Christmas Characters: Anna

Have you known people who radiate Christ so much that their faces take on an angelic glow? I’ve only met a few. There’s a woman who teaches classes at my church. When she speaks a “holy hush” falls across the room so people can catch her every word. It’s as if her words are directly from God. People know she has a deep relationship with Jesus.

Luke 2:36-38 describes a woman named Anna who was very much like my teacher friend. Anna was a prophetess which in that culture meant she had an unusually close relationship with God. She was 84 years old, about twice the life expectancy of women in that era. Anna had been married for only 7 years when her husband died. She never remarried. Since most women married around age 15, Anna probably had been a widow for about 70 years!

Anna never left the temple but worshipped there night and day, fasting and praying. Obviously, she was a very godly woman. She probably was well-known in Jerusalem and acquainted with Simeon since he was at the temple daily awaiting the Messiah.

Anna approached Joseph, Mary, and Jesus just as Simeon finished prophesying. Whereas Simeon spoke privately to the family, Anna addressed the crowd publicly. She first gave thanks to God, then blessed the family. Finally, she told the crowd that this baby – Jesus – is the promised Messiah.

That’s the end of Anna’s story – just 3 Bible verses. But what a story! Anna’s purpose on earth was to verify to the people of Jerusalem that Jesus is the Messiah. Her life story is part of God’s Larger story. God gave her perhaps 70 years to develop a rich, intimate relationship with Him. He molded and shaped her character in a public setting. As a prophetess, the people respected her for her age and her godliness. So “at just the right moment” she was ready to proclaim the Good News that the Messiah had finally arrived.

In Angola I attended several town meetings called “onjongus.” When a village faces a decision they meet to discuss it and make a decision. There’s a set procedure for conducting the meeting. People speak in order of age – oldest to youngest. No discussion occurs until the youngest person has finished speaking. Although everyone is heard, the opinions of the elderly are given greater consideration. It’s a system that has worked well for hundreds, even thousands, of years.

Contrast their system with our own. The United States is a youth-oriented society. As a nation we are obsessed with youth. In our quest to look younger we purchase facelifts, wrinkle removers, and toupees. We start coloring our hair at the first sign of gray. Some older adults buy “little red sport cars” so low to the ground that they can hardly get in or out of them.

The Bible, however, says, “Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness” (Proverbs 16:31). In Proverbs 20:29 is states,“The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.” One final example from the New Testament: “In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders …” (1 Peter 5:5).

Why does the church in the United States tend to overlook older saints? Why haven’t we developed mentoring relationships between older mature believers and younger emerging leaders? It likely can be traced back to our culture. Christians are meant to be salmon swimming upstream against the world. Unfortunately, we sometimes allow cultural beliefs to creep into the church.

Perhaps it’s time to rethink “the way we do church.” Maybe it’s time for our churches to tap into the knowledge, experience, and wisdom of older saints. What do you think?

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