LUKE 2:21-40
OBEDIENT OBSERVER OBSERVES ORTHODOXY
I. HIS OBEDIENCE:
A. Obligatory.
B. Offering.
C. Optimism.
II. HIS OBSERVATIONS:
A. Obsequious
B. Occupant.
C. Orations.
III. HIS ONUSES:
A. Obfuscating.
B. Ominous.
C. Optimistic.
I come now to my third sermon in this Christmas series regarding Joseph. The first one considered Joseph being in a quandary over his upcoming marriage, in Mathew 1:18-25. It was shown to our subject by non other than a divine visitor that he should proceed to marry his beloved Mary. The next one in this series deals with our hero taking his young bride to Bethlehem, some ninety miles from his home town of Nazareth in Galilee, Luke 2:1-7. While there the Baby arrived and he rose to the occasion of being the right man at the right spot at the right time. This sermon now picks up where the last one left off and we gain some new insights into this marvelous man whose name was Joseph.
The scene before us is something that is old yet still vibrant with new and fresh applications regarding this man and his family. The Scriptures are full of good lessons for us as we look at the naming of Jesus (eight days after His birth). The Holy Family had to make a required trip to Jerusalem which was about five miles north-east from Bethlehem. Fortunate for the family the trip to the Holy City was mostly down-hill since Bethlehem was over two thousand feet higher than Jerusalem. However, the return trip was not that easy as the family had to walk uphill most of the way to the place they had in Bethlehem. This was quite an undertaking for all of them especially since there was a Baby involved and a woman who was still feeling the effect of giving birth to the Child. When all of these facts are taken into consideration, my sermon title makes a bit more sense as I look at Joseph, Mary and Jesus, but especially at our hero as he became an obedient person who obeyed God in fulfilling the Scriptures as were given by Moses. Once in Jerusalem and at the Temple, this obedient man became a keen observer observing some strange happenings from two devout people. These two were deeply religious living out their later years in divine orthodoxy waiting to see the Messiah before they died. All of these facts weighed heavily on Joseph that time so long ago.
In this sermon today, I notice HIS OBEDIENCE as he did what he was required to do. Next, I see HIS OBSERVATIONS of some things which struck him mightily. Then, I note the heavy burden, HIS ONUSES of which he took to heart considering what he heard and how it affected him for the rest of his life.
I. HIS OBEDIENCE: This is not the first time we catch a glimpse of the obedient heart of this kind man who inherited a ready made family. Joseph, like Mary, was well aware of the words of Moses regarding the specific ritual regarding the presentation of the Baby. As I note in my previous sermon, these two had royal blood in their veins and they knew exactly what was to be done. Hence when time came for His presentation in the Temple, Joseph led the way to go to Jerusalem with his young bride and their first Child.
I marvel at HIS OBEDIENCE especially when he had no choice in the matter if he was going to be a faithful Jewish man and husband. His trip with his family was Obligatory and this was something he had to know and to fulfill as he assumed his divinely appointed role. His reaction, as far as we know to this Obligatory role for him was one of submission. It is one thing to do something because one has to do something, but it is another thing for one to do something which has been dictated to do and one does it without rancor or vile. Joseph could have grumbled at his journey to Jerusalem, but we do not read about it in the Scriptures.
Not only did he comply with a ready heart doing what was demanded by the Law, but it was up to him to come up with the money and or means to supply the Offering. If we just stop and add up the expenses that this man had to pay for his new family, we gain a better appreciation of his kindness.
The first thing for which he had to pay, maybe with the help of relatives but mostly out of his own pocket, was his marriage and all that that event cost him. Next, was his shutting down his business while the family traveled to Bethlehem which cost him money while on the trip. Once arriving in the village of David, he had to secure a place to dwell which cost him money not only for the building, but also for food and what other expenses might have arisen, all the time probably not working since he left his home and shop back in Nazareth.
Once settled, there was the expense of paying taxes for him and Mary and maybe for Jesus-the whole reason for the trip. Now, it was time to secure the offering for the Baby’s presentation which cost him more money once he arrived in Jerusalem. It is no wonder that Joseph was only able to buy the cheapest need for the Offering. Yet, in spite of it all, he gave and gave and God blessed him for his efforts. It is also important to know that Jesus was not born into a wealthy family but a poor, everyday, working one. As such, the poor and the rich can come to Jesus even now and know He accepts them. If Jesus would have been born into a wealthy family, millions of poor people-including myself-would feel that He loves only those of means. Not so with Jesus; He came into a poor family and He stands ready to welcome all to come to Him. I am glad that Joseph was a hard worker and he gave his best in securing a decent Offering.
With HIS OBEDIENCE settled for all to observe, I see his Optimism as he walked proudly into the Temple with his family. He has spent a good deal of money recently, but this man’s spirit was on a high plane as he walked in with his young bride. He had been obedient to God from the start of this situation until now and he was not about to turn against God, Mary nor the Child. This man was not overly proud, but if there ever was a human male who ever walked across God’s green Earth who had a right to be proud of who he was and what he was doing for his God, it had to be Joseph.
I do not think that he timidly approached the priests in the Temple compound and purchased the offering which was purchased by poor people, not him. With the necessary money in hand and a heart that was filled full of pride over his family, he boldly and proudly paid out the money for one of the two specific birds species as dictated by God through Moses. This man was ready for the world and his Optimism knew no bounds as he initiated the ceremony for his adopted Son. Yes, He heard what the shepherds told Mary on the night of the birth of Jesus, and yes, the words did strike him with caution, but he was not ready to hear nor see what was about to unfold shortly before his eyes and mind. For now, he was happy and his heart was full of joy. How long that would last will soon be seen.
II. HIS OBSERVATIONS: Joseph and Mary entered the Temple Complex with one thing on their mind and that was to fulfill the Law’s requirements for the fulfillment of the Law concerning Jesus. What they saw and experienced while in the Temple environs made an impression upon them which stayed with them for the rest of their lives.
With one single mission upon their mind, they were content to quickly accomplish the task and head back to Bethlehem. Unbeknown to them they soon encountered one man who was very Obsequious that approached them to see the Baby. This was old Simeon.
We are not told how old he was, but the Bible says that he was a just and a devout man. What an epitaph!!! I would rather have someone say this about me rather than say that I was a king or a president. Old Simeon, bless his heart, was given a promise by God that he would live long enough to see the Messiah. That day he laid his eyes upon Jesus started out like any ordinary day. The sun came up; the morning meal was eaten; the people began to gather into the Temple for various missions, like so many days before this time and old Simeon entered the Temple. Yet, when he saw the Holy Family, something sprang up from deep within his troubled heart and he knew, he knew, he just knew, that the little Baby being held in the arms of this poor young mother was He, the Hope and the Consolation of Israel. That day started like any other day, but it did not end like any other day before this one.
Upon his approach to the family, the Lord opened up old Simeon’s eyes and heart and he knew that at last God’s promise came true. Friends, we may have to live through many an ordinary day, but when God promises something-take it to the bank-He will keep His word. Old Simeon might have had a weak voice, his eyes might have been dimmed with age, he might have had trouble with hearing, but he had no problem recognizing Jesus. That is what we need today-we need to recognize Jesus when we see Him. I have a feeling that old Simeon let it be known that he was seeing a promise come true-not only to himself but to all of Israel. I do not know if he was able to do the “Two-Step Dance,” but I have a feeling old Simeon did a holy shuffle right there in the Temple, as he proudly blessed the Baby and gave glory to God for Him keeping His promise to him and to his people. With the promise completed to Simeon, he called out, “Lord, take me home, I am ready to lay down my life now. I have seen all I need to see, let me die in your graces.” What a testimony! Old Simeon lived such a godly life, that once he saw the Master, he was ready to go home to heaven. He did not beg for one more day so he could make amends, or pay his bills or seek peace with his God, not Simeon, he was ready to go. May I take a page from this old gent’s notebook of life and live like he lived: ready to go when it is time to go.
I then notice an Occupant who seemed to make her home living in the Temple: Anna. I do not read the same words about Anna as I read about Simeon. It appears that Anna spent all of her time in the Temple whereas what is said about Simeon is not so detailed. But Anna seemed to be a permanent fixture in the Temple area and she also, approached the Holy Family, knowing in her heart that she was about to see the Messiah.
Some Churches have taken a stand against lady preachers, and I do not desire to belittle them or argue with them, but in this case, old Anna who was about 84 years of age, delivered a sermon that day in the Temple that eclipsed all of the High Priest’s sermons he could ever deliver. Notice, she spoke to all of them there who had been looking for the Redemption of Israel, and she said, “Boys, your search is over. Here He is; God in human flesh. He might be a baby, but He is our Redeemer.” I do not know what that crowd thought that day, but I can assure you, if I would have been there, I think I would have given a hearty “Amen” and more to that sermon.
I was raised in a “holy-roller” church as we were known through out our town. The saints of that church were poor, but they had something of which I wanted-they had a deep abiding faith in God. Sometimes the Spirit would move and some of the saints would shout, run, and demonstrate their faith. I never desired to be demonstrative regarding my faith then or now, but when the Spirit moves on my soul, I weep like a baby and I make no apology for it. I have a feeling, that if I would have been in that crowd that day that Anna rose to the occasion and delivered her short but extremely powerful sermon, I would have stood and wept for joy. To think, that Jesus has come. Friends, He has come; He has come, praise His name, He has come!!! He left His abode in Heaven to take up the sinful flesh of mankind, to live among us for a short while, then to lay down His life for us so that we do not have to pay sin’s price-it is enough to humble all of us. He has come-Praise God from on high.
Simeon and Anna, preach those messages one more time! Preach them in the market places of the world! Preach those messages your sermons to those who are held in bondage! Preach these same sermons to the crazed eye Moslem who is intent on blowing we Christians into oblivion! Preach the Good News to the agnostic who denies God and to the atheist who says there is no God! Preach your words, Simeon and Anna, to the down-and-out as well as to the up-and-out! Preach these sermons to those who are discouraged; who have lost all hope for a better day; who believe that their lives are meaningless; and, preach these glad tidings to those who are held in ignorance, shame and degradation! Preach Simeon and Anna! Preach loud and long-He has come-the Redemption for Israel and for the world!
It is no wonder these two people had given such golden Orations that day. Joseph, Mary and the Babe, entered the Temple Complex that particular day, wanting to fulfill the requirements for Jesus, and then return to their temporary home in Bethlehem. Instead of things being ordinary they were far from ordinary. The Holy Family heard two sermons that day that still reverberate around the world today. The messages they heard, the sermons given, the grand Orations they were privilege to hear moved them in a mighty way. These two short sermons prove that it is not the length nor the logic that marks the sermon as being of God; these two short sermons prove that the messengers must be in tune with God and deliver His messages to a lost and dying world. May any and all ministers who hear this sermon, who read this sermon, remind themselves-we stand on sacred ground when we speak for God. May our hearts be in tune with Him so we can bring forth a message-not from us-but from Him. Someday, we will be judged for what we preach-may we always preach the Word of Truth.
III. HIS ONUS: I have looked briefly at Joseph’s OBEDIENCE to God and to his Jewish faith as he took the Baby Jesus to the Temple for His necessary rite as ordained by God through Moses. I then spoke about his OBSERVATIONS that he made while in the Temple area as he saw one man and then one woman come to meet him and his family. These two strangers then proceeded to speak some strange things about the Baby and according to my Scripture, this time both Joseph and Mary were perplexed by what they heard.
The words that were spoken that day to the Holy Family were indeed, Obfuscating words, words which were dark and mysterious. Languages are unique concepts regardless of the tongue spoken. Words convey thoughts, ideas and concepts in any language. There is a boon to the hearer when one understands the speaker’s words which are plain and to the point. No one likes to hear words that are garbled and not clear of content. Yet, this was the situation that Joseph and Mary encountered that day. They heard the words of Simeon and Anna and they thought the words were plain, but still there was something not quite clear with the reception of the thoughts and intents which Simeon and Anna spoke that day. The words were clear, but the messages were not clear and the divergence of the hearing and the meaning bothered the two a great deal.
As the words began to sink into Joseph and his young bride, he no doubt began to feel the weight of something strange and mysterious stir in his soul about this blessed Baby. The first thing I notice about the weighty messages he had heard was the clear sign that something Ominous was developing before his eyes. He heard the shepherds as they made some strange comments when they came to see Jesus the night He was born. At that time, Luke reports that Mary heard and guarded the message delivered by the social outcasts concerning Jesus. However, here Joseph heard these strange things being said about Jesus and they were troubling to him. He could not help but sense the Ominous messages delivered here by these two saints as something that were far beyond what he imagined. When a baby is born into a family, the usual ideas are that the baby will be a success, will accomplish something worthwhile in life and the baby will live out a long, happy and wonderful life. These were not exactly what Joseph was hearing from these two people in the Temple area that day and the Ominous words were laying heavy upon his heart.
Yet, in spite of the garbled message that Joseph and Mary heard that day, and regardless of the heavy meaning of the words they did understand, there was the underlying feeling of Optimism which pervaded their troubled souls that day. Yes, they heard the strange messages spoken by Anna and Simeon. Yes, the words they spoke struck them to their inner beings as they wondered what the future held for this precious Baby, and yet they were serene in the knowledge that the Baby which came to live in their home was God incarnate. With this fact, they could face the future with all of its trouble and uncertainty, because they were Optimistic over the fact that God had everything in control. There would be troubling days ahead but there was always the fact that He would keep them and protect His Son.
