Vespers - Advent 2

 Wednesday Vespers following Populus Zion – December 10, 2025

Psalm 85; Malachi 3:1-5

St. Matthew 11:11-15

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

It is so easy to become weary with the things of God. Reading the same texts year in and year out becomes boring. The hymns of our fathers aren’t relevant.

Another way to become weary is to shift your focus. Rather than reading the Word of God, it is more exciting to listen to radio preachers, watch the History Channel, or let your pastor do the heavy lifting. “As long as he is preaching, I don’t need to read it.” If you can’t remember singing a hymn from your childhood, then it must not be a traditional hymn. Decorations, presents, and parties are the focus of Advent rather than repentance, the Word of God, and preparing to receive your Lord. The world is having fun so why can’t we?

In Malachi’s day, the people began to bring sick, blind, and lame animals to be offered as sacrifices. Our Lord denounces these actions for two reasons. First, they are disobeying His commandment. His people have been commanded to bring Him the first fruits of their labor, the best of what they have to offer. By bringing diseased animals, the people are mocking the Lord as though He wouldn’t notice or as though they are more worthy of a healthy beast than God.

Second, the people of God are despising His priests. The Levites were given no inheritance, no land on which to raise cattle or wheat. They were sustained by the offerings of the people. By offering sick and blind animals, the people are depriving the Levites of their wages. They are depriving the ministers of God of their rightful sustenance that they might dedicate their lives to God, His Word, and His people.

At the same time, our Lord denounces the priests as well. The priests have failed in their duty to warn the people. Rather than rebuke them for offering profaned sacrifices, the priests were accepting these sickly animals and proclaiming the people righteous for it. The priests failed both to teach the people concerning right sacrifice and to guard the Temple of the Lord from profane things.

It is again, so easy to become weary with the things of God. Why bring God a tenth of what you have when He already has everything? Why offer the sacrifice of prayer when God already knows what you need? Why worry about avoiding sin when God has promised to forgive your sins? When your sins have been washed away in Baptism? When you can come to confession?

Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me.”[1] God will not sit idly by while His people become weary and His preachers become lazy. He sent His messenger in the person of St. John the Baptist, whose duty was to prepare the hearts of men to receive their Lord.[2] How is a heart prepared to receive his Lord? It is prepared by being confronted by sin. St. John did not have a pleasant job. He was not given the task of preaching concerning the vision of a beautiful heaven. He, like Malachi, was called to teach concerning the Law of God. When the people are not following the Law of God, John must show them their sin.

It is never fun to be told you are sinning. No one likes to hear his conscience say, “Don’t do that! God is watching!” let alone to have someone else do it. Cries of “Tyranny!” and “Who do you think you are?!” and “Who made you God?!” immediately burst from our lips.

At the same time, we ought to be thankful for Malachi and John. Men like these, sent by God, are messengers sent before the coming of the King. It is their duty to prepare you so that you will not be caught unawares.

“Who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears?”[3] None can stand according to our sin. None can stand according to our nature. None can stand without having heard the preaching of men like Malachi and John.

When the Lord comes, “He is like a refiner’s fire and like launderers’ soap.”[4] If you remain in your sins, if you reject the Word of God, if you reject the preaching of Malachi, you are a solid rod of dross. When the refiner’s fire is applied to the rod, it will be entirely burned up.

But to you who fear the Name of the Lord, you are a rod with a core of silver. When the refiner’s fire is applied to you, your sinful dross which still clings to you, will be purged from the rod. Such purgation will leave behind a pure rod, a rod of pure silver. It is this pure rod which can offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness, pleasant to the Lord.[5]

The faith of the people in Malachi’s day was revealed in their profane sacrifices. The faith of the priests was revealed in their sloth. No one needs to claim that we cannot see their hearts because their faith is revealed in the works of their hands. This has not changed. Your faith is seen in the works of your hands.

Now, do not mistake me. Do not lie awake tonight trembling over your works, “Have I done enough? Have I done the right things? How much more do I need to do?” These questions are useless. God is not concerned with the quantity of your works. Malachi is no where writing about such questions. God is concerned with the orientation of your heart. Do you seek to follow the Word of God? Do you fear the Name of the Lord?

“To you who fear [God’s] name, The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves.”[6] To fear the name of the Lord is akin to loving Him. It means you do not want to disappoint Him. It means you understand that you are undeserving of His love. It means you trust that He has forgiven your sins by His mercy and that even still, you are as an ant to a young boy with a magnifying glass in hand. To fear the Name of the Lord is to desire never to disappoint your Heavenly Father and trust that He will always, always hold you tenderly in His hand.

The rising of the Sun of Righteousness points directly to the Incarnation of our Lord. It speaks of His descending into the flesh of man because in this flesh, He brought healing. The Second Person of the Holy Trinity became man so that He could die. By His death, you are healed. You are purged of the sin and filth of former times. You are made righteous, as in the days of old, as in former years, when Adam and Eve were made stewards over the earth but had not submitted to temptation.

Though your eyes cannot see it and experience tells you otherwise, this healing has already taken place. It occurred when Christ breathed His last on Friday and then breathed again on Easter morning. By this healing, “you shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that” Christ conquered death.[7] Though the world roar and foam; though Satan claw at your soul with his wickedly sharp talons; though your own heart would leap from your chest to obtain the objects of its lust; you shall trample such wickedness because Christ is yours. Because your heart has been turned toward your Father and His heart toward you.

Therefore, “remember the Law of Moses, [God’s] servant.”[8] That is, remember the Law of the Lord. Until Christ returns, it will never seem like you are trampling on the wicked. In fact, it will always appear that the wicked triumph and the Church suffers. In this age, it is necessary to remember the moral law, to recite the Ten Commandments and the Table of Duties, so that you would not grow weary. Do not grow weary of righteousness so that you will not be caught unawares. Do not grow weary of hearing the preaching of Malachi and John so that you too would be called to repentance. Repent for the sake of loving your Heavenly Father.

Repent now, for the reality is that the triumph of the wicked is only an illusion. The wicked are nothing more than a wolf backed into a corner. They lash out fiercely because they know they are soon to die. The war is won. The wicked are defeated. Any last efforts are only the final actions of a dead man, because the Sun of Righteousness has arisen and has brought healing to all who hear the Word of the Lord.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

---

[1] Malachi 3:1.

[2] St. Matthew 11:14.

[3] Malachi 3:2.

[4] Malachi 3:2.

[5] Malachi 3:2-4.

[6] Malachi 4:2.

[7] Malachi 4:3.

[8] Malachi 4:4.

The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Presentation of Jesus

The Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Jesus – February 2, 2025

Psalm 48; Malachi 3:1-4; Hebrews 2:14-18

St. Luke 2:22-32

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Forty days after the birth of our Lord, Mary and Joseph bring Him to the Temple to be redeemed. At the same time, Mary presents a sacrifice for her purification. Both are according to the Laws of the Old Testament wherein the firstborn male of both humans and animals were to be given to the Lord and women who have given birth must be purified from the uncleanness inherent in giving birth.

In the case of some beasts, the firstborn could be redeemed with the sacrifice of a lamb in its place. In the case of the firstborn child, God commanded they always be redeemed. The redemption price of a son or daughter was a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering and either a pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering.^[1] If a lamb was too expensive, two pigeons or two turtledoves would suffice.

To be redeemed means to be substituted. It means giving one thing in place of another so that you might receive back the first possession. Redemption is not quite the same as making a purchase. Giving the checker money in exchange for groceries isn’t the same as redemption because the groceries did not belong to you in the first place. Rather, if you’ve ever been to a wedding reception or banquet with a coat check, you have experienced redemption. You gave the clerk your coat in exchange for a ticket. At the end of the night, you redeemed your coat by giving the clerk your ticket. The coat is your property, and you willfully gave it to the clerk. You then “bought back” your coat at the price of the ticket. This is redemption.

The redemption of the firstborn is connected with the forgiveness of sins. God instituted the redemption of the firstborn in relation to the final plague of Egypt, wherein the firstborn sons of Egypt were killed by the Angel of the Lord but those of Israel were spared by the blood of a lamb placed on the doorposts. The boys of Israel were redeemed from the plague by the blood of a lamb. Their sins were passed over by the Angel, forgiven in the shedding of the blood of a lamb.

The purification of Mary is an acknowledgment of sin. Giving birth is a bloody business and coming into contact with blood makes one unclean in the Levitical law. This is because there is life in blood and if you are in contact with blood, it means that life has been poured out. Life being poured out is a sign of death and death is the wage of sin. Being truly a man, even the birth of our Lord was attended by the usual events of giving birth. Therefore, the Blessed Mother of Christ needed to be purified. She, too, required the forgiveness of sins.

If these rituals pertained to the forgiveness of sins, why did Christ, who is without sin, submit to them? Why did Christ need to be redeemed? There are at least two ways to answer this question. First, it is not Christ’s sins that need to be forgiven but ours. Much like His baptism in the Jordan River, Christ’s redemption at the Temple places Him into our redemption. Rather than forgiving His sins, it is placing our sins on Him. He is being “bought back” by the human race, that His holiness would be given to man and our sins would be given to Him.

Secondly, submitting to this ritual is part of Christ’s active obedience to the Law of God. When the Second Person of the Holy Trinity took on our flesh, He humbled Himself to be like us in every way but without sin. That means that He also humbled Himself to be placed under the same Law of God that had been placed on all mankind. He did not need to be redeemed from His sins, He didn’t have any, but He humbly submitted Himself to the same rigors and rituals that all mankind was expected to observe.

The significant difference is that all mankind fails in some aspect of the Law. St. James tells us that to fail in one tiny aspect of the Law is to fail in the whole Law, “Whoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.”[2] And even this tiniest of stumbles in the Law is worthy of eternal condemnation. And since the Law of God is eternal, it is necessary that the Law be kept perfectly. With man this is impossible. With God, nothing is impossible. Thus the necessity of the Law required that Christ not only submit Himself passively to death on the cross but that He actively keep the Law perfectly His entire life. Submitting to circumcision, the presentation, and the rest of the rituals commanded in the Law is Christ actively keeping the Law of God on our behalf.

When the rituals of the presentation and purification had been completed, an old priest approached the Holy Family and took the Christ child into his arms. Simeon did not need to be told who this child was. Like the magi, he immediately recognized his Lord. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had beheld the Christ, the Savior. Led by the same Spirit, he went up to the Temple and found the Lord’s Christ returning from fulfilling His obligation to the Law. Taking up the child in his arms, Simeon said,

“Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace,
According to Thy word.
For Mine eyes have seen Thy salvation,
Which Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples.
A light to lighten the Gentiles,
And the glory of Thy people Israel.”[3]

Simeon’s prayer is a prayer for death. The Holy Spirit had promised that Simeon would not die until he had seen the Christ. Since he was now holding the Christ in his arms, Simeon told God that he was ready to die. There was nothing left in this world for him to do; nothing to experience, nothing to long for. He had all in all. He had the Lord’s Christ in his arms and there is nothing more needful.

We sing this song of Simeon every Sunday after receiving the Holy Communion and we ought to sing it with the same vigor and intention of Simeon. What you receive in your hand or on your tongue is the same Christ that Simeon held in his hands. It is the same body of Christ, the same God become man who would forgive all your sins. So too, we ought to recognize that having received the very Body and Blood of Christ, we, like Simeon, are prepared for death. We have all in all, the thing most needful, and there is nothing left for us to do, experience, or receive in this world.

That is a radical thought. You might piously share it, realizing that the forgiveness of sins is the most important thing in this life. But at the same time, none of us is longing for death. You want to see your granddaughter’s dance recital and your son’s basketball game. You don’t expect to die on your way home today and I’m sure that you aren’t hoping to die today.

On the one hand, those thoughts are bad or sinful in themselves. You want to make use of the blessings and gifts that God has given you. You ought to enjoy the many gifts God has given you in this world.

On the other hand, you ought to be prepared at all times for death. To live is Christ and to die is gain, St. Paul says to the Philippians.[4] To live in this world is to be the Body of Christ, to enjoy the things of this creation, and to be stewards of God’s good gifts. It is to bear the light of Christ to the nations and His glory to His people.

And yet to die is gain. It is gain because it means freedom from the sin which clings to the flesh and the joy of the nearer presence of Christ. We are sojourners in this world, it is not our home, our final destination. For the Christian, to die is great gain because it is one step closer to the resurrection of all flesh.

Therefore, every time we sing the Nunc Dimittis, you ought to realize that you are prepared to die. At any moment, should the good Lord call you home, you are prepared. Your sins are forgiven, and Christ is prepared to receive you into His open arms. Will your loved ones mourn your death? Absolutely. Death is separation and separation is painful. But when a Christian dies, the Christians who mourn him do not do so without hope. We mourn the pain of separation and the loss of the presence of our loved one, but we also rejoice that they have conquered this world of sin. The victory of Christ on the cross has been made complete for our loved one and we now look forward to the reunion in the resurrection.

The Nunc Dimittis is a hymn of supreme confidence that the Body of Christ is the one thing most needful. It is a hymn of confidence that what Christ says is true and He has said that the death of a Christian is little more than sleep. Sing it boldly and confidently, believing that the words are true.

Should you find yourself doubting, fearing death, then turn toward the promises of Christ. One difference between us and Simeon is that he only had the word of promise from the Holy Spirit that he would see the Christ. You have so much more. You have the Word of God, like Simeon, but you also have Holy Baptism. You have the Holy Communion. You have the Word of Absolution spoken by your pastor with his hands placed on your head. You have God’s Word and His Word tied to physical means that the promises of Christ are true. Make use of these means of grace for the strengthening of your faith and the emboldening of your confidence that you are prepared to die.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Leviticus 12:6-8.

[2] James 2:10.

[3] St. Luke 2:29-32, The Nunc Dimittis.

[4] Philippians 1:21.

The Feast of St. Michael and All Angels

The Feast of St. Michael and All Angels – September 29, 2024

Psalm 103; Daniel 10:10-14; 12:1-3; Revelation 12:7-12

St. Matthew 18:1-18

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Every Sunday, we confess that God created all things visible and invisible. Those things invisible primarily refer to the angels. Angels are a creation of God, distinct from all other creation. Humans do not become angels when they die any more than humans become cats upon death. Angels are spirits, that is, without body.

Sometimes, angels appear to man. They can appear in the form of a human, as fire, wind, or simply a voice. They also take on the visage of terrifying beasts, with multiple heads, hundreds of eyes, wings, and engulfed in flames. They are always referred to with male pronouns in Scripture and are said to neither marry nor procreate.[1] From the beginning to the end of time, there is a fixed number of angels – no more and no less than were created by God.

Individual angels are not omnipresent or present in all places. They are located in a particular space at any given time, but God has not revealed how they are present in space and time. We do not know how big or small they are. They are also spiritual beings. They do not have a physical body that is all their own. They can assume a physical body for a time, like the angels who visit with Abraham or who call Lot and his family out of Sodom.[2] Although this temporary body is physical (in that it can interact with the physical world), these angels are not “incarnate.” They did not take on a body of their own. It is a temporary “man suit.”

Angels are not omnipresent or present in all places, but because they are spiritual, they always see the face of our Father in heaven, even when they are ministering to man on earth.[3] This incomprehensible mystery speaks of their spiritual nature and the fact that God is near to all things, even if we cannot see Him at times.

There is also confusion over the duties of angels. The word “angel” means “messenger.” They are the messengers of God, heralds who bring His Word to man. We see this explicitly in the Angel Gabriel, who speaks to Daniel and then appears to Mary, telling her she will bear the Christ child.[4] However, this use of the term “angel” to mean “messenger” is also applied to human beings. John the Baptist is called an Angel.[5] In the Revelation to St. John, the pastors of the seven churches are called the angels of those churches.[6] All pastors are considered angels as they are the messengers, the ambassadors of Christ, sent to deliver His Word and His gifts to God’s people.[7]

Most importantly, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, is called the Angel of the Lord throughout the Old Testament.[8] This reflects that fact that Jesus Christ is the Word of God, he himself is the message and the messenger, bringing the Word and Will of God to man. When reading Scripture, you can be assured that the angel being discussed is Jesus if the angel accepts and receives the worship of man, beast, or any other created thing.[9]

Angels are the messengers of God and yet they have also been given other duties. The Revelation to St. John records how the prayers of the saints are carried to heaven by an angel. He offers the prayers with incense before the altar of God.[10] The Angels are also said to bear the soul of the beggar Lazarus into the bosom of Abraham.[11] The angels rejoice over one who repents and turns toward God.[12] They are superior to us in their delight in the Word of God and yet they joyfully submit themselves to us in love. They are our big brothers in creation, who guard and protect us from danger while ensuring our safety in the hand of the Father.

St. Paul tells us the Holy Angels are present in the Divine Service.[13] We join in their song, first in the Gloria, singing the words of the Holy Angels present at the birth of Christ.[14] Then, we gloriously join their singing in the heavenly temple during the Sanctus.[15] The Holy Angels are present with us and singing the glorious song of heaven in praise of the Most High God. Our time in the Divine Service is a glorious glimpse into heaven, when the veil between this world and the eternal world is thinnest. Heaven itself, as the dwelling place of Christ, comes down to this altar. The risen Christ, the Angel of the Lord, Messenger of the Father, is present for us in His Holy Body and Precious Blood, together with the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Angels.

According to Psalm 34, they “encamp around them that fear the Lord.” The Holy Angels stand guard over the faithful children of God. Satan walks about as a roaring lion and the Holy Angels keep vigil lest our heels should strike a stone.[16] 

In the broadest sense, there are two kinds of angels. There are the Holy Angels, which attend to the Lord, herald his Word, guard the faithful, and bear our prayers and our departed souls to heaven.

Then there are the evil, fallen angels. Scripture calls these “demons.” They are the angels who fell like lightning from heaven, in service to Satan, the prince of demons. These too are spiritual beings, invisible unless they take on a form to be revealed to man. The pagan gods of old, the spirits contacted by mediums, ghosts, goblins, and all manner of “supernatural creatures” are manifestations of demons. They thirst for you soul, that it would spend eternity in torment and misery, as they themselves have been consigned to eternal hellfire. It is against Satan and his minions that the Holy Angels stand vigil on our behalf.

What then of this war in heaven that St. John saw in his vision? “War broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”^[17]

St. John sees a war in heaven between the holy angels, led by St. Michael, and the demons, led by Satan. The result of the war is that Satan and the demons are cast out of heaven, down to the earth. Just before St. John sees the war, he sees a vision a woman who bears a male Child, who is to rule all nations, and a great red dragon who is prepared to swallow her Son. After her Son is caught up to God and His throne, the woman flees into the wilderness, to a place prepared for her by God.[18]

This is a vision of the Incarnation of our Lord, His death, resurrection, and ascension. The woman is in the first place, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of our Lord, Jesus Christ, but she symbolizes the Church. As such, once the Son of God and Son of Mary has ascended to the right hand of the Father, the Church flees into the wilderness, to a place prepared for her by God. This wilderness is the world in which we live. It is the world that is still affected by sin and ruled by Satan.

This vision of the Incarnation through ascension of our Lord sets the context for the vision of the war in heaven. This war between St. Michael and Satan is the result of the death and resurrection of Jesus. In the Old Testament, it seems that Satan had access to the throne room of God, where he would make accusations against the saints of God.[19] He would actively test God by accusing His saints, as we see in the Book of Job. But after the death and resurrection of Christ, Satan no longer has a place in heaven. He has been cast out of heaven, never again to make accusation against God’s holy ones before Him.

But we also hear of the danger of Satan’s new position. Like a terrified wolf backed into a corner, Satan is now trapped and sees his end drawing nigh. Both the wolf and Satan strike out with renewed ferocity, believing they can at least take some of you with them even if they are doomed to lose the war. The war is won in the death and resurrection of Christ but the battle is still being waged on earth. “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time!”[20]

St. Michael, the archangel, and all the holy angels wage a war invisible to our eyes yet more real than you can comprehend. Satan and the demons continue to lash out, trying to tempt and destroy the beloved of God. The torment of the evil angels is the purpose for God creating Hell. It was never intended for man. Yet Satan will fill it with the souls of man so that his torment is never without company.

Against this assault of the devil, the Holy Angels encamp around the faithful.^[21] They are servants of the Most High who guard and protect man. They fight not for their own salvation, but for the salvation of man. They long for the peace of the resurrection and joyously peer into the mysteries revealed to man in the Incarnation.[22] The Holy Angels delight in man and in the fruits of repentance. They rejoice in the works of God and praise Him both day and night, side by side with man.

The time of the war in heaven is now. It is the time of the Church, that time between the ascension of Christ and his return on the Last Day. There is no seven-year tribulation nor a 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth. Now is the tribulation and now is the reign of Christ. He rules in his Church even as Satan brings tribulation to those saints. Now the war is fought, but it is already won. Your weapons in battle are the Word of God and the Blood of the Lamb.[23] The Word of God upon your lips, in your mind, and stored in your heart is the greatest weapon against the active assaults of Satan. Receiving the Holy Blood of Christ in the Eucharist revivifies your soul, such that you become like a fire-breathing lion against the hordes of hell, terrifying even Satan with your might because Christ dwells within you.

And those who overcome Satan and his temptations are those who do not love their own lives to the death, that is, those who know that man is eternal, that death is not the greatest evil.[24] If death is the greatest evil, then you must do everything imaginable to stay alive. But this is contrary to God’s Word. Death is not the greatest evil. Death is defeated in Christ.

The greatest evil is apostacy, losing faith and blasphemy against God. And the greatest punishment is not death but is eternal death, damnation, eternity in suffering with Satan and his angels. Those who overcome Satan do not love their earthly lives over their eternal lives. They do not love the earthly lives of their loved ones over their loved ones’ eternal lives. Those who overcome Satan are like the Holy Angels, beholding the face of our Father in Heaven at all times, and they do it by means of the Word of God and the Blood of the Lamb.

Come share in the victory meal. Defeat Satan by placing the Word of God on your hearts and minds and receiving the Blood of Christ. Sing with the Holy Angels the victory song of Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. Matthew 22:30.

[2] Genesis 18:1-15; 19:1-11.

[3] St. Matthew 18:10.

[4] Daniel 8:16; 9:21; St. Luke 1:26. See also St. Luke 1:19, St. Gabriel’s appearance to Zacharias.

[5] Malachi 3:1; St. Matthew 11:10; St. Mark 1:2.

[6] Revelation 1-3. See also Isaiah 33:7; Malachi 2:7.

[7] 2 Corinthians 5:20.

[8] For example, see Genesis 16:7; 22:11; 32:24; Hosea 12:3; etc.

[9] Compare Revelation 22:8-9.

[10] Revelation 5:8-12.

[11] St. Luke 16:22.

[12] St. Luke 15:10.

[13] 1 Corinthians 11:10.

[14] St. Luke 2:8-14.

[15] Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8.

[16] 1 Peter 5:8; Psalm 91:11-12.

[17] Revelation 12:7-9.

[18] Revelation 12:1-6.

[19] Job 1:6-12.

[20] Revelation 12:12.

[21] Psalm 34:7.

[22] 1 Peter 1:10-12.

[23] Revelation 12:11.

[24] Revelation 12:11.

The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Presentation of Jesus

 The Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Jesus – February 2, 2023

Psalm 48; Malachi 3:1-4; Hebrews 2:14-18

St. Luke 2:22-32

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

At the culmination of the Plagues in Egypt, God commanded the Israelites to sacrifice a lamb and use its blood to paint the doorposts and lintels as a sign that the Angel of Death should pass them over. This Angel was sent by God to collect the lives of all the firstborn in Egypt—the firstborn of both man and beast. The firstborn of the Sons of Israel were spared this fate. They were spared by the blood of the lamb. However, once God had delivered the Israelites from Egypt and met with Moses on Mount Sinai, He made a new covenant with them. This covenant declared that all the firstborn of the Israelites belonged to the Lord.[1] The firstborn beasts were given to the priests to be sacrificed. The firstborn sons would be given to serve the priests.

In the case of some beasts, the firstborn could be redeemed with the sacrifice of a lamb in its place. In the case of the firstborn child, God commanded they should always be redeemed. The redemption price of a son or daughter was a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering and either a pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering.[2] If a lamb was too expensive, two pigeons or two turtledoves would suffice.

First, what does it mean to be redeemed? It is quite simple. To be redeemed means to be substituted. It means to give one thing in place of another so that you might receive back the first possession. Redemption is not quite the same as making a purchase. Giving the checker money in exchange for groceries isn’t the same as redemption because the groceries did not belong to you in the first place. Rather, if you’ve ever been to a wedding reception or banquet with a coat check, you have experienced redemption. You gave the clerk your coat in exchange for a ticket. At the end of the night, you redeemed your coat by giving the clerk your ticket. The coat is your property, and you willfully gave it to the clerk. You then “bought back” your coat at the price of the ticket. This is redemption.

Second, it is important to note who is commanded by God to perform this redemption for the firstborn child. It is always the mother. The redemption of the child is tied up with the purification of the mother after giving birth. In this, we see the beauty of the office given to women. The curse of pain in childbearing is balanced with the joy of a new life brought into the world.[3] Under the Law of Moses, a woman must then spend 40 days alone if she bore a son. If she bore a daughter, the time was doubled.[4] She must spend this time alone because everything she touches becomes unclean. It is tainted by the uncleanness of her giving birth.

But on the final day of her solitude, the mother brings her firstborn to the temple and make the offering both for her purification and the redemption of her child. Such an arduous task is born by the woman and testifies to her fortitude and willingness to love and protect the child God has given to her.

Returning to the Gospel at hand, we must note that the laws I’ve described in no way apply either to Mary or Jesus. The Holy Spirit spoke clearly through Moses, that purification was required of all who had given birth on account of conception by a man. Mary did not know a man. The child she held so dear was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And, according to the pious opinions of some, was born in such a miraculous way as to spare Mary of the unclean flow of blood.

So too, the redemption of the child was required on behalf of sin, just as the blood of the lamb at the Passover was on account of the sinfulness of man. Certainly, Mary received the inheritance of original sin, but the Christ Child did not. And yet, Mary submitted herself and her child to both tenants of the law. Why?

It is first an act of love. Mary would be free to ignore this Law of Moses but she submits herself to it out of love for her neighbor and to give glory to God alone. The events of the Book of Exodus are initiated when a Pharaoh, who had forgotten Joseph, was afraid of the prosperous Hebrews. The Israelites were great in number and posed a legitimate military threat. With the right leadership and foresight, the Israelites could’ve mounted a coup against the Pharaoh and stolen the land of Egypt.

If they had, it would’ve been to their own glory. The cunning of generals and the might of valiant soldiers would’ve won the day. As history would have it, God acted to deliver the Israelites. They were His people to redeem, and their deliverance brought glory to the name of the Lord.

In the same way, Mary and Jesus submit to the Law of Moses that all glory would be given to God alone, lest anyone think that Mary herself was without sin or without need for purification.

The more difficult question is why did Jesus submit to redemption? He is, after all, the one to redeem all mankind. He is our Redeemer. Why then, does He submit to redemption by two pigeons? In one sense, the redemption of Jesus is like His baptism. Where our Baptism washes our sins away, Jesus’ baptism draws our sins upon Himself. His baptism institutes our own. In like manner, Jesus’ redemption institutes our own. Rather than the pigeons dying for Jesus’ sins, they are a foretaste of His own death.

In another sense, Jesus submits to redemption because He is truly the Firstborn of all creation.[5] Submitting to this law in love and without compulsion is the sign that He is the Firstborn among many brethren. He is indicating that we shall all follow in His likeness, that is, when His blood is shed, we shall be redeemed. We shall be purchased from the mouth of hell and returned to the holy habitation of the house of God.

What then of this idea that it is the mother who redeems the child? Where else do we receive the redemption of the blood of Christ than in Holy Mother Church? The Church is our loving mother, who brings us to the sanctuary—the Temple—to receive the redemption at the cost of the blood of the Lamb.

Which brings us to a final comment on the godly Simeon. When our Lord is presented at the Temple, after the purification and redemption according to the Law of Moses, Simeon takes up the Christ child in his arms and praises the Lord for fulfilling His word. Tonight’s feast is sometimes called “Candlemas,” a reference to the historic practice of blessing the candles for use in the Church and the distribution of candles to the congregation for use at two important parts of the service. Such candles would be lit during the reading of the Holy Gospel and during the consecration. They signify the “Light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.”[6]

This Light, the Light of Christ, comes to you in the proclamation of God’s Word and in the Holy Eucharist. As Simeon reached out his arms to behold his Lord, so too you will come forward to hold the Lord. Just as God’s word was fulfilled for Simeon, so too God’s word is fulfilled for you this evening. Tonight is the culmination of everything that has happened since Christmas Eve: the Incarnation of our Lord, the Adoration of the Magi on the Epiphany, the miracles of Jesus, His glorious Transfiguration, and finally the entering of Christ into the Temple. Tonight, He is entering the sanctuary of this Church precisely so that you might take and eat; take and drink. With this Body and Blood, your redemption price was paid and your glory awaits.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Exodus 34:19ff.

[2] Leviticus 12:6-8.

[3] St. John 16:21.

[4] “If a woman has conceived, and borne a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of her customary impurity she shall be unclean. ³ And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. ⁴ She shall then continue in the blood of her purification thirty-three days. She shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled. ⁵ ‘But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her customary impurity, and she shall continue in the blood of her purification sixty-six days.” Leviticus 12:2-5

 [5] Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15, 18; Hebrews 1:6; Revelation 1:5.

[6] St. Luke 2:32.