Ninth Day of Christmas Reflection January 2

In good Jewish fashion, Luke 2:21 reports that the child Jesus was named and circumcised when he was eight days old. Presuming a December 25 birthday, the western liturgical calendar celebrates this on January 1. Luke 2:22-40 goes on to describe how Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the Jerusalem Temple at 40 days old. Again, based on a December 25 birthday, this is observed as Candlemas on February 2 which marks the end of the Epiphany season. That, of course, is beyond the Twelve Days of Christmas, but I am including it in these reflections so we take some time with Luke’s entire account of the birth of Jesus. I hope you will read all of the Luke and Matthew accounts today, but focus on Luke.

If you go back in Mosaic Law, forty days after giving birth to a first born son, a woman was to be brought to the Temple for a purification ceremony. In our time we may quibble over why women needed to be purified after giving birth, but after that marital intimacy could resume, which is not too different than the six-week recommendation that is common in our time. Luke does say that Mary and Joseph did everything the Law required (verse 39), but puts the emphasis on Anna and Simeon’s responses to seeing the infant Jesus and their prophetic words to Mary and Joseph.

While we know the story, it is not as familiar as what comes ahead of it. So I suggest that you read Luke 2:1-40 at a sitting, paying special attention to verses 21-40. Without getting into historic, cultural, ceremonial dimensions of the story, pay attention to what each one says and Luke’s report of Mary and Joseph’s reactions. How does your response enrich your experience of celebrating the birth of Jesus?

The next two days will focus on what Matthew reports happened after Jesus was born. I encourage you to read it today and begin thinking about the different ways Matthew and Luke report what came next after the birth of Jesus.