Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Word of the Lord which engages us this morning comes from our Gospel lesson (Luke 2: 22-40). ����������������

Some years ago, the Journal of the American Medical Association published an article by Dr. Paul Ruskin on the "Stages of Aging." In the article, Dr. Ruskin described a case study he had presented to his students when teaching a class in medical school. He described the case study patient under his care like this: "The patient neither speaks nor comprehends the spoken word. Sometimes she babbles incoherently for hours on end. She is disoriented about person, place, and time. She does, however, respond to her name. I have worked with her for the past six months, but she still shows complete disregard for her physical appearance and makes no effort to assist her own care. ��

She must be fed, bathed, and clothed by others. Because she has no teeth, her food must be pureed. Her shirt is usually soiled from almost incessant drooling. She does not walk. Her sleep pattern is erratic. Often she wakes in the middle of the night and her screaming awakens others. Most of the time she is friendly and happy, but several times a day she gets quite agitated without apparent cause. Then she wails until someone comes to comfort her." ����������������

After presenting the class with this challenging case, Dr. Ruskin then asked his students if any of them would like to volunteer to take care of this person. No one volunteered. Then Dr. Ruskin said, "I'm surprised that none of you offered to help, because actually she is my favorite patient. I get immense pleasure from taking care of her� and I am learning so much from her. She has taught me a depth of gratitude I never knew before. She has taught me the spirit of unwavering trust. And she has taught me the power of unconditional love." Then Dr. Ruskin said, "Let me show you her picture." He pulled out the picture and passed it around. It was the photo of his six-month-old baby daughter (modified from e-sermons.com, December 2003). ����������������

We who have been away from the daily care of an infant for even a few years easily forget how much energy and time they require of parents. We forget how totally dependent they are on parents, and how totally demanding they are if that care is not met. We forget how much they are learning during those first few years of life. ����������������

Parents have faithfully brought their small children to the Lord's house for centuries. We saw it again here this morning with the baptism of ________. Her parents brought her, and now she has been washed in the water connected to the Word as the rest of us have been. She has had the name of the Triune God placed upon her and she too has been brought into the family of God through this Means of Grace. We saw it in our lessons this morning. Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple. Hannah brought her son Samuel to the tabernacle (before the temple was built). Hannah had promised to dedicate him to the tabernacle before he was even born, out of a pledge to God for giving her a son. Her son went on to be the grand prophet Samuel who anointed Kings Saul and David and set the model for prophets coming after him. ����������������

I always cringe a bit when I hear an adult, either parent or other, say it's not all that important to have infants and toddlers in church since "they don't really understand what is going on anyway." To that I might respond "Infants don't understand all the nuances of a big family celebration, but we still take them so they will learn and meet the family." Infants don't understand how to cook an 8 course meal, but we still bring them and feed them whatever they can eat from it. In the same way, infants and toddlers may not understand all the words spoken in each service, but they learn that worship is important to their parents. They also learn to hear the name of Jesus, God, Lord, Holy Spirit and others over and over again. ��

They learn the Lord's Prayer and other parts of the liturgy, perhaps not in a way that they can repeat it back verbatim, but they recognize when it is happening and many parents report that their toddlers are mouthing the words to the liturgy at ages that surprise them. Children are learning to keep the 3rd commandment: "Remember the Sabbath Day" even at such young age. And just as children are growing to trust their parents and other adults who care for them and speak to them, they are learning to trust their God who cares for them and speaks to them. Infants and toddlers may be a bit distracting to us older folks at times, but let us never think that children should be removed from worship when they are just a little distracting. Granted there is a time and place for the child to go to the nursery until they settle down, but the most important place for them to be from week to week is right here among the rest of the family of God. ����������������

In our Gospel we see Joseph and Mary bringing the 40 day-old Jesus to the temple. In the Old Testament, they were bringing him for the rite of purification, the 2nd religious rite of God. They had first brought him for his circumcision. That happened a month earlier, when he was just 8 days old. But according to the Torah, the Law of Moses (Lev. 12), parents were to bring their new sons to the tabernacle or temple for the rite of purification for both the mother and child. They were to sacrifice a lamb for this purification, but if the couple was too poor, they could offer up a pair of doves or pigeons instead. We are reminded of the poverty from which Jesus comes. We are also reminded that a lamb was not necessary for sacrifice, because Jesus himself would become the Lamb of God for the salvation of the world (John 1: 36). ����������������

When most parents first begin bringing a child to the "House of God", they are doing so for the blessing of the child. That is why ________'s parents brought her this morning, to receive the blessing of Baptism, the forgiveness of sins we all receive. But when Jesus parents brought him to the House of God, the roles were reversed. Here in their arms was the Lord incarnate. The temple was no longer the dwelling place of the Lord (John 2: 19-21). The Lord was dwelling in the body of this little 10 pound child, in his beating heart, in his growing limbs. As improbable as that sounds to our human ears, God's Word reveals it as truth. Moved by the Holy Spirit, Simeon and Anna recognized it. Simeon said "Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before the face of all people. A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel." These are the words we often use at the close of our Holy Communion Service, because there we have seen the incredible but perplexing salvation of our God. How can salvation and forgiveness come through bread and wine? How can salvation come through a little baby? Simeon continues (2: 34-35; NASB version): ����������������

"Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed -- and a sword will pierce even your own soul -- to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed." This child Jesus was brought to the temple, not to be blessed, but to be a blessing for all, young and old. This child Jesus would return to this temple many times, as a 12 year old who amazes the teachers. But then as an adult, the zeal for this father's house would consume him and He would drive out the moneychangers from the temple courts (John 2: 14-18). His Word would pierce the soul of Mary his mother, and of all Israel, and from that Word hearts were revealed, either turning to Him or away from Him. ��

He would be opposed and plots would be made against him. He would be asked for a sign, and this was his response (John 2: 19-22, NASB): "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20 The Jews then said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken." ����������������

Jesus was brought to the House of God as an infant, not to be blessed, but to begin the process of his own blessing for us. We still today, come to receive his blessings, to hear his Word and to believe the Scriptures that He was sacrificed for us and raised from the dead so that all who trust in Him will be with Him in the eternal City of God in heaven. We thank God for the parents who continue to bring their children to hear that Word.

And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4: 7)

Note: The name of the child baptized on this day was withheld by policy for Internet safety concerns.