Reflections on "Anna in the Shadows" Luke 2: 25-38

This sermon began a series on "Women in the Bible," which will go until the end of February.  Each week we will explore the stories of various women, mostly ones who are less well-known than others.  

I have preached on Anna before, but this sermon was redone quite extensively from a previous sermon.  this sermon got off to slow start (no one seemed to even smile when I said I was not a woman, so I thought I was in big trouble!), but the sermon flowed well and it worked for what I was trying to do.

If you have any women in the Bible you'd like to be part of this preaching series, I still have a week or two open. 

“Anna – in the Shadows”  January 13, 2019; Luke 2;  Women series

 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon;[d] this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.[e] 27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon[f] came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon[g] took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

29 

“Master, now you are dismissing your servant[h] in peace,

    according to your word;

30 

for my eyes have seen your salvation,

31 

    which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

32 

a light for revelation to the Gentiles

    and for glory to your people Israel.”

33 And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon[i] 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 35 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

36 There was also a prophet, Anna[j] 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, 37 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. 38 At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child[k] to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Introduction:  Today begins a series of sermons reflecting on different women in the biblical texts.

With that in mind, I have a confession to make – I am not a woman.  

I have raised three independent-minded women, who willingly, often without being requested, share their perspective on the world from their younger female perspective.  

and I am married to a woman, but that’s probably another sermon series!

What it means, though, is what you will hear in the sermons about women these woman is interpreted through my male lens.  I can't do much about that, but I will try to be informed by other voices and other perspectives than my own as I prepare my sermons.

In many ways women have been left in the shadows of the biblical text and of church history.  Not because they have been unimportant, but because the power brokers and the storytellers have usually been men.  I hope that we can see some of these women emerge from the shadows in the coming weeks.

Move 1: The Gospel of Luke has some very dramatic announcements of who Jesus is, including some from women.

a.  You might note that the Gospel of Matthew tells the story of Jesus’ birth primarily through the male lens - the only people mentioned much are Joseph, King Herod and the wise men.

1.  As Luke tells the birth narrative, however, he focuses on Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, and Mary, the mother of Jesus.

2.  They acknowledge who Jesus is while he is still in the womb.

3. Mary’s words are so poetic and beautiful, they were put to music, which we know as the Magnificat.

3.  And then there are angels from heavens bursting out with “glorias” to announce the birth of Christ.

b.  In the passage we read this morning, Simeon, the priest in the temple, makes a dramatic announcement as well.

1. I can see him center stage as the priest might be sharing with everyone that he can now die because the Messiah God has promised has arrived.

1. We see Simeon going over to Mary and Joseph and sharing with them this great news.

3.Surely, those gathered were in awe at what the priest was announcing and his conversation with Jesus' parents gave them much to talk about.

d. And the announcement, after the phrase, “there was also…” which means, oh by the way, let’s throw in this last little unimportant matter.

1.  “there was also “Anna.”

2. She is acknowledged as a prophet.  In fact, we are told more about her age and marital status than we are about what she says.

3.  she makes no grand announcement.

4.  she simply praises God and quietly tells people who are wondering about the redemption of Jerusalem that the Messiah has arrived.

Move 2:  Anna

a.  Her husband had died.

1. she would probably have been encouraged to get remarried, in part so that she could have kids.

1. But she chooses not to get married.

1. She is a widowed woman with no children in a society that defines and identifies women through their husbands first, and then through their male sons.

4. In the power hierarchy of the world in which she lives, she, a widowed, old, barren women is down at the lowest rung with the orphans.

b. But  Anna has chosen a different way to live our her faithfulness.

1. She stays in the temple day and night, fasting praying and worshiping God.

1. I suspect at times some of the others laughed about the old lady who is always there praying in the temple.  She has no life.

1. But, I also imagine that some admired her persistent prayer.  

1. Certainly, over time she became like part of the woodwork of the temple.  Always there.  

1. When I read about Anna, I remember a woman in the first church I served in Kentucky.

I arrived ready to get the church moving, which I thought meant everyone had to be doing something. Sign them up for a committee.  Send them on a mission trip.  Have them teach Sunday school. Volunteer with the youth.

Faithfulness meant discernible action and movement.

Many humored me, but there was a woman who was at church every Sunday.  Sat on the back pew.  Didn’t say much.  Resisted all efforts to teach, volunteer with the youth, serve on a committee, go on a mission trip.  I saw her there each week, saw the potential she had, knew it was up to me to get her more involved (I’m embarrassed to say that later I found out she had more volunteer hours at the local hospital than anyone in its history, but it wasn’t a church activity, so I didn’t notice!).

Even as she resisted my offers, she kept coming to church.  I quit trying to get her involved, and I also noticed that she showed up half and hour or more early every Sunday.  Not for Sunday school, which would have satisfied my need for her to be involved, but she would sit in the sanctuary.

People coming, kids running up the aisles before worship, lots of activity, and she would sit in her corner pew at the back.

Over time, I learned she spent that 30-45 minutes each Sunday praying.  She prayed for the church, the world, for me, for all the people in need of healing.  Every week, this symbol of faithfulness and concern

1. Anna, think was like that - each day a sing of faithfulness for the gathering community.  

1. she’d been doing it a long time.  84 yrs old and still living out her faith by being present at the Temple.

1. IN some ways, the day Jesus was presented was a day like none other; in other ways, it was like any other day.

1. Anna was there, being faithful, and on this day that included sharing what she knows about the you boy being presented in worship.

Move 2:  As we reflect on our own lives of faith and how we are shaped by the example of others, remember these three things about Anna’s faith.

a.  Anna’s patient faith.

1.She'd been waiting a long time.

2. But she kept waiting.

3.surely she must have wondered at times why she kept waiting.  

4. But she kept waiting.

5. She kept praying.

6. She kept fasting.

7.  She kept worshiping.

8.  how easily it is to give up, to decide God is not going to do what we think God ought to do, so we give up.

9.  not Anna.

b.  Anna’s persistent faith — kept looking for the Messiah.

1.  in the midst of the distractions of the world passing by, Anna maintained her focus on looking for the one who was coming to redeem Jerusalem.

2.  We live in a world where we multi-task and have many distractions.

3. Anna reminds us of the singular focus needed to see Christ in the midst of those distractions.

4.  It is easy to miss God in our midst  – Our busy lives, our preconceived notions about God, our inability to comprehend what God is doing – we easily miss God because we are not looking at the right time and the right place.

5. Not Anna – she kept her focus.

c.  Anna’s proclaiming faith - she tells the story.

1.  I love the way Luke simply says, “she began to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”

2. No angels from on high.

2.  No Peter speaking to the crowds

3. No Paul or debating on Christ's behalf.

3. Anna simply tells the story about who Christ is and what God is doing to redeem Israel.

Conclusion:  It seems to me our world needs to see patient, persistent faith;

and the world needs to hear again about what God in Christ has done, is doing, and is going to do.

Go live that faith and tell that story.

Amen.