
Luke wrote for gentiles and possibly Hellenic Jews. The whole purpose of his gospel is to tell them the story of Jesus. He begins by introducing a cast of characters, whose faith points them to the identity of the child. Mary is first, being visited by the angel Gabriel, followed by Elizabeth, the shepherds, the Magi and lastly Simeon and Anna. Raymond Brown, the American theologian, describes these two elderly people as “two characters who could have stepped out of the pages of the Old Testament.” Indeed Simeon and Anna can be seen as the hinge between the Old Testament and the New, as they wait and long for the Messiah - as the Jews had done for centuries - and are privileged to witness his coming. They are people of prayer, whose close relationship with God means that they can recognize him as the tiny baby in Mary’s arms. For Simeon his long wait is over and he can die in peace. Anna sees the the deliverance of Jerusalem, and this is linked with the prophecy of Micah in the first reading.
Luke does not give any account of an attempt to kill Jesus as Matthew does (Matt. 2:16-18). The Nativity, Presentation and Finding in the Temple are stories told without any background of violence. However, like Matthew, Luke’s narrative of the joyful event of the birth of the Saviour contains allusions to the divisions that his coming will bring. Simeon’s words, “a sword will pass through your own soul,” was often interpreted as the sufferings of Mary. However, Luke gives no account of Mary being at the cross; and Raymond Brown concludes that these words refer to these divisions which the teaching of Jesus will bring. Some will accept him, many will not.