Sermon for Candlemas: Merry Christmas!

Sermon. St Michael and All Angels. 1 February 2015.

Candlemas

Malachi 3.1-4; Luke 2.22-40

Good to be back, and back from Mallorca. I saw the Three Kings! Those of you who were at the carol service may remember what I said, about how, throughout Spain, on Twelfth Night, men dress up as the Three Kings, go in procession to church, present a Christ-child figure gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, and then give presents to the children of the town or village. And about how (my favourite bit), as they process, the Kings scatter sweeties at all and sundry. 

I am am not just saying what I did in my holidays. I am trying to draw together all that this church has been through since that carol service, from Christmas Day to New Year and the Naming and Circumcision of Jesus, through Epiphany and the Three Kings, the Baptism of the Lord to today. In a sense, it’s all one Feast - which is why we stay in white or gold. So, one name for today might actually be: the Last Day of Christmas. Merry Christmas, anybody?

That may be pushing it. And any way, today already has quite a few names. The traditional popular one is Candlemas, which is interesting. Where are the candles in today’s readings? If anywhere, it is in Simeon’s words that the Christ child is to be a Light to lighten the nations. (I wondered if some prophetic soul might pick out the refiner’s fire in the first reading - but if your candles are a refining fire, something has gone wrong.) In any event,  there grew up a custom of blessing beeswax candles on this day, which people would then take to their homes. It might be because of Simeon's words. Or it might just be because we need cheering up. After all, if you think about it, this is actually midwinter now. 

Another possible name for today is the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Doesn’t sound attractive does it? Mary as dirty? Or morally impure? Or displeasing to Gd because she’d done something as physical, as carnal, as giving birth? What to make of this? Well, the first thing to say is that the title is not wrong. The story is about the “Purification” of Mary in some sense. In the Teachings of Moses, a women who gives birth has to seek "purification". It is this purification of Mary - not, incidentally, of Joseph or Jesus - that the gospel refers to, when it refers to the fortieth day, and the offering of turtledoves and pigeons. 

But the second and more important thing to say is that this "purity" is not about the removal of dirt, nor has it anything to do with moral impurity. As I’ve said before - and may just say again - this ritual purity is really about ritual fitness, being fit to work as a symbol in the Temple. And there is a school of thought that says this: the symbolism of the Temple is all about Life (I haven't got time to explain why). And a woman who has given birth is not fit to symbolise life in any sense, because she’s been the reality. She has brought real-life life into the world. So she’s too close to the reality to be a good symbol. It would be, if you like, like turning from lovely beeswax candles and looking directly at the sun. I am not saying that school of thought is right. But it works as a good corrective to other ideas about what ritual purity is. 

The other, more modern and proper name for today is the Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple. This is indeed the more natural reading of today’s gospel in Luke: the point is that Mary and Joseph take Jesus to the Temple. The problem with this is that nowhere in the Hebrew Bible nor in later Jewish tradition is there any command to bring a newborn to the Temple. The Bible (in Exodus) does say that the firstborn male is consecrated to Gd, but doesn’t tie that up with a particular command. And later (in Numbers) there is the idea that the Levites take over the priestly role of the firstborn. So the parents of a non-Levite firstborn male give a Levite some money, to acknowledge that, thanks to the Levites, their boy has been released from duty, as it were. It’s called the redemption of the firstborn. But it can happen anywhere, doesn’t happen on the fortieth day, and isn't tied up with a sacrifice. So, why on earth did Mary and Joseph feel a need to ‘present’ Jesus in the Temple? Confusing. 

However, there is another name for today’s Feast. It comes from the East, from Orthodoxy. It is: the Meeting. And isn’t this how we can make sense of it? There are two layers of meeting. First, the Temple itself is a Meeting Place, the Meeting Place. It is a place where people met each other, yes. And it is also a place where you meet with the Presence of Gd. Christians sometimes think that Jesus and his followers were wholly against the Temple. But that’s not true. And it certainly isn’t true for how Luke tells the story. Notice how Luke wants to show how faithful, how Jewish, how faithfully Jewish everybody is being in this story. Even if he gets the details wrong, his intention is clear: 

‘When the time came, according to the Law of Moses, they went to Jerusalem… as it is written in the Law of the Lord… and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the Law of the Lord… And when they had finished everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee.’ The Law of the Lord. It’s quite a striking expression. No criticism of the Law, of the Temple, of priests, or of ritual here. Quite the reverse. So Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the Temple which truly is the Place of the Meeting with the Presence of Gd. 

But of course, this is also the meeting of the Holy Family with Simeon and Anna.

‘Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the Temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, he took him in his arms and praised God, and said… "a light for revelation to the gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."’

Much could be said about what Simeon said. And wouldn’t it be lovely to know what words Anna said? But, I’m afraid we better face up to the fact that once again it’s the man in the story who has the speaking part. 

But… just this… can you see how this really is another Christmas story?

‘Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the Temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, he took him in his arms and praised God, and said… a light (like a star) for revelation to the gentiles (like wise men) and for glory (that angels sing of) to your people Israel (including its shepherds).’

So, the story is complicated and confusing in some ways, and maybe I've made it yet more complicated. But it's very simple and inviting too. It’s about a meeting. And we meet, and we are or we can be each person in this story.

We can make the obedient journey to the place of the Presence of God. 

We can be guided by the Spirit, if only by not resisting the promptings we have. 

We can take Jesus to ourselves. 

We can praise. 

We can look for the light and glory. 

'a light (like a star) for revelation to the gentiles (like wise men) and for glory (that angels sing of) to your people Israel (and its shepherds).’