Anna: Devoted to God

Jane Nieuwboer

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Scripture:  Luke 2:36-38

“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, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 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.”

Luke 2:36-38 NIV

Let’s consider Anna for a moment. In this brief section of Luke 2, she was somewhere between 84 and 103 years old — depending on how you read the verses — but in any case, she was a very old prophet. This simply means she was one who made known the word of God. So already, we can be inspired by her! Prophets were not exactly running rampant in Jerusalem at the time. (For about 400 years, God had not used prophets to speak to his people.) She was elderly and had a reputation for speaking God’s word. In fact, she was not only an elderly preacher, but also an unmarried elderly preacher. The passage tells us that she prayed at the temple, she fasted regularly, and she worshiped day and night. Anna had passion for God. She would have married very young, as was the custom, but by the time she was around 20, she was already widowed. For some reason, she did not remarry. Since she is referred to as the daughter of Penuel, she had probably returned to her father’s household. But she is known first, and foremost, as a prophet.

Anna clearly devoted herself to God — night and day. She was permitted to be at the temple. We can research why this might have been allowed. But for today, I would like to focus on the last verse in this short passage:

“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.” (Luke 2:38)

What a blessing! God allowed her to see the Messiah with her own eyes! But there is more. She did not merely see the child and rejoice at her blessing, giving thanks to God. “She spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” Anna went out in search of all the people who wanted redemption. She talked to people about Jesus. This was clearly her heart. She looked for ALL those who were interested in learning about the Messiah. She actually went out in search of them and talked with them all. She was absolutely convinced that telling open or “worthy” (Mat 10:11) people about the Messiah was what God wanted from her life. Her treasure is clear.

When I consider Anna’s focused purpose and compare it with my own, I immediately tend to think of reasons why I can’t go in search of “all” who may be thinking about God and redemption. It sounds exhausting! What’s more, I think of plausible reasons why she must have been chosen to do such a great thing for God, and why I have not. She probably didn’t have to do laundry! She got her meals at the temple! She didn’t have a real job! But is this godly thinking? In this hectic world, we can often find ourselves studying the obstacles to living for Christ, rather than studying Jesus himself. We constantly worry about whether or not our life is in balance and harmony with The Universe while piling on the hours spent in our own version of serenity. Do I not trust that, while closely walking with my heavenly father, he will provide for my safety and rest? Am I listening for his voice or do the world’s voices ring louder?

No one seems to have told Anna she must go out in search of all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. So why did she do it? Was she specially chosen or did she simply choose to speak out of the overflow of what filled her heart? She appears to have chosen to spend much of her time in communion with her heavenly father. Is it possible to be this deliberate in our focus on God? The Bible tells us that, as redeemed souls, “we have the mind of Christ.” (1Cor 2:16b) And what does Jesus think about night and day?

Let’s spend some time during this special season to really meditate on God’s word, thinking about what God has done and is doing in our lives right now. Focusing our attention on God’s character and deeds helps us get out of the rut of thinking about the world and its problems that are always right in front of us. Instead, we will be thinking of the God and Savior right in front of us, and in us, and around us. His love, his mercy and grace, his power, his approachability, and his willingness to give everything for us.

Questions for Reflection:

1.       Consider this scripture: “As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20 NIV)  What have you seen and heard? (Where is your focus?)
2.       Consider these verses: “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45 ESV)  “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21 NIV)  Where is your treasure? Where is the “abundance of [your] heart?” On what have you focused your attention?