Anna's Reward

By Mary Vee
Luke 2

From Luke's Notes

Photo Courtesy-Concordia Lutheran Conference

My name is Anna. I am a prophetess, a daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. 

I am not a young woman, by no means. My eyes don't see as well as they used to but I can still walk.

I was married when a young woman. Very young. My husband died after seven years of marriage. Eighty four years have passed since his death. You've probably done the math and realized I am about 105 years old.

God has blessed me over the years. The greatest blessing came on this day I'm about to tell you. 

I was in the Temple day and night. I found my comfort fasting and praying from sun up through the night to sun up the next morning. On this day, I had just given thanks to God for His blessings and care and went walking about the Temple. 

There were men and women in the Temple court. I really enjoyed walking up to them and starting conversations. I didn't know if some happened to be lonely, needed an uplifting word or some advise. I learned about the needs of many people this way. These were the people I talked with God about during the night hours. My life couldn't have been better. 

Perhaps it was because of my constant time in the Temple that God allowed me to be in the same place as Mary and Joseph when they presented their baby whose name was Jesus. Being there, and quickly understanding who this baby was, I couldn't help but give thanks to God out loud for this child who had come to save the world. I told every person I saw about the boy Jesus who had been brought to the Temple. "He is the one will redeem us!"

Those in the Temple listened with great interest because Israel desperately needed to be redeemed. What only some understood was that this baby IS the Messiah He IS God's son.

Thanks be to God. He has not only given me long life, but guided my steps to be in this place at this time to see His son, the Messiah and be able to tell others what I witnessed.


Come back for the next story.

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sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary

* Jewish History.org
*Jewish Virtual Library.org