Luke 2:22-35

Luke 2:22-35

When the days were completed for their purification

according to the law of Moses,

the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem

to present him to the Lord,

just as it is written in the law of the Lord,

Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,

and to offer the sacrifice of

a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,

in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.

This man was righteous and devout,

awaiting the consolation of Israel,

and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit

that he should not see death

before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.

He came in the Spirit into the temple;

and when the parents brought in the child Jesus

to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,

he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

“Lord, now let your servant go in peace;

your word has been fulfilled:

my own eyes have seen the salvation

which you prepared in the sight of every people,

a light to reveal you to the nations

and the glory of your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;

and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,

“Behold, this child is destined

for the fall and rise of many in Israel,

and to be a sign that will be contradicted

(and you yourself a sword will pierce)

so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, today I contemplate the mystery of your Son’s Presentation in the Temple. It is a mystery that I often contemplate in the rosary. Help me to enter into this mystery and experience the depth of your obedient and loving self-offering to the Father.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Firstborn Sons Belong to God: In the Bible, we see Mary and Joseph bring their firstborn son to the Temple on the fortieth day after Jesus’ birth. The firstborn sons were to be consecrated – set apart as holy – to the Lord. The reservation of the firstborn to God is alluded to in the story of Cain and Abel, where we see Abel offering the firstlings of his flock to God in sacrifice. Cain, by contrast, offered some fruit from his harvest but not the first fruits. Abel’s sacrifice was accepted, while Cain’s offering was rejected (Genesis 4:4-5). In the Book of Exodus, we learn how Israel was expected to offer the Lord God the first fruits of their harvest and the firstlings of their flocks (Exodus 23:19; Deuteronomy 18:4). The commands in the Law of Moses concerning the consecration of the firstborn sons stemmed from the Exodus story when God spared Israel’s firstborn in Egypt, signifying how he saved them and how they belong to him (Exodus 13:2). God rejected the option of Israel’s offering their firstborn sons in sacrifice. This prohibition is anticipated in the story of Abraham and Isaac. God was testing Abraham when he ordered him to offer his son, Isaac, but ultimately spared Isaac’s life. In the place of his firstborn son, Abraham offered a ram and looked forward to the day when the Lord God would provide a sacrificial lamb. And so, instead of sacrificing their firstborn to God, Israel was expected to dedicate or consecrate their firstborn son for priestly service and worship.

2. Redeeming the First-Born: Israel’s sons, however, were unfaithful. And in the laws given to and by Moses, God ordered that the firstborn be redeemed or “bought back” from their priestly service (see Exodus 13:11-16; Numbers 18:15-16). This need for redemption is due to Israel’s idolatrous worship of the golden calf. Before this idolatry, the firstborn of Israel acted as priests and offered sacrifices. But when they worshipped the golden calf and broke the covenant, the priesthood was stripped from the firstborn and transferred to the sons of the tribe of Levi. The Levites served in the tabernacle of Moses and in the temple of Solomon in the place of the firstborn of the other tribes. This replacement of the firstborn by the Levites is evident in the Book of Numbers. A census in Numbers showed there were 22,273 firstborn males in Israel, but only 22,000 Levites (Numbers 3:12-51). For the extra 273 firstborn males, a redemption price of five shekels each – totaling 1,365 shekels – was paid to Aaron and his sons. In Jesus’ day, parents from non-Levite tribes continued the practice of redeeming or buying back their firstborn sons. When they paid the redemption price – typically 5 shekels – this would release their firstborn from his priestly duties. A Levite would take over the firstborn’s role, and then you could bring your son home. The Levite firstborn sons, however, were not redeemed; instead, they served as substitutes for all the other firstborn males in Israel.

3. Jesus was Consecrated, Not Redeemed: When Luke narrates the story of Jesus’ presentation in the Temple, he is careful to avoid saying that Jesus was redeemed or bought back from his priestly service. The emphasis is on his presentation and consecration as the firstborn son of Mary. “Jesus was brought to the Temple and presented – because he was going to serve God in a priestly role” (Bergsma, Jesus and the Old Testament Roots of the Priesthood, 80). As well, Luke doesn’t speak about any animals offered as aredemption sacrifice, but only the sacrifice for the ritual purification of the mother (Leviticus 12:6-8). The womb of Mary was not impure from giving birth, but, like the consecrated vessels in the Temple, needed to be purified after having been used. By not mentioning any animals as a redemption sacrifice, Luke points to the day when Jesus, the Lamb provided by God, will offer himself up as a sacrifice for our sins. It is highly symbolic that Jesus’ presentation on the 40^th day after his birth coincides with the 490^th day after the annunciation to Zechariah. Six months passed between this annunciation and the annunciation to Mary. Nine months passed until Jesus’ birth. 180 days plus 270 plus 40 equals 490 days. This was significant because 490 was a number connected to mercy. The prophet Daniel foretold that the end of exile, the coming of the Messiah, and the establishment of a merciful covenant would happen in “seventy weeks of years” (490 years). And when Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive, Jesus answered, “seventy times seven times” (490 times). Today’s Gospel reminds us of how Jesus, the firstborn Son of Mary, was consecrated, would be sacrificed, and would establish the New Covenant of God’s merciful love.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you were consecrated for priestly service. I share in your priesthood through my baptism. Help me sanctify my day by offering it through you to the Father and interceding for my brothers and sisters in need.

Living the Word of God: Through our baptism, we share in Christ’s priesthood. We have been presented to the Lord and consecrated on the day of our baptism. How am I living out my priestly service? How am I offering myself and my daily activities (my work, my family life, my struggles and sacrifices) to God in union with Christ’s sacrifice?