to make this world a better place by being totally alone and unsupported, no matter how strong their faith in God is.

Possibly if we think of ourselves as infants in the world and not push ourselves to do things, especially hard things, on our own we would experience a renewed sense of faith in ourselves and in God. Infants like the baby Jesus, or any young child, need to be kept comfortable, to feel safe and protected, to be cared about by others and to know that they are loved. Adults need to have all of these things as well. But we often forget that. There are times when we believe that we need to face difficulties and challenges that occur in our life alone. We do not want to “bother” another because we do not want to appear weak. We so want to show others, as well as ourselves, that we are strong and capable and can handle all that life brings us on our own.

If Jesus was determined to do everything that he did in his ministry by himself, it would not have been done. Certainly it is important to have confidence in our ability to accomplish certain things in life on our own, but that does not mean we should live our lives in a vacuum. If we take our determination to face whatever life brings us without the help of others we are losing sight of the concept of the Christian community – the body of Christ.

It has never been God’s intent for us to serve her as individuals. Even Jesus had support. Having the support of others and supporting others, even if it is from a distance, is a precious gift which I think we often overlook. I know that I often did in my first year of studies. Knowing that there are people who support us and care about us, and who will help us when times are tough, yet turning away from them in a desire to be totally independent will only make the journey to spread God’s love in the world a more difficult task. We have to open ourselves to others, in their gentleness and caring, and realize that each of us needs to be loved and nurtured no matter what our age or stage of life.

We cannot do things, especially those that really matter, on our own. I learned all of this the hard way, trying to be independent when I really needed to just talk and to listen to those who cared about me. How can we care for and reach out to others if we are not willing to accept that care and love ourselves?

Being part of a community of faith means that we have people who care for and about us, believe in us and want to support us in whatever we do. In my first year at school I forgot about that.

What I gained in this second year was the ability to express my vulnerability and ask friends, both in Halifax and in Regina, to help me figure my problems out, and it definitely is easier knowing that I have people who will support me and help me any way they can. Our ability to reach out to others who are in need of our help as well as to reach out to others when we need help are special gifts given to us by God.

During this season of love, joy, hope and peace let us remember that these special gifts from God are meant for each of us as well as for others. Amen.

Preached by Heather Rogers
Knox-Metropolitan United Church
Regina, Saskatchewan