Luke 2:16-21
Chapter 2
16
So they hurried there and found Mary, Joseph, and the baby lying in the feeding trough.
17
On seeing him, they told what they had been told about the child;
18
and everyone was amazed when they heard the shepherds.
19
As for Mary, she treasured all these words and kept them in her heart.
20
The shepherds then returned, giving glory and praise to God for everything they had heard and seen, just as the angels had told them.
21
On the eighth day, the baby was circumcised; he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
Commentaries
Birth of Jesus.
Luke places the birth of Jesus within specific historical settings: during the reign of Emperor Augustus and at the time of the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria (1f). Jesus was born in Bethlehem because Joseph and Mary traveled there to register for the census, as Joseph was a descendant of David (4-7). Shepherds, marginalized and straightforward people, serve as witnesses to the Savior’s birth (8-20). Despite the humility of the scene at the manger, something gives the entire atmosphere a special glow: joy, which inspires the glorification and praise of God. Amid all this, Luke emphasizes another detail: Mary reflects on all these things and keeps them in her heart (19).
Circumcision and Presentation of Jesus – Blessing of Simeon – Praise of Anna – Return to Nazareth.
Jesus’ parents, faithful to their people’s traditions and to the Lord’s command, complete three rites established by the Law. Through circumcision (Lv 12:3), on the eighth day after birth, the Israelite male is welcomed into the covenant community. The presentation of the firstborn male, at forty days, is the consecration of all firstborn sons to the Lord (Ex 13:2). Finally, the purification of Mary (Lv 12:1-4). In this context, the encounter with Simeon (28-35) and Anna (36-38) is particularly striking. These two elders represent the Jewish people who hope and trust in God’s promises and who see their fulfillment in the child Jesus. He is the Savior, the light to enlighten the pagans, and the glory of the people of Israel.