On the Sunday after Christmas we were asked to come to a church to preach. The pastor of the church asked us to come early and have dinner with his family. We said we would but we urged him and his wife not to go to any trouble with the dinner. He replied, "We will not be having much, just some Christmas leftovers." On the first Sunday after Christmas that is just about the way it is in various ways. Church attendance today compared with the Christmas Eve service looks like "leftovers." Christmas leftovers come in the form of bills for gifts bought for Christmas. Decorations left over from Christmas, boxes and wrapping paper need to be thrown away.

In our gospel lesson it appears as though we have leftover people, Simeon and Anna. They are aged: one is ready to die and the widow is 84 years old. They are leftovers from the meal of life. By their wrinkled, shriveled bodies they appear as wrinkled wrappings. But, leftovers can be good and delicious as the main meal. This was the case with the couple in wrinkled wrappings. They saw something 40 days after Christmas that nobody up to that time had seen. The shepherds were stunned at the sight of the angels and all they did was to go and see the sight at the manger. The Wise Men saw in the manger-child only a new king. Herod and other high government officials were afraid of losing their positions because they heard a new king was born. Religious leaders, scribes, and rabbis knew where the Messiah was to be born but they did not bother to go and see whether he came. The only ones who recognized the Messiah in the man-child, God in Jesus, were two aged people.

And we seem to have the same problem. Do we recognize a good thing when we see it? Do we see God in Jesus today? There are two billion people in today's world who do not see God in Jesus, for they are non-Christians. Most of the Jews in the world are still praying for Messiah to come, because they do not see Jesus as the Messiah.

In our text God asks us, "What do you see in Jesus?" We wonder how Simeon and Anna could have such insight into the nature of Jesus. In our day we do not usually have a high opinion of old folks. After age 40 wrinkles come. You begin to lose hair and some teeth. Eyesight dims and glasses become necessary. Hearing gets more difficult. Fat accumulates in your midsection. Muscles shrink and joints stiffen. The heart gets less efficient and the flow of hormones declines. It is claimed that after age 45, you lose 100,000 brain cells per day. How could people in this kind of physical condition have such insight? In spite of their physical ailments and limitations, these two old people had an insight into Jesus that many do not have. Apparently, they had a fabulous new way of seeing. They can teach us how to get insight into Christ.

Good People

If we study aged Simeon and Anna, we see what it takes to find God in Jesus, the fulfillment of the promise of the Messiah- Savior. There was the quality of goodness. The text says they were "righteous." It is a fact that sin keeps us from seeing God. Sin makes us dirty and we can not see very well through dirty glasses. Sin causes darkness -- the darkness of doubt, despair and selfishness. Because of our sins this Christmas, we have not been able to see anything more in the manger than a human baby. In the city of Atlanta alone, shoplifters one Christmas season stole more than a half million dollars' worth of merchandise, half taken by employees. Some have been so busy with personal and business affairs that they did not have room for Christ to come into their hearts. Jesus taught that the pure in heart see God. Doctors say that this is literally true: a dirty heart can cause poor vision. There is a disease that causes ulcers to form on the inner walls of the heart. This condition affects the blood vessels of the eyes which become bloodshot. If the heart condition is not cured, the blood vessels in the eyes burst and the person becomes blind. "Who shall ascend unto the hill of the Lord? He who has clean hands and a pure heart ..." A good man is a godly man who knows and sees God.

Devout People

Simeon and Anna were able to see God in Christ when Mary and Joseph brought him in the temple when he was only 40 days old, because of their devotion to God. Our text describes the aged ones as "devout." Both of them were in God's House, the temple. Where can you find a better place to see God? They fasted daily, not once a year as in Lent or once a week. Through fasting they disciplined themselves that they might have a closer relationship with the heavenly Father. They were people of prayer, praying night and day. Prayer is being in touch with God, being aware of his constant presence, and reflecting upon God's will and nature. Prayer is more than a sentence prayer before meals or an "Our Father" at bedtime. Prayer is fellowship with God, with or without words.

All of this is necessary to see God in a person like Jesus. Saint Paul said that only the spiritual can discern spiritual matters. The secularist, the atheist, and the agnostic have no sensitivity to God and related spiritual concerns. Every bush is aflame with God and they stand around picking blackberries! This explains why many do not see God in Jesus. They do not know God. One day the great novelist, Mark Twain, was telling about all the famous people he knew. His little daughter stunned him when she said, "Daddy, you know almost everybody except God, don't you?" And that is about the way it is with many of us. No wonder we cannot see the Messiah in Jesus.

Inspired People

Granted, we are not talking about anything easy. After all, this baby was only 40 days old, and all babies look very much alike. Is it expecting too much to think an average passerby could hail Jesus as the Messiah while being carried in his mother's arms to the temple? Yet, this is the uncanny insight aged Simeon and Anna, wrinkled wrappings, had one day in the temple. How could they do it? What did they have that we don't have? Another characteristic of this couple was the possession of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit led Simeon to the temple, told him he would see the Christ before he died, and opened his eyes to see the Christ in the baby. Here is the ultimate key to spiritual insight. The Spirit enlightens us, and Jesus said that the Spirit would guide us into all truth. When Stephen was being stoned to death, he cried out that he saw the Son of God standing at the right hand of the Father. This vision came as a result of the spirit's possession of him. For many the Spirit is a mysterious factor. We are not sure we have the Spirit, and if we do not have him, we are not sure how to get him. The Spirit is the third person of the Trinity; he is God, for God is Spirit. He comes to us through the Word of God and the Sacraments. The Spirit comes to us when we receive baptism and Holy Communion and when we hear or read the Scriptures. The Spirit gives us vision and enables us to dream dreams. If we want to receive the Spirit or grow in the Spirit, it is obvious that we need to faithfully come to church for the Word and Sacraments.

Just as we ought to see God in the Baby Jesus, we should see good in our fellowman. Take a baby. Do you see the good that child may someday do? Can you see the potential? Is a human being worth only the value of the chemicals in his body now estimated to be about $17. Pity a child whose mother says to him, "You are no good, you were a mistake and I never should have borne you. You will spend your years behind bars." Though man is sinful and unclean, we need to see gold in garbage and treasure in trash. In 1844 Tischendorf found in St. Catherine's monastery 129 leaves of an ancient manuscript of the Bible in a trash can ready to be burned. Americans throw away millions of tons of garbage a year, but now cities are finding they can turn garbage into profits. Out of every ton of garbage experts expect to get 1 barrel of oil. When we see good in people, we encourage them to be what we think them to be. In the musical, Man Of La Mancha, Aldonza is a common prostitute working in a cheap inn. When Don Quixote sees her, he calls her Dulcinea and sees her as a lovely, beautiful maiden. At first she laughs at him and shouts, "My name is not Dulcinea. I am Aldonza, Aldonza the whore!" By the time of the final scene when Don Quixote is dying, she becomes Dulcinea through the confidence of a man who seems insane. Look at your child and see someone great and someday he may be just that! Look at your friends as people of character and promise and they will usually fulfill your high expectations.

Now, in the second place, God asks us, "What are you going to do about what you see?" If you see Jesus as God in human flesh, if you now perceive that Jesus truly is the promised Messiah and Savior of the world, what are you going to do about it? When the famous missionary, William Carey, was home on furlough, he was given a standing ovation. Then they went on to the next speaker, but before the next man could begin his address, Carey leaped to the center of the stage and cried, "Aren't you going to do anything about it? Aren't you going to do anything about it?" To see God in the baby Jesus is an earth-shattering event, a once- in-a-lifetime vision. You just have to do something about it. The vision will not let you go home and take up religion-as-usual. Simeon and Anna in our text show us what we can do about this Messiah-Christ born not many days ago. The couple in wrinkled wrappings responded to the Christ-child with worship. This is the spirit of Christmas: "Come and worship, come and worship Christ the new-born king." In a spirit of worship Simeon and Anna thanked and praised God for the sending of the Messiah. Simeon broke out in song which the church calls the Nunc Dimittis: "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace ..." His song is still used in our worship services: in the Holy Communion and Vesper services.

Apparently even many Christians do not see Christ in Jesus because they do not react with worship. According to a Gallup poll, about 40 percent of church members go to church in America. This means 60 percent of our nominal Christians are not glad when it is said, "Let us go into the house of the Lord ..." Those who see God in Christ respond with a free and spontaneous worship of praise and thanks. Heartily we sing, "Beautiful Savior, King of creation" or in adoration we sing, "Jesus, my Lord, my God, my all." If Jesus is the Son of God, if Jesus is the Savior and Lord, then we must fall down before him in adoration and praise.

Self For Christ

Another reaction to seeing God in Jesus is dedication of self to Christ. Simeon and Anna accepted Jesus as the Messiah. Anna witnessed to that fact to those around her in the temple. Simeon took the child from Mary and with the baby in his arms he sang praise to God. He said, "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation ..." He is saying that now he has seen everything. He is ready and content to die. His life is now fulfilled. Since the Messiah came, he can die in peace and in hope of eternal life. He surrendered all, even his life.

This is the way people have always felt when they came to see God in Jesus. They have found the pearl of great price, and they sell all they have to buy that one pearl. He is the very best and they are willing to pay the price to get it. Jesus is worth everything, even your very life. This is the way it was with the Disciples who after meeting Jesus left all and followed him. Saint Paul says that all his previous possessions were as refuse compared to the excellence of knowing Christ. When Saint Francis of Assisi became a Christian, he took off all his clothes before his father and bishop and embarrassed both of them. Francis wanted nothing of the past, for now he was going into a new life of service in Christ. To see who Jesus really is makes one fall down before him and give him complete and absolute allegiance till death. Richard Watson Gilder put it this way and may he speak for each of us:

If Jesus Christ is a man –

And only a man, -- I say

That of all mankind I cleave to him,

And to him will I cleave always.

If Jesus Christ is a God –

And the only God, --

swear I will follow him through heaven and hell,

The earth, the sea, and the air!

In His Service

This devotion to Jesus as Son of God is expressed also, in service. This was true with Simeon and Anna. They served in the temple. Anna served by witnessing to Jesus as the Christ. In our text we are told that Simeon blessed God and blessed the Holy Family. One who has found God in Christ wants to be Christ's slave or servant for life. To serve him is a privilege and honor. Our highest pleasure is to do something for Christ and His kingdom on earth. We delight in his cause. We love to be in his presence. This is now our reason for living. This is what life is all about. We are here to advance the Kingdom, to serve the King. From the time I was a youth, these words of Tennyson captured my imagination:

Man am I grown, a man's work must I do,

Follow the deer? Follow the Christ, the king,

Live pure, speak true, right wrong, follow the king --

Else, wherefore born?

Granted, this is quite a contrast to what you find in some churches. The complaint is heard, "Nobody wants to do anything. People won't visit prospects. Vacancies are on the church school staff. The choir loft is half-full." This indicates that some church people have not yet seen the Christ in the Baby Jesus. They see only another human being, a tiny helpless baby. Christmas is just another holiday. If God is in Jesus and he is really and truly the Savior-Lord and King, then I must serve him gladly and willingly. To serve Christ is humankind's highest distinction. In the church and out of the church, in the home and out in the world, be Christ's happy servant. In that there is life and happiness.

A man and his grandson were walking on the beach when they met an old minister friend who was disgruntled. Nothing was any good to him. He complained he was suffering from a sunstroke. The lad listened to the conversation, and when they continued their walk, the boy said, "Granddad, I hope that you never suffer from a sunset." To be able to recognize a good thing when it comes, you do not have to suffer from a sunset and be like aged Simeon and Anna in wrinkled wrappings. If you have the spiritual qualities of these old saints, you will be able to see in Jesus the Christ, your Lord and Savior. Seeing the Son in Jesus will make your life a continual sunrise and your life will be filled with sunshine.