On Monday during Bible Study with the bishop and other clergy of the deanery I brought up the fact that today, the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus, is also Groundhog Day. I told them that I found it fascinating that while part of the world gathers around a groundhog hoping there will be no light so that he will not see his shadow, we will gather to celebrate the "light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel" in Jesus Christ. To me it is an interesting contrast – Groundhog Day, when a shadow is bad news, and Jesus Christ who overcomes all shadows, the shadows of sin and the shadow of death. Both events celebrated on the same day.
Both events can seem strange to an outsider. Who in their right mind would stand outside in the snow and cold waiting for the groundhog to come out of its den to see when spring would arrive? If you were to wander into some Episcopal churches today you would find the people processing around the church with lighted candles as part of the Candlemas celebration.
But our Gospel reading this morning is not about groundhogs or candles, it is about the further revealing of Jesus Christ.
The key to understanding the event described in the Gospel of Luke this morning is found in the Old Testament. It is significant that no less than three times Luke tells us that what happened was carried out "according to the law."
Luke first mentions the ritual of purification. According to the law, found in the Book of Leviticus, a woman was regarded as ceremonially "unclean" for forty days after the birth of a son, and at the end of that time she was required to offer two sacrifices for her purification: a lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon for a sin offering. Those who could not afford a lamb were allowed to offer two young turtle doves instead. Only after the sacrifice had been made could the woman again take her place in society and engage in public worship.
The second ritual Luke mentions is "Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord." In the Book of Exodus, the Hebrew people are instructed that all first born male children are to be consecrated to the Lord. This is in response to the tenth plague on Pharaoh and the Egyptians when God spared the lives of all the first-born Hebrews, while killing all the first-born Egyptians. The Hebrew people believed that from that point on, "the first male to open the womb" would be dedicated to God and spend his life in the special service of the Lord. Later, the tribe of Levi was assigned this role of priestly service to the Lord, thus relieving the need of all first born Hebrew males to be so dedicated. In the Book of Numbers we find a law that dealt with this change, and provided for the first born to be "bought back" from the service of God for the sum of five shekels.
What does this have to do with us today? Well I am glad to say that Christianity does not regard woman as unclean after childbirth. What is important about this event, and why, in the Episcopal Church it bears the title, The Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple, is the act by Mary and Joseph. Because of the faith of his parents and their obedience to that faith, Jesus is presented, he is given, to God.
What does this suggest? A friend of mine, The Rev. Michael Basden put it this way. "It means that children are sacrificed to that which their parents worship and adore. Child sacrifice, in other words, does not belong just to the primitive tribes of Indonesia, but to the very fabric of modern society." Sacrifice is a pretty strong word, but it is appropriate in stressing the role we play in the raising of our children.
Let me give you some illustrations. If the dominate value of a parent is found in their career and advancement, not only will their children be sacrificed because of the career, but the odds are pretty good that their children will also sacrifice or dedicate their lives to a career. If the parents ultimate concern in life is making money, then their children will, in all likelihood dedicate themselves to the same greed for money. If a parent is enslaved to alcohol or drugs, the child will not only be sacrificed because of this addiction, but more than likely will become addicted themselves. If the parents are focused on always trying to out do others, to be winners, their children will in all probability be very competitive when they grow up.
What will we sacrifice our children and grandchildren to? What will we present to them as the reason for their existence, and the ultimate goal in life? Our lives - our children's and grandchildren’s lives - are going to be filled with something. Our souls long to be filled - filled with God or some substitute. All of Scripture proclaims that we are to be filled with the presence of God. Just as Simeon and Anna's souls were filled with the presence of God, so our souls are also meant to be.
As Christians, the presentation or dedication of Jesus by Mary and Joseph, is crucial to our understanding of baptism. Just as they dedicated their son, God’s Son, to what they believed, so at baptism we dedicate our children to what we believe.
It is no accident that the first act in our baptismal service is the presentation of the candidates. In this presentation we are saying that those about to be baptized are being sacrificed – dedicated to Christ, and not to the idols of the world, the flesh or the devil.
But the presentation is only the beginning. Our Gospel reading concludes with this statement, "The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him." Just as Mary and Joseph were entrusted with the spiritual formation of their son, so are we as parents and grandparents, along with the baptizing community of believers, entrusted with and responsible for the spiritual formation of our children.
Upon our shoulders lays the responsibility to share the love of God in Jesus Christ with our children and grandchildren. It is through us that they learn the apostle's teaching and share in Christian fellowship. It is with us that they join in the breaking of bread at communion. It is with our help that they learn of the God to address their prayers. It is through us that they learn with God's grace how to persevere in resisting evil and when they fall into sin, to repent and return to the Lord.
"I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God," Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans, "to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." Paul's point here is the essence of today's Gospel message, not to mention being crucial for all spiritual wholeness. Self-dedication to God on behalf of parents’ leads to child-dedication through baptism, that leads to a living faith which is nurtured and developed within in a faith community for a life of service to God. May we be drawn to and embrace the light Christ so that it will shine brightly for our children, both at home and in the parish.