Jim Valekis
Timothy the young evangelist was taught by the very best. The Apostle Paul had never met Jesus in His human lifetime, but he did meet the resurrected Lord. And Paul was an example of a man who patterned everything against the backdrop of the story of Jesus, including the story we’ll study today in the book of Luke. Paul wrote about how widows who lived for pleasure were “dead” even while they lived (1 Timothy 5:6), but he also wrote about “live” widows as well. They were widows who put “her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help.” (1 Timothy 5:5).
Hmmm. . . are there some Christians who are more “dead” than alive? Makes you wonder.
We’re going to read about one such widow today who was definitely “alive” while she lived, Anna the Prophetess.
We’re also going to learn the difference between being a Christian who wants to be “entertained” by church and one that wants to serve God no matter what.
There are not enough of the latter, by the way.
“Father, help us understand your word, and to see its relevance to us today and to how we live your life as a witness to the world.
In Christ’s name, Amen.”
Luke 2:36-38
New International Version
36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[a] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
