Luke 2:21-52; Isaiah 42-52, Hebrews 5.
Some time ago, I remember reading the popular novel The Shack (more recently made very popular by the film). Though I found its representation of human suffering and growth sensitive and compelling, I was appalled by its presentation of the Trinity, in which the Father is not pictured as the divine source, and in which the entire Godhead is not understood as sovereign over humanity. In trying to explain this radical divine egalitarianism, the figure who represents the Son says this to the grieving hero of the book: “That’s the beauty you see in my relationship with Abba [the Father] and Sarayu [the Holy Spirit]. We are indeed submitted to one another and have always been so and always will be. Papa is as much submitted to me as I to him, or Sarayu to me, or Papa to her. Submission is not about authority and it is not obedience; it is all about relationships of love and respect. In fact, we are submitted to you [humans] in the same way” (The Shack, 145).
We might have realized that an author who is prepared to use a Sanskrit word for God’s Holy Spirit might have a skewed understanding of Christian theology. And so he also argues that obedience is not part of the relationship between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and not even a part of love. We hear otherwise in the Bible: “The Son only does what he sees the Father doing” (John 5:19); “The Son was made perfect in obedience” (Heb 5:8–9); “The [Holy] Spirit…shall glorify me” (John 16:13–14); “No one has seen the Father” (John 1:18; 6:46). There is an order in the Holy Trinity that does not rob the Persons of their mutuality, but expresses their love. The Spirit glorifies the Son who glorifies the Father. Yes, it is about love and respect: but it is also about authority and about obedience. These things are not mutually exclusive. Just as the Son is eternally begotten of the Father, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from all eternity from the Father, so the second and third Persons of the Trinity give glory to the Father, who is their eternal source: and yet they honor each other, each divine Person living in complete union with the others as the one true God.
Perhaps we should not be too hard on the author. After all, we live in an age where patriarchy and hierarchy are almost irrationally seen as oppressive. And anyway, the relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit continues to bring our minds to the stretching point. Luke’s treatment of the infant and the boy Jesus, who is the God-Man and our Redeemer, is similarly difficult. In our liturgies we say that the Word “without change became Man,” which is a way of holding two sides of a mystery together. Our passage for this week, Luke 2:21-52 has been similarly challenging for centuries, at least since the debate between our father Cyril of Alexandria and the heretic Nestorius. How can we say of the Incarnate LORD that He “grew” in grace, stature, and in wisdom, being subject both to human and natural law, and to those around Him? Yet that is what the book of Hebrews tells us when it speaks of Jesus being “made perfect,” or shown to be the completely mature man through “learning obedience” (Hebrews 5:8-9). And in the gospel of John, that very gospel which stresses the divinity of Jesus, we hear from Jesus’ own mouth that He does what the Father tells Him to do. And this is exactly what Luke emphasizes, the submission of God the Son both to His Father and to those people in authority over Him, as the evangelist presents these three milestone vignettes of Jesus as he grew—the first on His eighth day, the second on the fortieth, and the third when He was twelve years old. Listen again to the narrative, and pay special attention both to the amazement of those around Jesus, and to the commentary regarding His development:
And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel.” And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.” And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom; and when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the company they went a day’s journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances; and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions; and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.” And he said to them, “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man.
This section is made up of three sub-sections, one short, the second long, and the third of average length: Jesus at eight days, forty days, and 12 years old. They are of different lengths, but each equally important for what we learn about the Master. In the first we hear about the new-born Jesus being acted upon, but of course divinely embracing submission to human beings and to the Torah. He is named, and He is circumcised. The significance of both cannot be underestimated. After all, God is the One who names us, and Adam gave names to the animals, as well as to his help-mate, Eve. To name something or someone is to enter into a kind of intimacy with the one named, but also to show authority over that one. It is, then, amazing that the One who is the Great I Am, the “Being One,” allowed Himself to be named by human beings in a ceremony according to the Old Covenant. Like Jesus’ baptism, this willing act was part of the fulfilling of righteousness. Completely human, the only true Man was named, as are all of us; part of the Jewish family, He was named and set apart for God by circumcision on the eighth day. Of course, the name that Mary and Joseph gave to Him, ratified by the aged and holy priest Simeon, was the name originally given to them by the angel—Jesus, or Joshua, meaning, “the LORD is our Salvation.” The name is apt—not only is this One the Creator, the Existing One, but the One who brings to His people to health and wholeness (salvation). Just as Adam meant Man, and Eve meant “mother of the living,” so this second Adam has a name of hope. Moreover, the name is given during the age-long ceremony of circumcision, fulfilling the promises that God made to His special people Israel. Yet, in submitting to the sharpness of the knife, the infant God gave hope for all, not just for the Jewish race. St. Cyril of Alexandria puts it this way, understanding, with St. Paul, that circumcision was a type of baptism, which in itself points to the ongoing cleansing and maturing life of the Christian:
It seems to me that circumcision achieved three distinct ends. In the first place, it separated the descendants of Abraham by a sort of sign and seal and distinguished them from all other nations. Second, it prefigured in itself the grace and efficacy of divine baptism. Formerly a male who was circumcised was included among the people of God by virtue of that seal; nowadays, a person who is baptized and has formed in himself Christ the seal, becomes a member of God’s adopted family. Third, circumcision is the symbol of the faithful when they are established in grace, as they cut away and mortify the tumultuous rising of carnal pleasures and passions by the sharp surgery of faith and by ascetic labors. They do this not by cutting the body but by purifying the heart. They do this by being circumcised in the spirit and not in the letter. Their praise, as St. Paul testifies, needs not the sentence of any human tribunal, but depends upon the decree from above. (Commentary on Luke, Homily 3)
In the second section, we have a dramatic and poetic portrayal of what happened when the Theotokos and Joseph brought Jesus for the rite of purification according to the Law. Forty days after birth, both mother and child were purified by sacrifice, and presented back to God. Jesus, of course has no need for purification, but goes through this ceremony in solidarity with His Jewish family, and in conjunction with His mother, who is likewise pure, because she has been kept from the corruption common to childbirth in general. They present themselves to God, but then the presentation turns into a time of proclamation. Simeon takes the One who is Salvation embodied and “blesses God.” This seemingly has two meanings: he praises God the Father for the gift, but also blesses the Incarnate Infant. And it is a mixed blessing: the Child will bring about both the falling and rising of those who encounter him; moreover, the Child is a light to both Jews and Gentiles, but will Himself suffer—and so will His mother. After Simeon gives his dramatic benediction, leaning on concepts and phrases from Isaiah 42, 49, and 52, the evangelist tells us that Mary and Joseph are full of wonder at what they have heard. Already, at 40 days, the words spoken about this child amaze even His parents.
Nor is one witness enough. After the priestly prophet, we hear that Anna also speaks about Jesus to everyone who was anticipating God’s redemption. On the outside, it looks as though nothing has changed, for the parents return to Nazareth with their baby. But everything has changed and is changing, and now Luke tells us that the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
The ancient British theologian, Venerable Bede, has this to say:
Simeon and Anna, a man and a woman of advanced age, greeted the Lord with the devoted services of their professions of faith. As they saw him, he was small in body, but they understood him to be great in his divinity. Figuratively speaking, this denotes the synagogue, the Jewish people, who, wearied by the long awaiting of his incarnation, were ready with both their arms (their pious actions) and their voices (their unfeigned faith) to exalt and magnify him as soon as he came. They were ready to acclaim him and say, “Direct me in your truth and teach me, for you are my saving God, and for you I have waited all the day.” What needs to be mentioned, too, is that deservedly both sexes hurried to meet him, offering congratulations, since he appeared as the Redeemer of both. (Homilies on the Gospels 1.18).
The presentation might have happened a bit in private, as the holy couple brought their infant to the priest. Picture how we confess in a secluded place to the priest, but with others in the sanctuary. But this intimate ceremony becomes the occasion for Jesus’ significance to be announced by two ancient servants of God, who have waited for God, and have been rewarded.
The final vignette moves us to the earliest days of Jesus’ manhood—twelve years old, just before the time when a boy would have marked his transition to adult responsibility. The twelfth year was, in that culture, the point where boys would begin to fast and study Torah in earnest, in preparation for their thirteenth birthday (as prescribed by the Mishnah). Jesus, then, “must be” in His heavenly Father’s house, preparing for what was to come.
Several details should lead us to deeper understanding. First, the boy Jesus asks questions rather than giving answers, and yet even the questions bring wonder to the minds of the rabbis. He keeps His social place as a learner, and yet, by virtue of who He is, brings light to those around Him. Origen clarifies:
Because he was a small child, he is found “in their midst,” not teaching them but “asking questions.” He did this because it is appropriate to his age, to teach us what befits boys, even if they are wise and learned. They should rather hear their teachers than want to teach them and not show off with a display of knowledge. He interrogated the teachers not to learn anything but to teach them by his questions. From one fountain of doctrine, there flow both wise questions and answers. It is part of the same wisdom to know what you should ask and what you should answer. It was right for the Savior first to become a master of learned interrogation. Later he would answer questions according to God’s reason and Word. (Homilies on the Gospel of Luke 19.6)
The boy Jesus acts in the nature of His age, but still illumines those around Him.
Second, Mary scolds Him for worrying herself and his “father”—that is, His adoptive father. But Jesus is intent on the heavenly Father, and doing His will, even at this young age. In the narrative, Mary’s choice of words are corrected so that all will remember that this child is born of the virgin Mary and of the Holy Spirit, not of Joseph. Thirdly, the note of the evangelist regarding Jesus’ growth is even more pointed: He grows in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and men. His appearance in public is already making its mark, though He will wait until He is thirty to actually begin His ministry.
Step by step, we have seen the development of the One true Human being: from conception and angelic announcement, through His sojourn in the Virgin’s womb and the recognition of his aunt and pre-born cousin, through His humility in being named and circumcized, through His submission to “purification” in solidarity with human beings, and finally in this time of discussion with the rabbis of His day, and His recognition of His heavenly Father. Luke punctuates the episodes by speaking of His growth and the impact that He made, even at these young ages, on His family and others. Mary treasures all this in her heart. And we stand, too, in awe. St. Cyril of Alexandria cautions us against forgetting the divinity of this Incarnate Son even while we see these stages in His humanity. And so he says,
Do not think to yourself, “How can God grow?” “How can he who gives grace to angels and to men receive fresh wisdom?” Rather reflect upon the great skill with which we are initiated into his mystery. For the wise Evangelist did not introduce the Word in his abstract and incorporeal nature. He says of him that “he increased in stature and wisdom and grace,” but after having shown that he was born in the flesh of a woman and took our likeness, he then assigns to him these human attributes. Only then does he call him a child and say that he grew in stature, as his body grew little by little, in obedience to corporeal laws. So he is said also to have increased in wisdom, not as receiving fresh supplies of wisdom. God is perceived by the understanding to be entirely perfect in all things and altogether incapable of being destitute of any attribute suitable to the Godhead. So God the Word gradually manifested his wisdom proportionally to the age which the body had attained.
The body then advances in stature, and the soul, in wisdom. The divine nature is capable of increase in neither one nor the other, seeing that the Word of God is all perfect. With good reason [Luke] connected the increase of wisdom with the growth of the bodily stature, because the divine nature revealed its own wisdom in proportion to the measure of the bodily growth. (Commentary on Luke, Homily 5)
This is not to say that Jesus only seemed to be a human child, and that he did not actually grow physically and psychically. It is to say that, somehow, the God who became Man without change also grew as a Child without essential change, for He remains God while He is also human. What “appears” to those around Him as He grew was possible, for He assumed to Himself what was appropriate for His particular age, so that He would (as Cyril elsewhere says), not be a “monstrous being,” doing things impossible for His age, but a real human being. How His divine and human natures are united is impossible for us to understand, but we must avoid two mistakes: we neither think that He only seemed to be a growing and obedient child, nor that He was not truly God at every stage of His life. Beyond this we cannot really go. As C. S. Lewis puts it, we cannot hope to understand the psychology of the God-Man, because we do not have access to this mystery: we neither can understand God’s mind, nor do we have the perfect mind of a human being, ever since the fall. As the prophet puts it, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Yet, God gives to us ample evidence that He understand us. The greatest One of all became a zygote, an embryo, a foetus, a newborn, a babe presented in arms, and a twelve-year old boy who both frightened and amazed His mother. Let us, like her, treasure these miracles in our hearts, and remember that we have a High Priest who knows what it is to be human, and who even now intercedes for us in our weakness. The Son of God appeared among us, and grew—and so we have hope, too, for our children, and for ourselves, that we will grow into His likeness!
Edith M. Humphrey 