Sermon for the March for Life + January 29, 2021 (Transferred)

The Purification of Mary and the Presentation of our Lord
Luke 2:22-40

+++Note, this sermon was preached for the Divine Service prior to the 2021 March for Life. Due to restrictions, participants of this Divine Service were not able to march in Washington, DC.+++

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

What was Simeon waiting for? He was waiting for the consolation of Israel; the comfort and peace that was promised to come not only to the prophets of old, but to all of Israel. 

However, waiting for peace to arrive today is often more a discipline of patience seen as a futile exercise of the mind and the heart. We want peace in our world, yet, we are divided by political parties and opposing ideologies. We want peace within our communities, yet, streets have been overtaken by mobs who wish to strong arm their will by force. We want peace among our families, yet, we argue among one another - displaying little empathy. We want peace in the womb, yet 62 million lives have been extinguished in our nation since 1973. We want peace in our own lives, yet, we all struggle with hearts that rebel against the will of our Father in heaven. 

There’s no peace in this world, is there? 

Which brings us to today - a day so often set apart for us to join our voices and our presence in the streets of Washington, DC - for what? Ultimately, for peace when hell itself assails us. 

But, in reality, it should not be our practice of marching to the temples of man to demand change, rather, it should always be our practice to make the courts of the Lord our dwelling place and from there - depart into our daily lives as bearers of His name and messengers of the Gospel that brings comfort and transforms the harden hearts of man.

As we gather today to pray for the end of taking unborn life, we do so for a world that is consistently embracing death at all stations of life. While we pray for our leaders to act with godly wisdom, we ultimately need to pray for our hearts to be guarded from the evils of this world and for the hearts of those in great tribulation and turmoil to be transformed by Word of Christ (to be turned toward Christ).

Yet, this transformation of the heart and the periods of tribulation that assault the hearts of men do not simply occur in an instant with the strike of a presidential pen or a Supreme Court ruling, rather, they often require patient waiting and meditation upon God’s Word. 

Simeon is seen today as waiting for the consolation and comfort of Israel. He has been waiting for the redemption promised of old and now that the Christ child has come into the temple, into Simeon’s arms, he is able to respond by saying, “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace.” Although, it may be better to rend Simeon’s words this way - “Now, You are setting free your servant - according to your Word in peace.”

How will Simeon be set free, through this wonderful babe, born of Mary.  

The arrival of Jesus into the temple begins to unravel the bondage of sin creation fell into by your first parents. This is the Child that will muzzle the lies of the great serpent and crush his head so that you and all the baptized may rest secure even when the nights of terror and darkness overcome your world and your hearts.  

The words of Simeon today begin to point you forward to the cross where the only Son of the Father takes upon Himself the sins of this world, makes your sin His own, and then through the shedding of His blood in His death and resurrection He releases mankind - He sets you free from the bondage sin causes - He grants you forgiveness and like Simeon, you receive His comfort and His peace.

This however, is a stumbling block. And Simeon alludes to this reality as he says to Mary, “Behold, this Child (your child) is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel.”

The prophet Isaiah wrote regarding the coming of Christ, “He will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel.” (Isaiah 8:14) Christ became a stumbling block to those who would not accept Him in the House of Israel, but to those who believed, He became their sanctuary - a place of safety and protection throughout this life. 

Christ remains a stumbling block today for those who reject Him, for those who believe concord and unity will only come through the likes of man. 

How often do you put your faith in electing the right president to fix things with a stroke of a pen? How often do you believe the right mayor, the right military, the right law enforcement will calm the streets? Who do you look to when your community and family are troubled? Where do you turn when your mind recalls the darkest secrets of your heart, you know the ones, the secrets you promised your younger self you’d never speak of again, the sins only known to God? What do you do with the storms that threaten your faith?

No leader, no manmade institution will grant your troubled heart the calmness it is so desperately in need of. 

The peace that surpasses all understanding stands in opposition to the world and it entered this world as a baby boy! 

To the world this sounds like foolishness. 

The apostle Paul knew this and wrote, “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, ‘“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.’” (1 Corinthians 1:18-19)

The Word of the cross, the ways of God will always be in opposition to the ways of this world and as God’s redeemed child, the cross reveals your hope and comfort as you journey through the perils of this life. 

You know, Luther makes an interesting observation regarding the temple crowd in our Gospel today, he says, “note that there were five persons there: the child Christ; His mother, Mary; Joseph; Simeon; and Anna. Yet this small number of people represent every station of life; husband and wife, young and old, virgin and widow, married and unmarried. So early [on] Christ begins to gather around Him people of every honorable estate and cannot be alone. Whoever, then, is not found in one of these estates is not in the state of salvation.” (AE 75, p. 428)

I love Luther’s observation… Because, just as these estates and vocations are revealed in the Gospel, you are given a reminder today to rejoice in the stations you have been placed. They are not always easy, but they are where God has placed you. Whether you are a father or a mother, sons or daughters, single or widowed, young or old - you are called to enter the courts of your Lord and pray for one another, because you are God’s child and you are His Church on earth.

And so today, as we pray for our leaders as it is right to do, we also pray for all people according to their needs;

For the young person staring in disbelief at a positive pregnancy test.

For the adult who feels isolated and alone as they battle the demons of this life. 

For the elderly parent who buys the devil’s lie that they are a burden - we pray!

We’d all rather be marching today for a culture of life, singing our hymns, and reminding the world, we as Lutherans stand for life, we are people of life, and our Savior is the Lord of Life. 

Instead, as mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, single and widowed, young and old - you are here in courts of the Lord, following the pattern of the prophetess Anna. You are here in the courts of the Lord, where you receive the Word of God into your ears, praying for one another and for those is distress, you are where Christ is taken up into your hands and mouth in the Holy Supper, and you - along with all the saints receive true forgiveness and “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding and guards your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:7)

This is your comfort as you await the final coming of your Lord, Jesus Christ. In who’s name we pray, come quickly. Amen. +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Associate Pastor, Immanuel Evangelical-Lutheran Church

Alexandria, VA