30 December 2014 - passing on the passing

Do not love the world or the things of the world. 
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

There is something better than the world. There is something more than "sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life". There is something lasting. The world is passing away.  Like grass it "withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever" (cf. 1 Pet. 1:25). If we're a part of that system we wither and fall with it, but "whoever does the will of God remains forever."

Anna embodies this. She sees the best the world has to offer. Yet even though she experiences the joy of marriage she experiences its briefness "having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage". Instead of becoming bitter at the world for being unable to satisfy her she turns more completely to the one who can.

She never left the temple,
but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. 

The temporary goods of this world persuade her both by their goodness and their shortness to turn more completely to God for fulfillment. Because of this she is able to recognize him when he is brought into the temple. She tastes a lasting and unconquerable joy.

And coming forward at that very time,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

Her eyes are open because the "word of God remains" in her. The enemy tries to shake it from her with trials but she holds on to it. She clings even more closely to it. She lets the things of the world go but holds on to the lasting word which she has heard from the beginning. She hears that word whispered in the temporary good things. She holds it until the enduring and imperishable seed is revealed.

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God (cf. 1 Pet. 1:23).

So let us learn from her. We need to remember what we know: the LORD is king. When we know that he is king, when we know that our blessings have the source in him, our world is firm and not to be moved. We are able to be glad and rejoice because he rules us with equity. The blessings come and go, perhaps, but the king remains. This the the truth which makes us strong. This is how we conquer the Evil One. When this word remains in us we "remain forever" with our King.