Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, *
according to thy word;
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, *
which thou hast prepared before the face of all people,
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, *
and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
Despite Cranmer’s expectation
that worship be in the common language –
I think that we maintain Rite I
makes him roll in his grave
like Anglican churches maintaining Latin –
I can’t shake the Rite I
Canticle of Simeon.
While we often remember
when Jesus challenges Judaism
and its leaders
Luke wants us to remember
that Jesus was very devout.
Last week’s passage
started by reminding us
that Jesus went to the synagogue
every Sabbath.
We’ve gone back in time,
back in Jesus’ story, though
to when he was presented in the temple.
Today is Candlemass
or the Feast of the Presentation.
Justo Gonzales observes that
after the PassoverGod laid claim to all the firstborns of Israel.
They were God’s possession.
Forty days after a boy’s birth
he had to be redeemed,
bought back from God.
Not because he had sinned,
but the redeemer had to be redeemed,
because he was first born.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
kept the commandments
and followed the law and the prophets.
Candlemass is 40 days
from when the church observes Jesus’ birth
the light to enlighten the nations
and the glory of God’s people Israel.
At the precise moment
that Jesus is brought into the Temple
Simeon –
who has been promised he will not die
until he sees the savior –
is driven by the Spirit
to see Jesus.
He takes him into his arms
sings what we now know
as the Canticle of Simeon
and probably dies shortly thereafter.
That canticle is said
every night at compline
and has historically
been one of the two canticles
at evensong or evening prayer.
Mary and Joseph are amazed,
but then Simeon has more to tell Mary
“This child is destined
for the falling and the rising
of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be opposed
so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed –
and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
Jesus has come to bring redemption
to the entirety of creation.
Encountering the enlightenment
that Jesus brings to the world
with salvation available to all
forces a choice.
Knowing the Good News
of Jesus the Resurrected Christ
is itself good news.
But knowing that news
confronts us all –
over and over again –
to accept God’s revelation
and God’s urgings of the Spirit
both of which we receive
through God’s grace.
Fred Craddock says,
“Jesus precipitates
the centrally important movement of one’s life,
toward or away from God.
As much as we may wish
to join the name of Jesus
only to the positive, satisfying, and blessed in life,
the inescapable fact
is that anyone who turns on light
creates shadows.”
“This child is destined
for the falling and the rising
of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be opposed
so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed –
and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
The author of the Letter to the Hebrews writes,
“Indeed, the word of God
is living and active,
sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing until it divides soul from spirit,
joints from marrow;
it is able to judge
the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Encountering God’s incarnate Word,
Jesus,
always presents us with choices
of moving toward or away from God.
At St. Hilda St. Patrick
we’re facing a host of choices right now.
As Americans we are, too.
At the business portion of our annual meeting,
we’ll hear some concrete possibilities
for how we move forward as a congregation.
Then we’ll take some time –
months –
and trust that the Spirit that drove Simeon to the Temple
will speak to us too.
I don’t know what she’ll say,
but I’m trusting God’s love for God’s people
to guide us in how we should proceed.
Fred Craddock said,
“As much as we may wish
to join the name of Jesus
only to the positive, satisfying, and blessed in life,
the inescapable fact
is that anyone who turns on light
creates shadows.”
As a congregation of primarily Americans
certainly set in the United States
we have choices about how we’ll follow Jesus
in our personal, corporate, and political lives.
We have to decide how we’re going to react
to the realized implications
of flurries of executive orders
in light of the gospel.
I’m ready to buy welcome mats
that say “Come back with a warrant”
if that’s what becomes necessary for this structure.
It’s extremely important
for us to know what our scripture teaches,
what following Jesus means,
and where following Jesus leads.
This week the Vice President said,
“There is a Christian concept that you love your family,
and then you love your neighbor,
and then you love your fellow citizens,
and then after that prioritize the rest of the world.”
Beloved that is anathema
to the Gospel of Jesus the Resurrected Christ
who has come as a light to the nations,
salvation prepared before the face of all people.
It contradicts what we heard in the letter to Corinth last week,
“For in the one Spirit
we were all baptized into one body –
Jews or Greeks, slaves or free –
and we were all made
to drink of one Spirit.”
It contradicts what Luke writes later
when Jesus talks about discipleship
“Whoever comes to me
and does not hate father and mother,
wife and children,
brothers and sisters,
yes, and even life itself,
cannot be my disciple.”
I don’t know what’s going to happen
or what choices we’ll be called to make.
I am excited
about this outpost
of the reign of God.
I love the way that God’s grace
enables us to shine hope
into places that might otherwise
be full of despair.
I trust that all shall be well,
and has been made well
through Jesus’ defeat
of evil, sin, death, and the grave.
Lord, you now have set your servants free
to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of ours have seen the Savior,
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to enlighten the nations, *
and the glory of your people Israel.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirt.
Amen.