A Light to Lighten the Gentiles.....
The Presentation of Christ in the Temple (which falls on 2nd February), is a turning point in the Christian year. We listen to the last of the stories from the infancy of Jesus (Luke 2:22-40), and in so doing link the Old and New Testaments together. Coming forty days after Christmas, this event describes an Old Testament rite in which the first-born son is presented to God, as a sign of the parents’ commitment to God. They offer an appropriate sacrifice according to the Jewish Law. Mary and Joseph stand out as devout and faithful worshippers of God. But the real significance of this story for us as Christians is what happened whilst the family was in the Temple. They met two very old people, Simeon and Anna, who had been waiting for many years in the firm faith that they would witness the coming of the Messiah. They immediately recognised that Jesus was this long-expected Messiah - the one whom God was sending into the world to be the means of redemption for all who will believe in him. Their encounter led Simeon to burst into song (which we may well remember by its Latin name – the Nunc Dimittis):
A Light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of his people Israel.
Later in life, Jesus described himself as ‘The Light of the World’. Light is a powerful metaphor. It offers a picture of God breaking into the darkness of the human world and bringing new hope and life. Just as light will always overcomes darkness, so Jesus Christ comes to live in our hearts offering new life and light to everyone who turns to him.
Sometimes this festival is known as Candlemas, a throwback to medieval times when candles were brought into church and blessed before being used in the year ahead. In the days before electricity, and instant light on demand, this must have been a very powerful reminder of human dependence upon light, and a significant way of remembering that God is the bestower of light and life.
The challenge for us is to believe in God and to welcome him into our lives!
“Good is stronger than evil; love is stronger than hate; light is stronger than darkness; life is stronger than death. Victory is ours, through him who loves us.” (Desmond Tutu)
Comments