36There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[e] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
The last sentence, "to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem" is one of the things that has been on my mind. Actually this started with thinking about the wise men, what faith it took for them to go on that journey. And Simeon, who sat at the temple because he had been promised he wouldn't die until he saw the Christ. And Anna....
So what kind of faith does it take to see a star and change your life for a couple of years...... what kind of faith does it take to see a baby and know that this is the one? I can't imagine. What kind of faith do I have? I couldn't sustain my faith a few years ago after seeing man at his worst. Now I realize that I had actually placed more of my faith in man that God, now I get to repeat part of that test and I'm hoping that my source is totally God and not man. But I know that my heart is "looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem."
Hopefully this Christmas is more than just the presents and the retelling of the story, but that the many meanings of the story will come to us. Shalom
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