What happened at the presentation in the temple?

WHAT HAPPENED AT THE PRESENTATION?

Mary and Joseph being good practicing Jews obeyed the Mosaic Law and presented their Child in the Temple after forty days of His birth.  How lovingly Mary handed over Jesus into the arms of the priest.  Mary was so conscious she was presenting Her Boy to the Father.  Her heart was so full of joy and love.   The ceremony began with the priest blessing Mary.  Then Joseph presented the priest with two young pigeons or a pair of turtle doves.  One of the birds was killed.  Some of its blood was sprinkled upon the altar and some at the base of the altar.  Later on that bird was cooked and eaten within the Temple by the priests.  Then the second bird was handed over for the burnt offering.  This too was killed, cast into the flames, where it was totally consumed.  First it was heavily salted and while burning gave forth a rainbow of colours.  The flames were well sprinkled with incense giving forth a fragrant smell and rising as a sweet savour to God.  That concluded the ceremony of Purification.  The mother, in the eyes of the Law, was now liturgically clean.

The Mosaic Law laid down, "Every first-born of man must be brought to Yahweh and redeemed”.  The price of 5 shekels, each of sanctuary weight, was to be given to the priest.  This was to remind the Jews of the gratitude they owed to God who spared their first born from the hand of the Angel of Death before their escape from Egypt.  This money was for the upkeep of the priests and Temple.

The priest then recited the blessings, one for the gift of the son, and one for the law on ransom.  Then Joseph handed over the five silver shekels and that concluded the ceremony.

Mary and Joseph were now about to leave the Temple.  But first they were to meet two people, Simeon and Anna.  God promised an old holy man Simeon that before he died he would meet the Christ of the Lord.  The Holy Spirit, therefore, led Simeon into the Temple that morning.  This was the day he had lived for.  The Holy Spirit was not going to break His promise and let him down.  He saw all the mothers proudly embracing their little ones.  But he had eyes just for one mother and Child.  It was the graceful figure of Mary, peace and joy radiated from her person.  Without doubt she was the happiest of all the mothers. 

He recognised God’s anointed One in her arms.  He went straight to her and won her confidence and affection by the kind look in his eyes. He stretched his arms in a reverential manner which implied, ‘May I have the great privilege of holding your Baby, who is my Messiah and the Messiah of all.'  Willingly Mary released the tender hold she had on her Son.  Simeon held the Babe at arm's length to take a good look at Him and then very tenderly and gently pressed Him to his heart and embraced Him.  This was the greatest moment of his life.  He had longed and longed for it to come and he never wanted it to end.  Tears of joy rolled down his cheek and he broke forth into his song of thanksgiving and praise.

"Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace, just as you promised.” He said of Jesus that He was a light to enlighten the pagans.  From those words we know this day as Candlemas day and candles are blessed.

Simeon was so certain that this Little One was the Messiah and

that He was not only the Messiah of the Jews, but of the whole

world.  How much in need were his people of a Saviour.  They

were exploited by the greed of the chief priests, they were under the thumb of a foreign power, burdened by the legalism of the rabbis and deluded by those who preached the coming of a political Messiah.  If ever mankind needed a loving, merciful Saviour it was now.

Simeon feasted his eyes on the Little Baby and then he looked

at His Mother, what a striking resemblance he saw in the Mother

and Child.  The Baby's face was a miniature of the Mother's.  It

was to be expected because there was no human father and so

Jesus took all His features from His Mother.

Then he went on to utter a solemn prophecy to the Mother, "You see this Child; He is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected - and a sword will pierce your own soul too - so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare." (Lk. 2:34-35).  Simeon prophesied that some would fall because of Him (Is. 14-1) while others will rise (Malachi 4:2).  With Jesus there would be no neutral ground:  people would either joyfully accept Him or totally reject Him.  Mary would be grieved by the widespread rejection Her Son would face. 

Simeon was preparing Mary for suffering.  Because she is the mother she will suffer and her suffering can be compared to a sword thrust through her heart.  Mary was learning how to accept, without complaint or murmur whatever was the will of God.  She trusted God.  If He had asked her to accept the awesome task of being the Mother of His Son, He would also give her the help she

needed.

As soon as Simeon had finished speaking Anna appeared on the scene.  God rewarded her for all the long and hard work she had done in the Temple after her short life of marriage. 

What do we take away from this feast?  One, that Jesus is the light of the nations.  So, we pray that all nations will recognise Him as their Lord and God.  Two, Mary learns that a sword will pierce her loving heart.  We thank our mother Mary for the suffering she endured on our behalf.

Lord Jesus, may we make You the centre of our hearts.

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