Bible Study: The Presentation – February 2, 2025

RCL: Malachi 3:1-4; Psalm 84; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40

This Bible study is part of a series produced by the Office of Global Partnerships of The Episcopal Church.

Malachi 3:1-4

One of the hardest things for any child, and maybe even for many of us, is the time we spend waiting. Waiting is usually accompanied by anticipation; many thoughts go through our minds while we wait. During periods of waiting, we ask ourselves many questions – for example, what if the thing we are waiting for is not as we hoped? And many other questions that occupy our every thought. Even when we are certain that what we are waiting for will surely happen, it doesn’t make our waiting any easier.

Our text today invites us to wait differently. It shows us that God has sent a messenger to the people to assure them of the coming of the Lord, but this messenger also carries a warning: To be able to welcome the coming of the Lord, we need to prepare ourselves. If we are not ready, we will not be able to endure the Lord’s coming. To be able to welcome the Lord, we need to examine ourselves and our lives with a critical and honest eye, to make sure that we live by the decrees and commandments of the Lord. Given that we are certain that the Lord will come, we need to embark on the process of preparing ourselves. The process of refining ourselves will not be easy, but it is important. Therefore, instead of spending our time worrying while we wait, let us spend it preparing ourselves and refining our lives to welcome the coming of the Lord.

• Is your life built on the certainty of the second coming of the Lord, or do you still doubt?
• How do we prepare ourselves for Christ’s second coming?

Psalm 84

We all long to be in a place where we feel safe and secure. For many, that place is home. It is the place where, despite whatever is going on in our lives, we feel that things will be fine. However, we also know that our earthly homes are not permanent; we are mere pilgrims on this earth, and so a day will come when we will leave our earthly homes behind. Once we realize that, we understand that our souls long for something more permanent and more secure than our earthly dwelling, only to discover that dwelling is the house of our Lord.

No wonder our souls long to live in the house of the Lord, for there we will live in ever-lasting bliss. In the house of the Lord, we find our strength and security, we find our happiness and joy. Although some think that we only get to experience this joy and security in our eternal life after leaving our earthly pilgrimage, we get to experience it here on earth if we put our trust in the Lord and live under God’s wing, spending our time in the presence of the Lord in our daily lives. While we are at home, at work, at school, or anywhere else, we are in the presence of the Lord and in the dwelling places of our God, if God dwells in our hearts.

• Where do you find your security and peace?
• What does it mean for you to live in the house of the Lord while we are here on Earth?

Hebrews 2:14-18

While for some, God is far and distant, that should not be the case for us Christians. We believe that God came down to earth to be with us, to guide, to teach, to heal, and to give us salvation. In this belief, we should find great strength, for our God is not a distant, far away God, who does not understand our problems and challenges. Rather, God is the one who humbled himself and took on flesh for us. We believe in a God who wants to dwell in our hearts and wants to be close to us. Jesus paid our debt on the wood of the cross, and gave us life; in return, we are asked to believe in him, and that faith, if it is a living faith, should lead us to care for others as he has cared for us. We are to walk humbly with people, teaching and guiding them, listening to them, proclaiming the gift of salvation to them, and reminding them that our Lord and Savior knows what they are going through. He is not far from their suffering and he has given them life.

• Have you opened your heart for Jesus to dwell in it?
• Do you trust Jesus with your sufferings and challenges, or are you still trying to take care of them by yourself?
• Do you lead others to Christ, so that they can find their comfort in him?

Luke 2:22-40

We have reflected on how we should wait for the promises of God, and how we need to be active while we wait and prepare ourselves to receive these promises. In this passage, we see how waiting, preparing ourselves, and trusting in the promises of our Lord will result in us seeing these promises fulfilled by God in God’s time. Simeon did not only wait faithfully but also his heart was also open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It was through following that guidance that he went to the Temple in time to see the child being presented by his parents. Seeing the child Jesus and recognizing who he was with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Simeon realized how, through him, God’s promise would be fulfilled for all people. After that recognition, Simeon praised God for God’s faithfulness. We are also shown a second character, a faithful prophet, Anna, who was also waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promises. When she saw them fulfilled in the child Jesus, she could not contain her delight, proclaiming the Good News to all who would listen.

• Are you waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promises in your life while keeping your heart open to God’s guidance?
• Are you ready to proclaim to the world all the good things that God has done for you?

The Rev. Cn. Wadie N. Far is an Episcopal priest from Jordan serving in the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. He finished his M.Div. at Virginia Theological Seminary in May 2017. He previously served as the vicar of St. Philip’s Church, Nablus, and Good Shepherd Church, Rafedia, and as both vicar of the Good Shepherd Church in Salt, Jordan, and as the chaplain and head of the boarding program at the Holy Land Institute for the Deaf and Deaf-Blind. Now he is serving at Saint George’s Cathedral in Jerusalem as the canon pastor of the Arabic congregation. Rev. Cn. Wadie believes in cultivating faith in the youth and in helping them discern God’s call, so he serves as one of the youth chaplains in the diocese and on the diocesan committee for cultivating new ministries. He also believes in the importance of the church being a safe place for all and serves as a member of the Anglican Communion Safe Church Commission.

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