Rhythm of Life

Luke 2: 21-40     Rhythm of life

Life is full of ups and downs.  Like the rise and fall of ocean waves, life never seems to stand still.  As I read this passage I got that feeling for each of the people participating in this part of the story of the early days of Jesus’ life. 

Jesus was born under the least ideal conditions.  Joseph and the pregnant Mary had traveled 80 miles, from Nazareth to Bethlehem and the only place to rest and deliver the baby was among the foul smelling residents of the barn.  They must have felt really horrible in these immediate moments after his birth.  What kind of life can I offer this child if I can’t even manage to find a suitable place for him to be born?  

Their minds are full of the questions and insecurities many parents consider as they bring children into the world.  They won’t even be able to afford the traditional sacrifice of a Lamb at his dedication to God at the Temple.  They will only be able to offer the cheaper alternative of doves or pigeons.  What kind of life will we have?  This may have been an emotional low for them as they ponder a future as a family.

Then the shepherds came and reminded them of just how special this child is.  They may not have material blessings but they have been blessed beyond measure with a child that is special and destined for greatness.

Jesus is now 8 days old.  He is proving to be strong and healthy.   Mary has recovered well from the delivery and they are able to travel the 6 miles from Bethlehem to Jerusalem for his dedication and Mary’s ritual cleansing. 

The words of the shepherds have reminded them of the message of the angel they saw 9 months earlier; that this child is God’s and name him according to the angel’s instruction.   Things are beginning to look up.

Then in walks Simeon.  He isn’t a priest.  He is just an ordinary man who is faithful to God.  He has watched as the Roman government has occupied his homeland and hijacked his faith. 

He sits near the temple observing how it seems people are becoming less and less committed to their faith and to God.  People aren’t coming to worship like they used to.  People aren’t performing the religious rituals anymore.  His world seems to be falling apart around him.  He struggles to find hope in his circumstances. 

Then the Holy Spirit rests on him and tells him he has not lived his life in vein.  He will be rewarded for his dedication to his faith and to God.  The Holy Spirit tells him that he can have hope because the messiah has come.  Even though he is getting old, he will not die without hope. 

So, he too joins the rising of joy in the life of Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus.  But in the midst of his exuberant prophecy about the greatness of Jesus we again sense the rise and fall of the rhythm of life.  

Jesus will be a savior to many but will also be opposed by many.  He will bring light to the darkness but there will be those who don’t want light to shine on the darkness of their hearts.  Jesus is destined for greatness but also for pain and heartache.  And despite the joy of the moment he reminds Mary that there will come a time when her heart will break too. 

We see this same pattern in Anna’s life too.  At one point in her life, all seemed to be going as planned.  She had married as a young woman, just as she should.  But life quickly fell apart.  She was not only unable to conceive a child but she became a widow only 7 years after her marriage.  With no son and no husband, her future became bleak.  Her only real option then was to work for the temple. 

She cooked and cleaned, hosted and welcomed people to the temple, helped care for the worshipers and offered hospitality to all who came.  She dedicated her life to God fasting and praying night and day, reliant on the generosity of the worshipers and dependent on their tithes and sacrifices for her support. 

It wasn’t an easy life for Anna.  But she is rewarded for her dedication.  After probably 60 years of dedication and service her prayers for a messiah have been answered.  She sees for herself the face of her Lord.  She is so overjoyed with this revelation from God that she can’t contain her excitement.  She tells everyone she sees about the redemption of Jerusalem. 

Christmas season always reminds me of this rhythm of life too.  The joy of decorating comes to an end and the tree and all the lights need to come down.  We spend so much time, energy and money on shopping for just the right gift and wrapping it perfectly with no torn edges and perfect bows only to have them ripped open in seconds and put aside in moments as people eagerly await their next gift or place their gifts on a shelf. 

There is joy in spending time with family and friends; the laughter of children, reminiscing, sharing meals and old stories, catching up and getting updates about the lives of those whom we care so deeply.  

It is a special part of the holiday season.  But then, the dinner is over, wrapping paper to be recycled, dishes to wash and the house now sits empty and quiet all over again. 

The memories flood in of Christmases past, old traditions no longer celebrated, loved ones who are unable to be there this year; those who have died or distanced themselves from the family.  The worries of paying the credit card bills begin again and all the concerns that had been buried under the noise of the holiday find their way back to the surface.

It is the up and down, rise and fall of the rhythm of life.  We know that there will be joy and there will be sorrow, it is all a part of life.  It is what gives us hope when times are difficult and causes us to live cautiously when times are good. 

But our scripture today and the life of Jesus reminds us that we actually have it backwards.  Our scripture states that the rhythm we experience is not the rise and fall but is instead the fall and rise.  We have it backwards.

 Mary and Joseph may have had their low moments but this moment ends with Joy.  Simeon may have felt despair as he saw the world has he knew it crumble around him but he exclaims that because of Jesus, he can die in peace.  Anna may have been depressed because her life didn’t turn out the way she had envisioned as a youth but because of Jesus, she has found joy in her old age. 

Even Jesus himself will face the waves of life the lows and highs but we know that not even the low of the cross, the excruciating death he will face will be the end of his story or ours. 

Through Jesus, Simeon, Anna, and all the saints that go before us, we know that even in the darkest moments, there is light.  Even the loneliest nights will be followed by day.  Even when we fall we believe in a God who will raise us up.  When we hit rock bottom we know of the grace, mercy and forgiveness of Christ.  Even in death we find life. 

The rhythm of life is not the rise and fall but the fall and rise.  The lows will always be followed by the highs.  Life is not ruled by Newton’s law of gravity, and the idea that what goes up must come down.  But instead is ruled by the law of the Lord and the forces of love, peace, compassion, and Jesus Christ who risked participating in our ebb and flow to prove God’s love for us so that we might find hope and joy in spite of the challenges we face.  Jesus is not just an example of a life for us to imitate.  He is life and through him we can see the hope and promise of a future better than we can ever imagine and this allows us to experience joy in the face of all life’s circumstances.

For this we give thanks at Christmas and always:  Christ was born, Christ died, but Christ rose again so that we may have life and a hope that this is not the end of our story.