Today's readings highlight the problems with literal and fundamental readings of Christian historical readings.
In the first place there are clear discrepancies; in the second there is a profound loss of richness.
The writing of Luke today is of the "Presentation of Christ." At the time in Israel the first born was sworn to God. But Luke, a non-Jew, confuses the ritual and includes that of the purification of the mother after childbirth--forty days for males, eighty days for females. (Inequity is old.)
Then there is the writings of Malachi. Malachi is the last prophet of the Old Testament. Literally. No one emerges in Israel with prophetic vision after him until--Mary's Magnificat with her cousin and, then, Simeon in today's gospel. The lack of a prophet has physical correlation. The Temple was desired by David, built by Solomon and destroyed. Then it was rebuilt with the permission of Cyrus.. But it was empty of the presence of God and Israel was empty of God's voice through a prophet--until now when Christ is brought into the Temple for His presentation. God was restored to the Temple. Then Simeon prophesied.
Literalism can be very shallow and pale.
In the first place there are clear discrepancies; in the second there is a profound loss of richness.
The writing of Luke today is of the "Presentation of Christ." At the time in Israel the first born was sworn to God. But Luke, a non-Jew, confuses the ritual and includes that of the purification of the mother after childbirth--forty days for males, eighty days for females. (Inequity is old.)
Then there is the writings of Malachi. Malachi is the last prophet of the Old Testament. Literally. No one emerges in Israel with prophetic vision after him until--Mary's Magnificat with her cousin and, then, Simeon in today's gospel. The lack of a prophet has physical correlation. The Temple was desired by David, built by Solomon and destroyed. Then it was rebuilt with the permission of Cyrus.. But it was empty of the presence of God and Israel was empty of God's voice through a prophet--until now when Christ is brought into the Temple for His presentation. God was restored to the Temple. Then Simeon prophesied.
Literalism can be very shallow and pale.
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