4th Sunday in Ordinary
Time & World Day for Consecrated Life - Feb. 2, 2025
Malachi
3:1-4; Hebrew 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40
Theme: We are Called to Imitate Mary,
Joseph, and Jesus
A. A Brief Exegetical
Analysis of Luke 2:22-40
1.
Historical and Literary Contexts
The Gospel passage we heard is the story of Jesus’ Presentation in
the Temple, found in chapter 2 of Luke’s Gospel. Before our story, the
evangelist already told the stories of Jesus’ Birth (2:1-14), the Visit of the
Shepherds (2:15-20), and the Circumcision and Naming of Jesus (2:21). And after
our passage, he tells the story of the Boy Jesus lost and Found in the Temple
(2:41-52). In our text, Luke intends to depict Jesus’ parents as devout Jews
who faithfully observe the Mosaic laws.
2.
Form, Structure, and Movement
Our Gospel passage is a narrative story with prophecies. Vv. 22-24
can be considered an introduction. Here, the evangelist explains the context of
Jesus' purification according to the mosaic law. The body of the text involves
two personages in the scene with their prophecies about the Child Jesus and his
Mother Mary: Simeon (vv. 25-35) and the prophetess Anna (vv. 36-38). Vv. 39-40
can be considered a conclusion of our text in which the narrator informs his
readers that Jesus and his parents returned to Nazareth, their hometown, after
fulfilling all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord.
3.
Detailed Analysis
2:22-24. According to the law of Moses: This law is explained in
the book of Leviticus (Lev 12:1-8). This law states that the woman who gives
birth to a child remains unclean until the day of her purification. The period
of uncleanness is forty days if she gives birth to a boy and eighty days if the
infant is a girl. She cannot enter the temple or touch anything sacred during
this period. At the end of this period of impurity, she must undergo
purification rites, during which she is required to offer a year-old lamb as a
burnt offering and a turtledove or young pigeon as an expiation of sin. The
woman who cannot afford a lamb must offer two turtledoves or two young pigeons
instead, as Mary does here. Their
purification: Synthetically, “their” refers to Mary and Joseph. So, the fact
that Luke includes Joseph in the purification rites poses a problem because the
Levitical prescriptions apply only to the mother, not to the husband (see Lev
12:1-8). To solve this problem, some early manuscripts rewrite “his purification”
instead of “their purification,” understanding Jesus’ presentation in the
temple as a form of purification. Yet, changing the referent of the
purification from the parents to Jesus poses another problem because Leviticus
does not require the infant boy to undergo the purification rites.
The Bible scholar Michael Patella comments that Luke, as a Gentile
Christian, is not always accurate when he explains the Jewish cultic and legal
codes. Luke’s mention of the consecration of the firstborn according to the law
of the Lord (see Ex 13:2) is correct, but this redemption is accomplished by
paying five shekels to a priest (see Num 3:47-48). This means the sacrifice of
turtledoves Luke mentions in v. 24 is not part of the firstborn’s presentation
ceremony but for a woman’s purification rite. Patella argues that Luke’s
preoccupation in these verses is not to describe the Jewish laws accurately but
to underscore the Jewish context of Jesus’ birth and mission and show how Mary
and Joseph faithfully followed the Jewish law.
Vv. 25-35. Simeon… awaiting the consolation of Israel: Simeon (and
Anna in v. 36) represents the devout Jews who, at that time, were expecting the
restoration of God’s reign in Israel. Jesus’ birth then fulfills their hopes
and expectations. Simeon prophesizes two things in vv. 34-35. First, he
predicts that the child Jesus is destined for the fall and rise of many in
Israel and to be a sign that will be contradicted. This means there will be
some people who will believe in him, and others will reject him. Second, he
reveals to Mother Mary that a sword will pierce her heart. These words elevate
Mother Mary to the role of the first and model disciple. Her blessedness will
be challenged. A disciple is the one who loves and suffers with Jesus.
Vv. 36-38. Anna…spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the
redemption of Jerusalem: In these verses, Luke describes the prophetess Anna as
the first evangelist. She evangelized her fellow Jews about the Child Jesus.
Vv. 39-40. They returned to Galilee, to their own town of
Nazareth: Like Matthew, Luke affirms through these concluding verses that Jesus
was born in Bethlehem but spent his youth and young adulthood in Nazareth,
which is why he is referred to as “Jesus of Nazareth” but not “Jesus of
Bethlehem.” By mentioning Mary and Joseph first in Bethlehem and then returning
to their town, Nazareth, Luke’s preoccupation is to convince his readers that
there is no doubt that Jesus stands in the line of Davidic Messiah.
4.
Synthesis
The Gospel story recounts that Mary and Joseph faithfully followed
Jewish laws. They presented their firstborn Jesus in the temple and offered all
the sacrifices as written in the law of the Lord. Simeon and Anna represent
their fellow faithful and devout Jews, who were expecting Israel's restoration.
Jesus’ birth is the fulfillment of their hope and expectations. Both Simeon and
Anna bless God for the child Jesus. Simeon delivers two prophecies. First, he
says that this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel and to
be a sign that will be contradicted. This means Jesus’ mission will bring
division; some will believe in him, and others will reject him. Second, he
reveals to Mother Mary that a sword will pierce her heart. With these words,
Mother Mary is recognized as the first and model disciple who loves and suffers
with Jesus. In her turn, the prophetess Anna spoke about Jesus to her fellow
Jews. She is then portrayed as the first evangelist. Luke concludes his story
by letting his readers know that after fulfilling all the prescriptions of the
Lord’s law, Jesus and his parents returned to Nazareth, their hometown. Here, Luke
wants his readers to know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but Nazareth is his
hometown where he grew up. So, there is no doubt that Jesus stands in the line
of Davidic Messiah.
B. Pastoral Implications
1.
Liturgical Context
In our first reading, the prophet Malachi prophesied that the Lord
(Messiah) the people of Israel were waiting for would suddenly come to his
temple and would be like a refiner’s fire. The presentation of Jesus in the
Temple and the words of Simeon and Anna about the child Jesus we heard in our
Gospel fulfill Malachi’s prophecy. The sacred author of our second reading
defines the mission of Jesus as that of destroying the devil and freeing those
who, through fear of death, had been subject to slavery all their lives. In
this solemnity of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, we also celebrate
the World Day for Consecrated Life. Our Holy Mother Church invites us to pray
and support all the men and women who consecrated their lives to serve God and
his Church as religious priests, brothers, and sisters.
2.
What the Church Teaches us Today
By suggesting this Gospel passage today, our Holy Mother Church
wants us to imitate the Holy Family of Nazareth's virtues. The first virtue is
the obedience of Jesus’ parents to the law of Moses (today, we will say the law
of the Church). They presented
their child in the temple and offered all the sacrifices according to the law
of the Lord. The
observance of the law of God is an essential characteristic of the Holy family.
They were faithful to the commandments of God. This is the virtue that our
families today need to imitate. We are called to be loyal to the laws of the
Church.
The second virtue is humility. Mary and Joseph did not use their
“holy family” status or other reasons to excuse themselves from fulfilling this
religious obligation. Instead, they humbled themselves and observed all the
proper regulations of the Mosaic law.
Let us follow their example. We should not use excuses not to fulfill
Church obligations. Instead, let us be humble and faithfully obey the Church's
teachings.
The third virtue that this Holy family teaches us is piety. They
put a priority on worship and rearing their child in the faith of the Church.
We will make our families great if we consider worship our priority and rear our
children according to the faith of our Church. Sunday is the day of the Lord
when all families are called to gather together in the Church and form one
Church Family to worship God in the liturgy of the Eucharist. Worshiping God in
the Church brings us all the blessings that we need. Our Gospel tells us that this
Holy Family received beautiful blessings and insights from the devout man
Simeon and the prophetess Anna in the temple. God waits for us every day
(especially on Sundays) in our Church in the Eucharistic celebrations (Masses)
and other sacraments, and he is ready to bestow his blessings on us. So, with a
spirit of obedience and humility, we must come to Church, especially on Sundays
and days of obligations, and observe our daily prayer time.
The fourth lesson is the Child Jesus’ mission, which reminds us of
our own missions. The prophet Malachi (first reading) prophesied that the
Messiah’s mission would be refining and purifying people (Malachi 3:2-3). For
Simeon (Gospel), the Child Jesus “is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted.” (Luke 2:34). The sacred author of our second
reading tells us that Jesus’ mission consists of destroying the devil, who has
the power of death, and free those, who through fear of death, had been subject
to slavery all their lives (Hebrews 2:14-15). Jesus’ mission is our mission.
Through our baptism, we became the “other Christ.” Let us imitate Jesus and
continue the mission he started. This mission is to “refine” and “purify” our
brothers and sisters, bringing them to Jesus so that they can offer themselves
as righteous offerings to the Lord (see Malachi 3:3). In our mission, as Jesus’
followers, we may become signs of contradictions and divisions as Simeon
prophesied about Jesus. We should not be afraid, and we should not give up. Our
second reading reassures us that “because [Jesus] himself was tested through
what he suffered, he is able to help [us] who are being tested.” (Hebrews
2:18). The same favor of God that was upon Jesus (Luke 2:40) is also upon all
of us who continue Jesus’ mission.
In the liturgy of this Mass, let us pray especially for the Consecrated
priests, Brothers, and Sisters that God might increase their faith and
determination so that they might not get discouraged and give up their mission
of serving God through his Church and us his people. For each of us today, we
pray that this Mass might enable us to imitate the Holy Family of Saint Joseph,
the Blessed Mother Mary, and the Child Jesus. Amen.
Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD
Pastor at Holy Family Church in Jackson, MS &
SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator
No comments:
Post a Comment