Luke 2:21-38 December 28, 2008
“The Gift That Gets
Better With Re-Gifting”
Rev. Meagan M. Boozer
My dad had a very strange sense of decorating. When we would go to his house up in Amberson, we would walk around looking at the things he had hung on his wall since the last time we were there, or the things sitting around on tables or shelves. He had a lot of treasures from his days in show business, but he also had a lot of (dare I say it) ‘junk.’ One of the things he had was a ceramic bust of a blond-haired woman. This statue was about 10” tall. Where or why he got it, no one knows.
Well, when we were cleaning out the house, without telling my sisters or my brother, I took the lady and hid her in my trunk. That year for Christmas as a surprise, I wrapped her up and gave her to one of my siblings. She has continued to show up at family gatherings in unexpected places at unexpected times, always bringing howls of laughter. I don’t know where she is at the moment, but John and I are headed to
In today’s terminology, you might say we are re-gifting this statue. Someone receives her for a gift, and then they wrap her up and give her to someone else. Sort of like what is said about fruitcakes . . . that there is really only one fruitcake in the world that people keep re-gifting to others!
We understand about re-gifting, right? Anyone here suspect you were the victim of re-gifting this Christmas? Well, I say – What does it matter? If someone else received something they didn’t particularly care for, and they passed it on to me and I like it – that’s okay by me. I’d rather do that than have someone just stick something in a closet or even in the trash that they know they’ll never use!
But how about the gift of Jesus? Did you re-gift him this Christmas? I hope you did! I hope I did! Because that’s what we’re supposed to do with him – pass him on! Tell everyone about him! Share his story, share his grace, show his love, pass on his peace! Listen to the story now of Mary, Joseph, Jesus, Simeon, and Anna from Luke 2:21-38.
21After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), 24and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
25Now there was a man in
29 “Master, now you are dismissing your servant ◙ 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
33And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34Then 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 35so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
36There 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, 37then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. 38At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of
Both Simeon and Anna had been waiting to receive the gift of seeing the Christ child. They were faithful people, “righteous and devout” as the Scripture describes. Simeon proclaims that the child is to be a light for revelation to the Gentiles. The word revelation means “information that is newly disclosed, especially surprising or valuable information; the revealing of something previously hidden; a showing or revealing of divine will or truth.” Simeon said that the Child would be a light for revelation to the Gentiles. Jesus would shed understanding on that which was not previously understood. Jesus would be the light for revelation – like a flashlight in a dark basement when you’re trying to see why the furnace isn’t working. Jesus comes and shines the light on the problem of the sin condition of humanity so that the problem can be fixed.
Let’s say you’re in the basement with your brother trying to figure out why you don’t have heat. You have the flashlight. Your brother says to you, “Shine that light over here so I can see what’s going on.” And you reply, “No. I’m keeping the light for myself. Get your own light.” That sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?
Who are the Gentiles? You and me. There are Jews and Gentiles. We’re the Gentiles. Jesus came to be a light for revelation to the Gentiles. He came, he gave us surprising and infinitely valuable information about how our lives can be made new, how our sin can be washed away, how we can overcome the schemes of the devil in our lives, how we can be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power – and he expects us (he commands us in Matthew 28:18-20) to pass this light on to others who are still trying to figure out how to fix their problems themselves.
What did Anna do at age 84? 38At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of
The gift that Jesus is to us is meant to be passed on. We’re called to speak about the child to all who are searching. We’re called from Deuteronomy 6:6-9, “Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. 7Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. 8Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem ◙ on your forehead, 9and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Pass them on! And the really cool thing is this: When you
re-gift the revelation about Jesus to someone else, you aren’t giving him away so that you don’t have him for yourself! Your joy and my joy in knowing and loving Jesus is multiplied every time we tell someone else about him and what he has done in our lives.
And so, let’s become expert re-gifters from now until next Christmas. Let’s be like the shepherds, going back to our places and telling everyone what we have seen and heard; let’s be like Simeon and Anna, giving our lives to God as righteous and devout people, with the Holy Spirit firmly resting upon us, trusting God to fill our mouths with words of revelation and our hearts with peace. Alleluia! Amen.
