Praising Parents

Imagine hearing how special your child is.

When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. - Luke 2:22-40

Every parent believes his or her child is special.  But imagine hearing it from a total stranger, someone who was guided by the Spirit to come to see your child.

Both Mary and Joseph were amazed at what Simeon told them, and then Anna tells Mary something even more amazing, that Jesus will grow to make great changes in the world they live in, and those changes will pierce her soul.

Wow.

How do you go back to a normal life after that?  Of course, could Mary and Joseph have expected a normal life with a child born of God?

This is where Joseph's strength becomes important.  It is not apparent in the telling of this story that Joseph played much of a role in Jesus' life, other than the one line about Jesus growing in strength wisdom and favor.

That had to be Joseph's doing, as much, if not more than it was Mary's.

It was the mother's job to teach the child, but the father's job to impart strength and guidance, to help the child grow into a man.

So, today we celebrate the strength of parents, the ones whose lives change dramatically, who sacrifice their wants and needs for the ones they raise.

If believing your child is special provides motivation to be a good parent, imagine what it would be like to hear the same from strangers.

Jesus was placed in the right hands.  God trusted the right people and made them parents.

More to come...