Anna the Prophetess
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. 39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.
Reflection:
In the midst of the rejoicing over Jesus' birth, Simeon also shared with them the sobering reality of the response Jesus would get some day. While for some he would be the rock of their salvation, for others he would become the stone upon which they would stumble. The Sword of His word would be one of truth cutting to the deepest parts of our hearts and souls and revealing our need for the salvation he would bring. He also gave a foreshadowing of what Mary would experience one day when her son became a sacrifice for our sins.
But for now there was joy and celebration. Today we also read about Anna, who had waited in the temple some fifty plus years for Jesus' coming. She also spoke about what Jesus would do for the people of Jerusalem. Notice again Luke's inclusion of women, as this is the only gospel that records the story of her patient faithfulness. You can only her joy upon seeing her ardent prayers come to fruition. These teaches us two things. First, we see that the prophetic gifts are not limited to men only. This is a strong biblical argument for women's role in the church. For Luke to include her is a huge risk in the integrity of the story due to the nature of the culture of that day. We also see how patient endurance in prayer will often yield what we ask for.
Finally there is a brief commentary on Jesus' family returning to Galilee, where Jesus continued grow strong in wisdom and God's grace. We don't hear a lot about Jesus' childhood and teenage years, except for the time he was teaching in the temple during the festival. But we see in every instance he is growing into the man and Savior God destined him to be.
36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. 39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.
Reflection:
In the midst of the rejoicing over Jesus' birth, Simeon also shared with them the sobering reality of the response Jesus would get some day. While for some he would be the rock of their salvation, for others he would become the stone upon which they would stumble. The Sword of His word would be one of truth cutting to the deepest parts of our hearts and souls and revealing our need for the salvation he would bring. He also gave a foreshadowing of what Mary would experience one day when her son became a sacrifice for our sins.
But for now there was joy and celebration. Today we also read about Anna, who had waited in the temple some fifty plus years for Jesus' coming. She also spoke about what Jesus would do for the people of Jerusalem. Notice again Luke's inclusion of women, as this is the only gospel that records the story of her patient faithfulness. You can only her joy upon seeing her ardent prayers come to fruition. These teaches us two things. First, we see that the prophetic gifts are not limited to men only. This is a strong biblical argument for women's role in the church. For Luke to include her is a huge risk in the integrity of the story due to the nature of the culture of that day. We also see how patient endurance in prayer will often yield what we ask for.
Finally there is a brief commentary on Jesus' family returning to Galilee, where Jesus continued grow strong in wisdom and God's grace. We don't hear a lot about Jesus' childhood and teenage years, except for the time he was teaching in the temple during the festival. But we see in every instance he is growing into the man and Savior God destined him to be.
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