We Hope They Will Listen

Luke 2:22-40

When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss[d] your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 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, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” 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, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 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. When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

Sermon: The Rev. Dr. Maryann Amor

We rarely, if ever, think or talk much about Anna in worship...and, honestly, if she were alive today, walking down the streets of Grande Prairie, she still wouldn’t be the focus. She is an elderly woman, someone who would easily and often be overlooked because of her age, because of her gender. She doesn’t draw attention to herself.

But today things are different. Today she has seen something—noticed something—that others would easily miss. That although Mary and Joseph look like average people, the child they bring to the temple is anything but average. He is the Messiah. He is, as she and the elderly Simeon would describe him, the light.

“Right now,” she said, “there is so much darkness. From my place here in the temple, I know of the oppression, the poverty, the mixing of politics with religion—all vivid reminders of our need for a Messiah.” And she is the one to see that he has come. She is the one given the proclamation, the one called to share this good news with the nations. She can only hope they will listen.

In Luke’s Gospel, Anna is given the gift of recognising the Messiah…and an incredible task…to share this revelation. And as she does this she challenges us to be people of open eyes and open hearts. Because in our world too, sometimes the messages we most need to hear, the good news we most need to receive, will come from the people we least expect. And they will challenge us to listen as well.

Think of the people who were cast aside because they did not “fit the norm,” did not look or behave in ways society valued: Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, Oscar Romero, Malala You-suff-zai, Jean Vanier, Dorothy Day, Desmond Tutu. These were people who, because of their outward appearance, their poverty, their gender, or their challenge to the powerful, would not have garnered attention or respect. They spoke from the margins. They often faced dismissal, suspicion, or silencing when they called for peace, dignity, justice, or compassion. Yet they were prophets—our Annas—insisting that there is a better way.

And these prophets will keep coming. They might even be among us now—in the people sitting beside us—who whisper, “There is another way. Are you being true to your calling as a Christian? What if you forgive? What if you love more boldly?” They might not look impressive. They might be teenagers. They might be elderly. They might be people experiencing homelessness. But they, too, are the ones called to challenge us, just as Anna did.

We can only hope that we will listen.

Anna's Script is taken from Illustrated Ministry's Advent Liturgy: https://www.illustratedministry.com/thewilltodream