One of the things that happens in reformed churches is that we hold to the lectionary lightly. Today we had a sermon on the song of Simeon. This is the lectionary for today: it is the Magnificant. Not Nunc Dimittis.. But that is the nature of us… we moved ahead to talk about Simeon.

Jesus Presented at the Temple

22 And rwhen the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem sto present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in tthe Law of the Lord, u“Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in tthe Law of the Lord, v“a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was wrighteous and xdevout, ywaiting for zthe consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not asee death before he had seen bthe Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when cthe parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and dblessed God and said,

29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant4 depart ein peace, faccording to your word; 30 for gmy eyes have seen your salvation 31 ithat you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 ja light for revelation to the Gentiles, and kfor glory to lyour people Israel.”

Now one of the men of the church, who is studying theology preached today. He talked about how Simeon and Anna were both righteous and old. They had lived their entire life in prayer, waiting for a poor couple (the sacrifice is the one the poor people gave for purification of the woman. (For those who do not “get this” you had to be ritually pure to enter the congregation of the temple…. and you had to be of a certain tribe to lead the worship, and of a certain family to be a priest. And everyone could not have had sex, nor be menstruating, not have just had a child, nor have touched a dead body… to be in the temple). There are rituals and symbols, and this was one for women). For they were led to the messiah.

What we then talked about was that Simeon told Mary that a sword would pierce her heart also. As Jesus suffered, his mother hurt. This seems to be a universal: when a child is in difficulty the father may be angry, sad, and grieving, but he generally can harden himself and do what is right. The mother… sees the babe she bore, and nursed, and her heart breaks. Mary was going to have to see Jesus on the cross.

But the lectionary is a balance, for it is the Magnificat, and the beginning of the incarnation. It is quite interesting to look at what Mary actually said.

Luke 1:26-38

26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Luke 1:47-55

46b My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

Some points:

• Mary may have been poor, and living in Galilee (the hillbilly part of Palestine) but she was not stupid. She knew sex was needed for babies, and she was a virgin. The question she asked… “How can this happen?” only makes sense of we take the usual meaning of that term: she had not had sex. I am sure that then, as now, many young women get pregnant in the usual way — the liberal interpretation of this word is “young woman” — but that does not explain why the angel talks about Elizabeth, who had found herself pregnant when post menopausal.
• The Magnificat talks about Mary’s personal saviour. (which is why the reformed would say that Mary was, like all humans, not sinless). But then she expands on this.
• The expansion of what it means to be saved has almost nothing to do with her. She is not talking about herself. She is talking about a scattering the proud, pulling down those in power, and feeding the hungry…
• And she called herself blessed.

Mary did not lack courage. What she lacks in th s prayer is selfishness and pride. She gives all the glory to God… and she accepts the pain that is to come.

Because Advent is not the end of the good news. It is but the beginning. There is a child of God in the world. He has to survive (for Herod tried to kill him),. grow up, and then… walk to his own death.  For only in breaking the power of sin is our salvation assured.

For Mary, like all mothers, had to let her child go. She could not keep him as a little boy forever, But most women do not have to see what she did: most women pray that they will not have to live through their child being in trouble or being ill, or burying their child. Mary became the mother watching her son on the cross. Mary watched her son being buried.

And Mary saw the joy of our salvation in his resurrection.