The Sixth Day
within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord
(I John 2:12-17; Luke 2:36-40)
Luke, the gospel writer, never tires of including women
in his narrative. After a shepherd looks
for a lost sheep, a housewife searches for a lost coin. Today’s passage manifests this trend. After Simeon holds the baby Jesus in his
arms, Anna sees him and gives praise to God.
There is more than inclusiveness here. By presenting the two elderly Jews, Luke
emphasizes that Jesus fulfills Old Testament expectations. He reminds us that Jesus is part of the
Jewish nation which God called as a people especially His own. Luke also has a universal purpose in
mind. Because of Jesus, God’s people
will not be limited to a single nation.
Jesus’ disciples will go to all the nations on earth to expand that
people.
The Christian impulse is not just to believe in Jesus but
to tell others about him. The
African-American spiritual Christmas carol “Go Tell It on the Mountain” displays
this urge. Being Christian means that we
are saved. We should want everyone we
care about to experience his salvation as well.
