NUNC DIMITTUS

By Dr. Eric C. Stumpf, Senior Pastor

St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church – Munster, IN

27 December 2009 + Christmas 1 (C) + Luke 2:22-40

             Let us pray:  I thank You, Holy Child, that You fulfilled the Law for us.  Fill us with the wisdom only You can give.  Amen.

What is a hero?  The answer comes easier when we give examples.  Think about our American folklore. 

Daniel Boone represented a hero of the pioneer days, Abraham Lincoln as our nation developed, Lindberg as our country shifted to a world power.  All heroes have one thing in common, and that is their superhuman ability to single-handedly overcome enormous odds.

            In our generation heroes have evolved into something more than superhuman.  Heroes portrayed in films go beyond any form of reality.  They can take a beating which would kill mere mortals and not even have their tuxedos messed up.  They can be fired on, and walk away unscathed.  They can experience a car crash that would be 100% fatal in real life.  This type of heroism is very appealing to many people.

            But reality shows these fabricated heroes of the cinema are not real.  Some heroes come back from war in a casket, or so terribly injured that they will never regain the use of limbs, or so mentally damaged as to have a lifetime of difficulties to face.  Their heroism is not in their indestructibleness, but because they sacrifice themselves.

            The Gospel lesson this morning presented Jesus at the temple.  But as we hear in the words of Simeon, there was no easy solution to the problem of redemption of Israel and Gentiles.  Redemption was the path of the cross, the sword piercing the heart.  Jesus came as Savior, but few really accepted it.  To some Jesus was simply foolishness, for others he was a stumbling block.  For those who believed, the path of the cross, the sword piercing the heart was salvation and a look at life, the hard road that God calls all of us to walk.

The Gospel Lesson

            Forty days after Jesus’ birth Mary and Joseph obedient to the laws of Israel took Jesus from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, to the temple, for religious rites.  A first born male child was formally presented.  The Law of Moses stated all first born boys belonged to the Lord and they were to serve the Lord.  Later the tribe of Levi was set aside to do this work, but the law still remained.  The parents could redeem, or buy back their son, from the Lord.  The offering was 5 shekels of silver, about $50.  Only the above average could afford this.  If the parents were poor, two turtle doves could be given, such was the offering of Mary and Joseph. Although Jesus was God’s own Son he placed himself under the law to be obedient under the law for us.  By living a life without sin, his death on the cross later would not be for his sin, but the sins of the world.

            The two witness who we find in the Gospel lesson are extraordinary people.  First, Anna, from an insignificant tribe of Israel, in fact, one of a small minority that had survived destruction some 700 years before, was from a tribe of Asher, known for its beautiful women.  She knew her family tree and could trace it back over 700 years.  That would be like you or me knowing our family lineage back 25 generations.  Very few people can do that.  She was a pious woman, who worshipped day and night in the temple.  She was about 105 years old, graced by God to be able one day to see the redemption of Israel, to see in flesh and blood the one promised, the Messiah.  The second witness was Simeon who we know almost nothing.  Yet, he was a pious Israelite who was moved and touched by the Holy Spirit.  He knew that he too would see by his own eyes the promised one, the Messiah.  The Holy Spirit guided him to the child.  Imagine a large area filled with people, some were young families also bring their newborns for the same rites, but out of all of them Simeon took the Christ child in his arms and rejoiced.  The Holy Spirit moved him to sing a song that has been sung by the faithful for more then 20 centuries.

The Nunc Dimittis

            Please take out your hymnals and turn to page 199.  This should be very familiar to you since we sing it in the liturgy when we have received Holy Communion.  It is as if we are standing in the Holy Temple 20 centuries ago and after receiving the very body and blood of Christ we too rejoice that we have seen the Savior.  Let us look at this famous song with hungry eyes.

            First, we see the phrase, For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation.  For Simeon we understand what he sung, he had beheld Jesus as the salvation of God’s promise.  What does it mean when we sing it?  Like Simeon where we come before the Lord’s altar and receive the bread and wine, we are also beholding the salvation of God, in fact we have received it with our mouth.  For the bread and wine are also the body and blood of Christ as Jesus’ own words declare.  It is our salvation we sing as well, and our redemption.  Our redemption was not bought with gold or silver, like the 5 shekels paid by Joseph in symbolism, but with the holy precious blood of Christ.

            Second, we see the phrase according to thy word in line 1 and 2.  We are reminded that the Word draws us to the Lord’s temple, his altar and to receive the body and blood of Christ.  Without the gospel used by the Holy Spirit we would be ignorant of the salvation and redemption that is ours through Jesus Christ.  It was the word certainly that told Simeon of the Messiah, and the Spirit brought the Word in the arms of Mary for him to see.  By that same Word our faith is established, nourished, and increased in our lives so that we can see what many others can not see.  In Simeon’s day many only saw a baby born in a stable, a man wandering about Palestine, an accused rebel hanging on the cross;  however, for those who were called by the Holy Spirit in the Word they saw the King of the Jews and brought presents, they saw the Messiah and followed as disciples, they beheld the Savior dying for the sins of the world. 

            Third, we hear the world thy servant that Simeon used to describe his relationship to the Lord and to this newly born Savior.  Like Simeon we are moved by the Holy Soirit to see the effect of the Gospel in our lives.  The Gospel calls not for half-hearted commitment from its disciples and followers, but as a servant does the bidding of the master we too are called to follow all the way, not just part of the way.  The Gospel establishes our servant hood and heir to God.

            Finally, fourth, see the word peace.  This is not necessarily understood as success or ven the absence of war.  There can be peace in the midst of war, such as a Christian experience in the midst of Christ fighting the temptations of Satan in our life.  The peace we see here with Simeon is the peace of God’s salvation and love even while we travel the way of the cross.  It is a peace not won by film superheroes, not a peace in fantasy, but a peace won when Christ went by way of the cross to the triumph of the empty tomb and gives to us eternal life and strength to follow him.  Amen.

SDG