Humble Yourself (v21)

Jesus was born into a family with a long history of messed up people. His genealogy includes Tamar who tricked her father-in-law Judah to sleep with her (Genesis 38), Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute (Joshua 2), and Solomon, whose mother Bathseba committed adultery with David (2 Samuel 11). 

What an example of humility, to choose an ancestry of moral outsiders. Indeed, God is able to bring something extraordinary even from society’s outcasts. Today, God is still in the business of transforming lives.  No matter how dysfunctional your family is, you can choose to humble yourself and come to God.  He can break the chain of hopelessness and change the course of your family’s destiny. 

Join the Community (vv 22-35)

God’s plan of salvation includes being part of a community.  

Joseph and Mary were both Jewish, faithfully observing the laws of Moses that set Israel apart from its neighbors.  Despite their poverty, they adhered to the expectations of their community. They presented Jesus in the temple with the offering of two doves or two young pigeons because they could not afford a lamb (vv 22-23). 

 Simeon was another member of the Jewish community. From his example, we learn to put our hope in Jesus. Israel endured many years of persecution, but Simeon did not lose hope. When he saw the Child Jesus at temple, he declared that he has seen God’s salvation (vv 25-32), the promised Comforter (Isaiah 40:1-2).  

The comfort that we long for is not an emotional problem. It is a sin problem that Jesus solved with His painful death on the cross. Just as a surgeon cuts up the body to take out a tumor, Jesus was broken and pierced to take away our sin. Every day, we must confront our sin and allow the Savior to reveal the hidden thoughts of our hearts and pierce our souls (vv 33-35).

As Christians, we are called to “not be conformed to this world” (Romans 12:1-2). We can do this only in community with other believers, where we can hold each other accountable in our walk with the Lord. We should be part of a small discipleship group, where we can study God’s word, share our lives, and encourage one another. 

C.S. Lewis said it beautifully – you cannot believe alone.  We go to heaven in groups. 

Serve the Community (vv 36-40)

The prophet Anna spoke about the Child to those who were looking for him (vv 36-38). At the heart of belonging to a community is service, and at the core of service is a desire to point others to Jesus. 

In practical terms, this could mean simply listening to someone going through a rough patch, or starting your own discipleship group, or serving in the different ministries in church. 

Will you humble yourself, join the community, and serve?