David Bahn – Reflections

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Luke 2:21-35

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

²² And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” ²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷ And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, ²⁸ he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

²⁹ “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
    according to your word;
³⁰ for my eyes have seen your salvation
³¹     that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and for glory to your people Israel.”

³³ And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed ³⁵ (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing poorly. That might sound like bad advice. And if you took it to the extreme it would be. But it was an admonishment against procrastination. We’ll get started making disciples when we have our act together, can easily become an excuse for not starting at all. And while good is the enemy of great (Jim Collins), perfection is the enemy of action. If we have to have it all together before we begin following Jesus, making disciples, sharing the gospel, inviting people into our homes and lives, we’ll easily perpetually put it off.

Perfectionism, according to my ChatGPT AI assistant, is a relentless pursuit of flawlessness and an unrealistic desire for high standards. Individuals with perfectionistic tendencies often set excessively high goals for themselves, exhibit an intense fear of failure or making mistakes, and may engage in overly critical self-evaluation. Perfectionism can lead to stress, anxiety, and a constant feeling of dissatisfaction, as achieving the unattainable standards set by perfectionists is often challenging or impossible. That seems pretty accurate to me. People who struggle with perfectionism can start a project a thousand times, or never start at all.

Jesus was perfect. But he was not a perfectionist. He calls his people to “be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). But this is not a call to perfectionism. It is a call to mercy, grace, and love (cf. Matthew 5:43-48).

Jesus’ perfect life started at his conception. Born of a virgin, he did not inherit the sinful nature because his conception was of the Holy Spirit. He is the Son of God – without sin. And now, here at the temple, his path of righteousness continues in the obedience of his parents. They offer the requisite sacrifice after Mary’s time of purification. A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons seems like a little thing. But Jesus’ whole life will be one little thing after another – not in a perfectionistic manner, but in a love-borne obedience. 

Jesus will one day challenge the perfectionistic requirements of the ceremonial laws of the Jews. These included laws about what to eat, what to wear, circumcision, how to pray out loud, and even how many sticks you may carry or how far you may walk on the Sabbath. But for now, his conformity to the Old Testament Law is graciously provided by his parents.

It’s never too early to set ourselves or our children on the paths of righteousness. Whether it is bringing a child to be baptized, teaching them Christian songs and hymns, bringing them to church and Sunday school, and modeling a life of faith and love. We will never reach perfection this side of eternity. But we have a Savior who is completely and wholly righteous, perfect in the best sense of the word: complete. He is all we need for life and salvation. It’s never too early to follow him. Nor is it too late.

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today. So too our walk of faithful love.