Our reading is Luke 2:21-40. It gives us the rest of the Christmas narrative. Never forget, Joseph and Mary were a Jewish couple who practiced the customs of their faith. Our reading records two such practices. The first came when Jesus was eight days old. For it was on that day that Jesus was formally named and circumcised. The second came when Jesus was forty days old. The Old Testament law, Leviticus 12:2-8, required all women who gave birth to a boy to go to the temple to offer a sacrifice of purification. Mary went and sacrificed something as small as two doves or pigeons. Both practices were scripted. The only thing that makes these stories noteworthy are the characters they meet at the temple. In the end, they both praised God for two different reasons. Let me look at each one.

The first person Mary and Joseph encountered was Simeon. He is described as righteous and devout. He had been waiting for years for the consolation of Israel. What does that mean? It means that he had been waiting for years for comfort. Annually, he sat at the Seder and remembered the great things that God had done for His people. It was God who sent the plagues. It was God who parted the sea. It was God who provided for his people in the wilderness. God did some mighty things for them, but that seemed like ancient history. God hadn’t done anything for his generation. Those great days with God had been replaced by foreign domination. There must have been days when the Jews felt forgotten. Have you ever felt forgotten by God? When Simeon looked at the infant Jesus he was comforted because he knew God was still with them. When we think of the infant Jesus, we feel comforted too. Jesus reminds us that God is still with us!

The second person Mary and Joseph encountered was Anna. She is described as an eighty-four-year-old old prophetess. It was never difficult to find her because she was always in the temple. She had been there since the death of her husband. She knew there was something special about Jesus and spoke about the redemption of Israel. What does that mean? A large part of redemption is forgiveness. When Anna looked at the face of the infant Jesus, she knew that forgiveness was possible. After all, thirty-three years later Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for the sins of our world, so we can experience forgiveness. Simeon and Anna remind us we are not forgotten and forgiveness is possible. The infant Jesus changed everything. Let me end with this old preaching story.

Years ago, there was a very wealthy man who shared a passion for art collecting along with his son. They owned priceless works by Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) and Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) which adorned the walls of their family estate. As winter approached, war engulfed their nation, and the man’s son left to serve his country. After only a few short weeks, the father received a telegram, his son had died. Distraught and lonely, the old man faced the upcoming Christmas with anguish and sadness. The joy of the season had vanished with the death of his son. On Christmas morning, a knock on the door awakened the depressed old man. As he walked to the door, the masterpieces of art on the walls only reminded him that his son was not coming home. As he opened the door, he was greeted by a soldier with a large package in his hands. The visitor said, “I was a friend of your son. He died rescuing me. May I come in for a few moments? I have something to show you.” The soldier mentioned that he was an artist and then gave the old man the package. The paper gave way to reveal a portrait of the man’s son. Though the world would never consider it the work of a genius, the painting featured the young man’s face in striking detail. Overcome with emotion, the man hung the portrait over the fireplace, pushing aside millions of dollars’ worth of art. His task completed, the old man sat in his chair and spent Christmas gazing at the gift he had been given. The painting of his son soon became his most prized possession, far eclipsing the masterpieces he owned.

The following spring, the old man died. The art world waited with anticipation for the upcoming auction. According to the will of the old man, all the art works would be auctioned on Christmas Day. The day soon arrived and art collectors from around the world gathered to bid on some of the world’s most spectacular paintings. The auction began with a painting that was not on anyone’s museum wish list. It was the painting of the man’s son. The auctioneer asked for an opening bid, but the room was silent. “Who will open the bidding with $100?” No one spoke. Finally, someone said, “Who cares about that painting? It’s just a picture of his son. Let’s move on to the good stuff.” The auctioneer responded, “No, we must sell this one first. Now, who will take the son?” Finally, a neighbor of the old man offered $10 dollars. “That’s all I have. I knew the boy, so I’d like to have it.” The auctioneer said, “Going once, going twice…gone.” Cheers filled the room and someone exclaimed, “Now we can bid on the real treasures!” The auctioneer looked at the room filled with people and announced that the auction was over. Everyone was stunned. Someone spoke up and said, “What do you mean, it’s over? We didn’t come here for a painting of someone’s son. There is priceless art here! What’s going on?” The auctioneer replied, “It’s very simple. According to the father’s will, whoever takes the son…gets it all.”

It is the story of Christmas. Whoever gets the son gets it all. Simeon reminds us – God has not forgotten us – He came into the world to be with us. Anna reminds us, Jesus came into the world to offer us forgiveness and salvation. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) once said, “God loves each of us as if there was one of us.”  Merry Christmas!