Joel Kilpatrick
Luke 2:36-38 NLT
Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.
Reflection
Few people recognized who the baby Jesus was. Shepherds needed an angelic flash mob. Herod needed smart guys from afar. Those smart guys needed a celestial sign. Even Mary and Joseph needed a sit-down with Gabriel.
Not Anna. This hero of mine chose a lifestyle that helped her see what God saw. Thousands of people filled the temple the day Jesus was carried in… blind people, as it turned out. Only two (Anna and Simeon) recognized the most important human to ever live.
How do we get Anna’s eyes? By living how she lived. Anna was no holier than we are. She simply chose to draw near to God, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. Hard things happened to her like widowhood at a young age. Her response was to show up for prayer meetings, to make ministering to God her number one priority. As a result, God gave her new eyes because God offers his friendship to the godly (Prov. 3:32). Luke calls her a prophetess. And God never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets (Amos 3:7).
Imagine having the confidence to speak boldly about a child you never saw before, then declaring his identity to everyone nearby. Is that just for strange old women like Anna? Or does her life provoke us, as it should, to pursue new eyes?
As we mingle with thousands shopping, at church, or driving, what will we see? What will we declare? Whose eyes do we have?
Let’s pray…
Lord, help us to see as you see. Show us things from your perspective this year. Amen.
I love this.