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Luke 2
21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"), 24and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord:" a pair of doves or two young pigeons."
We move rather quickly from the glory of angel hosts singing to the shepherds and the touching words about Mary pondering the truth of all that has happened to the these rather bland verses describing the circumcision and purification of baby Jesus. Understandably there are no Christmas carols written about this particular part of the Christmas story. Here you simply have a Jewish father and mother being obedient to Jewish law and tradition.
We move rather quickly from the glory of angel hosts singing to the shepherds and the touching words about Mary pondering the truth of all that has happened to these rather bland verses describing the circumcision and purification of baby Jesus. Understandably there are no Christmas carols written about this particular part of the Christmas story. Here you simply have a Jewish father and mother being obedient to Jewish law and tradition.
But there is so much more here as well.
First, we are reminded that Jesus was a Jew. He never claimed otherwise and never at all lamented his heritage. In fact, Jesus made it absolutely clear that he did not come to decimate the Jewish religion; rather he came to guide it to its true intent defined by God's will. This is important for us modern Christians because we cannot and should not ignore who we really are...we are persons of the Judeo-Christian faith. We give credence to the Old Testament as well as the New. We understand that the stories, truths, experiences, and prophetic insights of the Jewish people were a foundation for Jesus as he became the Son of God and are a proper foundation for us.
Secondly, we discover the role that religious ritual plays in our lives. It was important for Mary and Joseph, and eventually for Jesus, and it should be important for us. Yes, ritual can get so staid and rigid that it loses any semblance of vital spirituality but we should not treat ritual lightly. Religious ritual includes important moments like the Lord's Prayer and an Affirmation of Faith in worship, the baptism of our children at the proper time, the journey of Confirmation toward commitment to Christ and the Church, the regular celebration of the Lord's Supper, and other key spiritual times.
This day perhaps we each could begin by simply giving thanks that we've inherited and ultimately embraced a vibrant spiritual tradition which began long before Jesus, helped ground Jesus for his life mission, and continues empowering us to this day. We can also give thanks for the varied rituals through which God helps us advance in our spiritual awareness. Without question God can work through tradition and ritual just as He works dramatically in other life enriching and life changing ways!
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