Simeon and Anna 12/28/08

Sermon: “Simeon and Anna”
Luke 2:22-40
December 28, 2008 Dr. Dennis Ginoza

Confucius says:
To put the world right in order,
We must first put the nation in order;
To put the nation in order,
We must first put the family in order,
To put the family in order,
We must first cultivate our personal life;
We must first set our hearts straight.

This is true isn’t it? If you put your heart in the
right place, everything will fall into place.
Often we say, “At least she had her heart in
the right place.” We also say, “He had a heart for it.”

In Jerusalem there was man named Simeon who spent
time at the temple. He was a pious man. He
was in his later days and the Holy Spirit told him
that he would not die until he set his eyes on the
anointed of God. He was waiting for the messiah
to bring hope to the world. When Simeon
saw Jesus with Mary and Joseph, he went up to them
and held Jesus in his arms. He said, “Now O Lord,
…my eyes have seen the instrument of your salvation.”

Simeon also prophesied that with this child, many will fall
and many will rise. Many will believe, but many will
not. Simeon also said, “A sword will pierce your soul.”
This child will help us all to see the heart.

At the temple there a prophetess whose name was Anna.
She was a widow, 84 years of age, and she spent all
her time worshipping God. She never left the temple.
Anna, like Simeon, was waiting for the deliverance
of Israel. Luke says, it was then that Mary and Joseph
brought Jesus to the temple to be dedicated. And Jesus
went home to Nazareth and there he grew in wisdom
and the grace of God.

Everyone of us, when we are born, have a capacity for good and
for evil. In America we say, you can be whatever you set
your mind to be. Henry Ford said, “If you think you can,
you can. If you think you can’t, you’re right.”

Jesus came into this world to set our hearts straight. John
Rosemond, a reporter for the North Country Times
tells about a family in Scott’s Bluff, Nebraska. This
family had two boys who were caught shop lifting.
The two brothers, ages 12 and 15 were standing outside
a store in Gering and they were wearing a
loud orange sign that said, “My name is (not mentioned
in the artcle to protect their identity). I was caught shoplifting
at Dollar General. I will never shoplift again. Stealing and
lying is WRONG.” Those boys were not happy campers.

Their punishment was not handed out by a judge. It was by their parents.
The older boy had yet to appear before a judge in court. They
Both wrote a letter of apology to the store. For a whole month
they were not allowed to play their electronic games. The
father is in the refrigerator business and happens to do business
with the Dollar General. The father said, “I won’t tolerate a
thief. …When you steal, you take money from every body.”
I say: good for the boys! Good for the parents!

Alan Loy McGinnis wrote a book which I love to turn to for insight
because it is entitled, “Bringing Out the Best in People.” All of
us have flaws, all of us do stupid things once in a while,
all of us have lost our keys once or twice in our life, all of
us have gotten our fingers caught in the door, most all of us got
a speeding ticket, most all of us have let a bit of anger get the
best of us, all of us have fallen from grace, and all of us have
had a fear of failing, and most of us have had doubts about God.

Jesus taught us to use our talents, because if we bury our talent, it
will be taken away. McGinnis says all of us develop our
talents in different ways. Albert Einstein was four years
old before he could speak and seven before he could read.
Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because he
was told he had “no good ideas.” Werner Van Braun the
German scientist flunked his ninth grade algebra. Leo
Tolstoy flunked out of college. Haydn gave up on making
Beethoven a musician because he seemed slow with no
apparent talent.
To all of you – thank you for using your talents.

Jesus came to set our hearts straight. He came to help us get
connected with one another and with God. There is only
one way this is possible, it is through love. Love is the ultimate
principle of grace, the uniting force of every element that
exists in this universe.. Love pulls us to a center that is
life giving and while it pulls us to the center, at the same
time, it pushes out. It’s like a seed that is planted. A seed
first consumes water and nutrients and sunlight. Then that
seed pushes out with roots, a stem or a trunk, then it pushes further
with branches and leaves and it pushes out with fruits. Jesus
teaches us, you will know them by their fruits.

To all of you, thank you for pushing out with love.

Some of you are 14 years old or older, some of you are 30 and older,
some of you are 40 and over, some of you are 50 and older,
some 60 and older, and some of you are 80 and older.. I hope,
I hope, you are a better person today than you were yesterday.
Amen? Amen!

Let me close with the words of Paul. In Romans chapter 12, beginning
With verse 9, Paul writes about the Marks of the True Christian.

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;
love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another
showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the
Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate
with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay
anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight
of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably
with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the
wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay
says the Lord.” No, ”if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they
are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will
heap burning coals on their heads.” Do not be overcome by evil,
Overcome evil with good.

And now, go out and do the right thing;
…in the name of the Lord.