The Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple
Written by Suzanne Choi
The Presentation in the Temple - Artist Unknown
The Presentation at the Temple - Artist unknown
Celebrant I will make you as a light to the nations,
People That my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. (Isaiah 49:6)
Have you ever noticed how often, in artistic representations of Jesus, He is pictured as glowing? Whether in ancient paintings of Christ or more modern ones -- whether He is presented as an infant or an adult -- at any and every stage of His life, down through the ages, He has almost always been depicted as emanating a golden light.
I admit that, in art, this can be a winsome way of envisioning him. One of my and my husband Jai’s favorite paintings is “The Flight into Egypt,” rendered in 1864 by Jean François Millet, in which Jesus is an infant, riding with Mary on the back of a donkey through a dark night. His facial features and body are barely visible; they are only hinted at, in fact. But His presence is still clearly seen there in Mary’s arms, as simply a swaddled ball of light, illuminating His mother’s face as she stares adoringly down at Him. Millet’s radiant babe, or the one in the second frame pictured above, however, are just relatively modern examples of the ubiquitous halo/sun rays/circles enveloping Christ’s head over the last 20 centuries of religious-themed artwork. Jesus is just almost always physically shining in pieces of art.
But the thing is, art is not reality. Jesus didn’t actually glow. There is only one time in His earthly life when He gleamed in an unearthly way, and that was during the Transfiguration in Matthew 17 – for part of one very special day in His life. Surely, life would have been a lot easier for Jesus if He had walked around illuminated during His time on earth. Then people would have likely listened to Him a lot more. Peter, James, and John sure seemed to be shocked and awed, and very ready to obey His transfigured self. And everyone had paid close attention to Moses when his face shone after receiving the Law on Mt. Sinai. Yet luminosity just was not Jesus’ default state.
That said, it is indisputable that He did still unmistakably shine, in non-corporeal ways. The minor feast day of The Presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple celebrates this fact, among others. The feast always falls on February 2, 40 days after Christmas, and it is part of the liturgical season of Epiphany. (Some would even say that this feast effectively marks the conclusion of the season.)
Luke 2 describes the honored scene from Jesus’ life: Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the Temple at Jerusalem, 40 days after His birth. They come with two purposes -- to receive ritual cleansing for Mary after childbirth and to consecrate Jesus, as their firstborn son, to the Lord. While there, almost as if Baby Jesus was glowing (which he wasn’t), some people (namely, a man named Simeon and a woman named Anna) recognize him as the long-awaited Messiah! Since Epiphany celebrates the manifestation of Christ as a savior for not only Israel, but also for the entire world, this particular feast day commemoration matches up perfectly with that theme: Simeon, upon seeing Jesus, joyfully declared Him to be “[God’s] salvation that [He] has prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2: 30-32)
This feast day has historically been known as Candlemas (or Candle Mass) and celebrated with processions of candles, both through churches and through city streets, since the 4th century. It gained more prominence in 541AD when, during a plague in Constantinople which had killed thousands, the emperor, Justinian I, called on all his people to fast, pray, and march through the towns and villages in solemn reverence for Candlemas. It is said that people poured into the streets, and the plague then ceased. All this to say, this feast is an ancient Christian holiday (holy day).
But how did Simeon and Anna see Jesus’ glow that long-ago day at the Temple? His uniqueness, even as an infant, was seemingly obvious to them. I think they recognized and received the infant Jesus as a blessing because they intuited that there was something crazy-special about Him, but also because there was something very special about the two of them. Luke describes them as righteous people, full of the Holy Spirit, waiting for God’s help, expectant in hope, consistently worshipping, fasting, praying, giving thanks (Luke 2:25, 37-38). They had lived their lives and spent their days in a way that had set them up to see Him when He came.
Although he did not literally radiate, Jesus shone in other ways, perhaps less immediately obvious, throughout His lifetime on earth. His ministry to “the least,” His acts of mercy and healing, His rebukes to the self-righteous and proud, His teaching on the kingdom of God and its value system, His radical lifestyle, His effectual death, His unprecedented resurrection – they all shine forth, even today, but while they are clearly evident to some, they are seemingly invisible to others. Would we notice Jesus if he were walking around physically in our midst today? Would He seem “lit up” to us? Would His way of being and doing stand out to us at all, and if so, would we bask and glory in its radiance or quickly turn away from the glare?
At the end of Simeon’s prophecy, he declared that Jesus was appointed to the end that “thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” That reminds me of the Collect for Purity we pray at the beginning of each Sunday service, “Almighty God, to You all hearts are open, all desires are known, and from you no secrets are hid.” With that spirit, let us also pray the collect below.
A Collect I wrote for The Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple:
God, we pray that Jesus’ example may light our life paths and our daily decision-making; that You may shine His gospel message of light and hope into the darkest corners of the Earth; that You may cast His searchlight, through Your Spirit, on the motivations and attitudes of our hearts. May we be drawn to the Light. May it enlighten our minds. May we work to see its brilliance manifest, as an epiphany, to all our neighbors of the world. Amen.
Reflection
Would those who know you consider your life to more closely reflect:
the light of Jesus or
the light of your cell phone/computer?
What kind of light do your social media and news feeds cast? In what ways is that light in conflict with Jesus’ values and teachings? Does this discrepancy bother you?
When you read the gospels, is the Jesus you see there one you would recognize if He physically showed up in our world today? How would you know Him? Would His light attract you like a moth or make you scatter like a cockroach?
What in your heart has Jesus been shining His light on recently? In what ways do you need to confess or repent? Are you facing heartbreak or hopelessness? Who else can you talk to about these issues? Take 5-10 minutes right now to talk to God about them in prayer.
How are you seeking to be a part of Jesus’ mission on earth to shed His light abroad to all people? Are you involved in spreading His light to those near and/or those far away who dwell in darkness, in need of spiritual epiphanies?
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