When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord," and to offer the sacrifice of "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons," in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: "Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation,…
There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher…
When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him (Lk 2:22-40).
Law of purification and law of presentation are mixed up into one and both are followed by the parents as the author writes. The Mosaic law of purification (Lv 12, 2-8) says; “When a woman has conceived and given birth to a boy, she shall be unclean for seven days … and then she shall spend 33 days more in becoming purified…”. So forty days after the birth of a male child the mother gets purified.
Ex 13, 2 says, “Consecrate to me every first born that opens the womb among the Israelites, both of man and beast, for it belongs to the Lord”. (Read also Ex 13, 12ff).
This rule of Moses goes only to show that everything born in the world belong to God. Life is a gift of God and it has to go back to God. It is for this reason that every life was offered to God and redeemed back from God.
Both the rules: Purification as well as presentation, Make the people realize that life is a gift from God. Birth of a child makes the parents and the child to come before God. Life is a free gift of God and man can only be grateful to God for that. By consecrating the child (presentation) the parents are made aware of their relationship to God. Mary and Joseph, by fulfilling the rules of Moses, present themselves as devout Jews; Jews who acknowledge God in their lives and follow his directions.
