Sermon for Sunday 1/1/12 “Pigeons” Luke 2:22-40
The text of the sermon delivered by Rev. Kirk Moore at Union Congregational United Church of Christ in Somonauk, IL on Sunday, January 1, 2012.
This morning’s Bible reading is from Luke 2:22-40
New baby visit etiquette
In case you haven’t had a recent lesson in New baby visit etiquette, (you know — what to say when you see a new baby) here you go!
Say something that sounds an awful lot like,
“What a beautiful baby! You are a special little (boy or girl) and I know that you’re going to bring joy to your parents. Congratulations all of you! What a wonderful little baby.”
It doesn’t have to be exactly that, but it had better be something very nice and very supportive and very positive about the baby.
Nobody is ever to say,
“What a little shriveled runt! You wonder how something so ugly will ever fit in with the rest of us. Can you imagine if everyone looked like that? What a terrible world we’d live in!”
It is, however, perfectly permissible to comment quietly, after seeing the baby – “Well, this baby isn’t as ugly as most babies!” (but it should be said in privacy, away from the parents.)
This etiquette lesson is not at all new. Folks have been making “beautiful baby” comments since before . . . almost anything. Folks have been holding back “ugly baby” comments and doing their best to minimize the use of “It looks like Winston Churchill” type comments for years. I know that sometimes people ignore the lesson, but the life rule still applies. So in this week’s Bible reading from Luke 2:22-40, the reaction of the two people who saw Jesus when his parents brought him to the temple in Jerusalem isn’t all that surprising.
Simeon was just ‘moseying’ around town and he had a Holy Spirit nudge to go to the Temple. Anna hung out in the Temple all the time. Both of them got to see a very young Jesus. And both of them followed the beautiful baby (who was likely a toddler now) rule. Maybe they went a bit overboard.
Simeon: “My God, my God! I can die happy now because I’ve seen this baby! I’ve seen God’s salvation in this one. He’s going to really make a difference in the world. Bless you, Mary and Joseph! Your baby is going to make some very happy — others not so happy. He’s going to cause quite a stir — people’s true nature will come out because of him. He’ll make you very sad, too.”
Well, most of what he said followed the rule. That “he’ll make you sad” part went a bit outside the rules, I think.
Anna: “This is the baby! Everyone, look at this baby! Can’t you see it — he’s the one who is going to change everything — he’s the one we’re all waiting for!”
OK — perhaps that one goes a little far in the “wonderful baby” department. I don’t think Anna or Simeon would flower things up that much for every baby they saw in the temple. They might say some really nice things, but probably not something that ‘praising.’ I don’t think they would add the “He is going to cause quite a stir – make some people happy and others not so happy” “He’ll make you sad” and “He’s the one who is going to change everything” comments to other children, either.
They said the things that make sense to us now because we’ve read the rest of the story. Jesus had a difficult task ahead of him. He would be rejected by many. He would make his parents sad. He would anger the authorities. He would die in disgrace and leave his family without honor. It was a difficult life ahead for Jesus and for those connected to him.
Now, Jesus was too young to have any awareness of what Simeon said, but as he grew, and as ‘God’s favor was upon him,’ he had to understand that things were not going to be very rosy with the things he was going to do. He had to know that as he challenged people to change and as he challenged people to love God and one another above all else that many would react negatively. He had to know that as people identified him as a king that the government officials would get nervous and make his life, and living, for that matter, difficult. He had to know that a difficult task was ahead.
But on this day he was just probably looking at the strange man and strange woman with the big smiles on their faces. He was probably hoping they would give him some kind of treat.
Mary and Joseph were in the temple for a different reason – it wasn’t to get “change the world” comments from Simeon and Anna. It was to present their firstborn male as holy to the Lord. It was to offer a sacrifice according to what was stated in the law of the Lord — a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.
It wasn’t a pair of turtledoves. Mary and Joseph were not wealthy. These two parents, who had a child who was going to change the world, came to the temple to offer the best they could offer – two young pigeons.
The potential to change the world.
A difficult task ahead.
Offering the best.
Folks – let me jump to a conclusion.
We — as Union Congregational United Church of Christ in Somonauk, IL –have the potential to change the world. We have a difficult task ahead task ahead for 2012. And we will survive and thrive if we continue to offer the best we have to our mission:
Our love for God will be reflected in our worship, discipleship, and our outreach to all people. Empowered by the Holy Spirit we seek to serve our communities.
Love. Worship. Learn. Reach Out. Serve.
Let’s bring the best we have. We’ll make a difference. Because God is now and will be what the future requires. Let’s all dedicate ourselves to loving, worshipping, learning, reaching out, and serving.
Two young pigeons.
Amen.
