The Presentation in the Temple (the fourth joyful mystery) is one of the most quietly beautiful stories in the gospels and, like many others, is only found in the great gospel according to Luke (although all the gospel accounts are great in their own wonderful ways). The Presentation, along with Luke's finding in the temple, are the only things we know of Jesus' very early life other than his birth. We have Luke alone to thank for that.
The Presentation must be approached from a purely spiritual perspective. It is tempting to look at it as some kind of historical fact. And it might very well be that indeed it happened exactly as described here by Luke. But Luke's purpose in telling this story is not historical but rather it is meant to reveal to us the singularly unique event of the Messiah, now understood as the Word Made Flesh, appearing for the very first time in that Temple that lay at the very heart of all Judaism, that literally embodied it. The utterly extraordinary nature of this event cannot be overstated. Into the Temple, the great spiritual locus of ancient Israel and the exalted sight of all worship and praise, comes the unrecognized Messiah and savior longed for by Israel for ages, the one in whose very nature and person all that was promised to Abraham and the patriarchs is to be fulfilled. But it is hidden in plain sight.
Only a privileged few would be aware of it at all. To everyone else it would remain hidden until the resurrection and Pentecost revealed it to those of faith. The first witness would be Simeon, the righteous and devout man who Luke says was filled with the Holy Spirit (one of the reasons Luke’s gospel, along with his Acts of the Apostles, is called the gospel of the Holy Spirit). It was that same Holy Spirit that had revealed to Simeon that he would see the Messiah before he died and now filled with that Spirit, he was led by it to Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus as they came into the Temple that great day. As Jesus would later say, “The flesh is useless; the Spirit alone gives life!”
Simeon’s testimony would be for Mary and Joseph alone. Pronouncing the final Lukan canticle, the Nunc Dimittis (now let me depart), as he holds the infant Jesus in his arms, he rejoices in this great gift he has been given. Then, turning his attention fully to Mary, he pronounces his great prophecy concerning both Jesus and his mother as well. It is not an easy prophecy. Luke tells us that Mary and Joseph marveled at what was said by Simeon (although we might be excused for wondering why they were so amazed given all that went before- the Annunciation, the virgin birth, the events surrounding the birth of John the Baptist, the shepherds and the angels, the Magi, the flight to Egypt and the Visitation!). Finally, the old prophetess Anna also comes upon them, she who was always fasting and praying for many years and who never left the temple. She too sings the child’s praises.
It is all a very intimate and quiet revelation from these two humble servants of the Lord. It is Luke’s way of telling us that there were those in ancient Israel who recognized him from the very beginning (unlike the Pharisees and so many others who completely missed the Word made flesh standing right before them). We think of Matt 13:16-17where Jesus said, “But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
The Holy Spirit continues to draw us ever deeper into the great mystery of God’s love for us fully realized in and through Christ Jesus. We must continue to pray that like Simeon and Anna we will recognize God’s presence when it opens before us. We must seek and expect it. It can come in any way, any time, in seemingly ordinary circumstances among seemingly ordinary people. Only the Holy Spirit can give us the eyes to see and the ears to hear that transforms the ordinary into the most profoundly penetrating spiritual experience of salvation that the loving, triune God has been continuously working for us since the beginning of the world.