LUKE couldn’t have known what we’d do together with his story. Neither the glitzy gewgaws of Christmas nor the Lord’s rigorously timed nativity feast were a part of his excellent news back in the primary century AD. Yet it’s Luke who links up the 2 ends of Christmas, turning the Lord’s nativity right into a season slightly than a moment.
The first mention of Jesus as Messiah, Christos, comes when angels announce good tidings of great joy for all people to some shepherds (2.11). The next mention of that title is available in this Gospel, at verse 26, where we learn of the Holy Spirit’s message to Simeon: that, before he died, he would see the Christ.
Although greater than a month separates these two Gospels within the Church’s liturgy, a mere 15 verses separate them inside Luke’s Gospel. There, proof follows promise with remarkable rapidity. What is more, the causative factor at work in apparently humble human affairs — the Holy Spirit — is woven through each. We can trace the motion of the Holy Spirit right from the incarnation (1.35), and we learn that, even from Mary’s womb, the Christ-child has an effect on individuals through the Holy Spirit (1.41).
Now, on 2 February, comes Candlemas. It can be often called the Presentation of Christ within the Temple, and the Purification of St Mary the Virgin. That range of titles offers plenty of potential themes for a commentator: blessing (of candles for the 12 months); a Temple epiphany; and — more sensitive due to the implication of “uncleanness” — purification.
Rather than explain how this layering of remembrances arose, or attempt to cover an excessive amount of (“like butter scraped over an excessive amount of bread”, in Tolkein’s memorable expression), I’m highlighting two pieces of the entire which, as I used to be reading, jumped out at me and demanded to be investigated. That verb “investigate” is a favorite of mine. It sticks in my memory as a lightbulb moment once I first learned Latin; for vestigium means “footstep”, so “investigate” means tracking something or someone’s footsteps. Equally, I benefit from the enlightening of English conferred by knowing that supercilium is the Latin word for “eyebrow”).
My two highlights feature in verses 25 and 38. The first is “the consolation of Israel”. The second is “the redemption of Jerusalem”. Reading each phrases, we may not think twice concerning the linguistic shorthand that enables us to say that a nation might be consoled, or a city redeemed. Such wording need be not more than a convenient way of referring to a complete people (Israel), or a complete population (Jerusalem). It goes without saying that not each certainly one of the youngsters of Israel have to be consoled, any greater than every inhabitant of a city have to be redeemed. That fact of group versus individual identity was way back shown up by Abraham (Genesis 18.23-33).
Can I pull an etymological rabbit out of a metaphorical hat to forged light on the meanings of “consolation” and “redemption”? Perhaps. I actually have referred before to the word “redemption” as meaning “buying back”. It can mean a price paid for the return of hostages, which is topical as I write — though, please God, events could have moved on by the point you might be reading — or the discharge of a debtor after payment of a penalty.
We trust in Anna’s prophecy that this baby will “ransom” or “redeem” his people, since it is a corroboration, from a totally different source, of what the Song of Zechariah proclaimed within the previous chapter (1.68). Ransom and redemption are financial transactions; so the language helps to indicate a concrete judgement being made slightly than a vague tone set, as one thing of value is exchanged with one other.
What about “consolation”? In Greek, it’s paraclesis; however the term will not be alien, despite its ancient origin; for a lot of Christians are accustomed to it. This becomes clear the moment we realise that somebody who effects paraclesis is named a “paraclete”. Versions of John 14.16 from the Roman tradition (Vulgate, Douai-Rheims, New Jerusalem Bible) retain this Greek word, “Paraclete”, for the Holy Spirit. Reformed translations are likely to vary between two words to encapsulate its meaning: either “Comforter” or “Advocate”.
Thus, the “consolation of Israel” embraces powerful blessings, namely, comfort and defence; and a 3rd shade of meaning ought to be factored in: encouragement. Simeon’s song says that encompassing all three will enlighten Jew and Gentile alike.
