Luke 2:22Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

This is because the mother of a male child brings forth another Adam into the world, while the mother of a female child gives birth to another Eve—a vessel frail and delicate, a vessel of clay, a shattered container, a staff of falsehood, a guide of disobedience.

Following His circumcision, He patiently awaits the completion of the purification period. Once those days are fulfilled (and the required period was four years), He is taken to Jerusalem and presented to the Father as a man like us, the Word of God, who is seated with Him, yet is recorded among the firstborn due to the shadows of the law. It is important to note that the firstborn, which was also dedicated to God before the onset of humanity, was sacrificed in accordance with the law.

We must clarify three points: first, concerning whom it refers to in relation to their purification; second, about the act of presenting him before the Lord; and third, the significance of the two turtledoves and two young pigeons. If we were to assume that their purification pertains to the Holy Virgin, to blessed Joseph, or to the Lord Himself, we would be making a grave error. Joseph did not engage with the Holy Virgin, nor was She marked by sin as other wives might be, which would necessitate their own purification. Instead, She conceived without seed and gave birth in purity. Where there is no union of husband and wife, no intimacy or mingling, what need is there for purification? The Lord, who is holy and supremely pure, does not require such clarification.

As the unchanging God assumed our nature, becoming flesh, undergoing circumcision, baptism, and enduring various trials—not for Himself, but for our sake—so we, through grace, might attain divine sonship, experience spiritual circumcision rather than that of the law, have our sins washed away in baptism, be crucified to worldly desires, and ascend to God. Thus, the references to their purification, to presenting Him before God, and to the sacrificial offerings serve not His purpose, but rather ours, teaching us to purify and present ourselves to God, symbolically and spiritually offering to Him two turtledoves or two young pigeons. Let us examine the significance of the statement that every male child who opens the womb shall be called holy unto the Lord, and uncover the mystery within the law.

Among all those born of women, only the Lord Jesus remains holy in every way—His extraordinary birth did not taint Him with earthly glory; rather, He transcended it through His divine majesty.

If we consider this literally, how can any individual be deemed holy when many have sullied themselves with grave sins? Is Ahab regarded as holy? Are the false prophets deemed holy, who were consumed by divine fire at Elijah’s prayer as a retribution for their evil actions? (Refer to 1 Kings 16:29 - 1 Kings 22:39; 1 Kings 18:18-40). Yet, He is holy for whom the righteous directives of the divine law served as prefigurations of the future mystery, for He alone opened the sacred womb of the holy virgin Church that she might give birth to the people of God. It is through Him alone that the birth canal was opened. It is no surprise that He proclaimed to the prophet: Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you (Jer. 1:5). He who sanctified another's womb for the birth of a prophet also opened His Mother’s womb to emerge pure.

Consequently, those reborn in Him through the Spirit are liberated from this ancestral curse and condemnation.

Is there anything that obstructs any individual from embracing His grace? Is there anyone who does not obtain from Him the forgiveness of sins? Certainly not. For He did not isolate Himself from us but fully embraced our nature, renewing it and merging it with Himself through His Hypostasis. He genuinely wished for all to be saved; thus, He descended to earth for our sake, lowering the heavens. By His actions, words, and Passion, He revealed the complete path to salvation and then ascended into heaven, bringing with Him those who believed in Him. Therefore, He offered perfect redemption not just to the nature that He united with Himself but also to every believer in Him, continually reconciling us to the Father by His own being, and through His obedience, He restores and heals all our disobedience to paradise.

This is why He instituted holy baptism, established saving commandments, called for repentance, and shared His Body and Blood. It is not merely about nature in general; rather, it is the individual believer who participates in baptism and adheres to divine commandments to receive the sacred Bread and Cup. Through this act, Christ justifies each one of us individually and brings us back to obedience towards the heavenly Father. The very nature that He assumed from us He recreated, revealing it as sanctified and justified, obedient to the Father in all things. For this reason, He entered and presented Himself in this temple for purification, witnessed by the divinely inspired Purification of Simeon and Anna, who dedicated her life to the temple—an event we commemorate today.

Following the Birth of the Savior from the Virgin and His Circumcision on the eighth day, as recounted by the Evangelist Luke: "When the days of His purification were fulfilled, according to the law of Moses, they took Him up to Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord." He received the Circumcision in accordance with the Law, was brought in obedience to the Law, presented according to the provisions of the Law, and was offered in fulfillment of what is mandated by the Law. Do you see how the Law's Creator and Lord was obedient to the Law in all respects? What was achieved through this? He rendered our nature obedient to the Father in all things, thereby healing our disobedience and transforming the resulting curse into a blessing; for just as our entire nature existed in Adam, so it also exists in Christ. And as through Adam, who was from the earth, all who came through him returned to the earth—and tragically to hell—so too, through the Adam who is from heaven, as the Apostle states, we are all summoned back to heaven, where we are endowed with glory and grace, even though it remains veiled in mystery. It is declared: "Your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory" (Col. 3:3-4).

Who are the "all"? They are those who have been adopted into Christ through the Spirit and have truly shown themselves to be His spiritual offspring. "When the days of their purification were fulfilled, they brought Him to present Him before the Lord." Who are they? The laws speak of both those born of natural descent and those newly born in marriage as requiring cleansing; hence, the Psalmist declares, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me" (Psalms 50:7). However, when considering the Virgin as the sole Parent, from whom the Child was conceived without the act of man, there was no obligation for purification, but rather an act of obedience, restoring disobedient nature and rectifying the guilt associated with it.

On the fortieth day following His birth, His parents adhered to two commandments: first, the purification of the mother after giving birth to a male child, fulfilled by making a burnt offering and a sin offering (Leviticus 12:2, etc.), and second, the law regarding the dedication or redemption of the firstborn to the Lord, which required offering five shekels of silver (Ex. 13:2, 13; Num. 8:16, 17; Num. 18:16).

Consequently, each firstborn son was considered belonging to the Lord and was expected to serve in the temple. However, since the law acknowledged a distinct priesthood comprised of the Levitical tribe, the firstborn from other tribes had the option for redemption from temple service, thus their dedication to God served as a reminder of their belonging to Him.

When the time came, the Blessed Virgin Mary, accompanied by her Child and likely under the protection of Joseph’s rights, went to the temple. Joseph traveled to Jerusalem to present himself before the priest. Given the circumstances, this ceremony held little significance; Mary had conceived and delivered her Son outside the ordinary conditions of nature, rendering her exempt from any ceremonial uncleanness. More critically, the Child, being the only begotten Son of God the Father, had no requirement for special dedication. However, the Blessed Virgin embodied humility and holy discretion about the divine miracle and demonstrated profound respect for the law, choosing to present herself in the temple as would any ordinary woman.

During such occasions, the law stipulated the offering of a year-old lamb for the burnt offering, along with a young dove or a turtledove for the sin offering (Lev. 12:1-8). The Mosaic Law, however, was particularly accommodating to those in need, especially the impoverished; thus, those unable to afford the more costly sacrifice could substitute two turtledoves or two pigeon chicks, available for purchase in the outer court, where vendors offered these and other sacrificial animals, appealing to buyers. The demand for pigeons among the poor was so significant that the greedy high priests of that era exploited this by artificially inflating prices, despite opposition from zealous adherents to the law. As Mary was of humble means, she approached the offering reflecting her financial situation. Additionally, a monetary contribution was necessary as a redemption for the firstborn son, mandated by the law to be five shekels of sacred currency (Num. 18:16), equating to slightly over four silver rubles.

The phrase 'brought forth' refers to Joseph and Mary. Although Joseph was not subject to the purification laws, he is mentioned alongside Mary ('they', 'brought') because the narrative of the Evangelist intertwines the fulfillment of two laws—the law of purification and the law of dedicating the firstborn to the Lord, a law in which Joseph was involved. According to this directive (Ex. 13: 2, 12, etc.), in remembrance of the night preceding the Hebrews' exodus from Egypt, when the destroying angel struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, the firstborn of the Hebrews were to be consecrated for God's service in the sanctuary. Later, when only the tribe of Levi was selected for this purpose, a redemption fee of five shekels of silver was established for the firstborn (Num. 18: 16). Thus, the Lord Jesus, being the firstborn (and only begotten), was to be dedicated to the Lord according to this law, coinciding with the purification sacrifice that every woman was to present at the temple after her period of purification.

For the dedication of firstborn children to the Lord, no rites were mandated; however, a sacrifice was required from the woman after her purification period—specifically, a lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering. For those in need, when bringing a lamb was too burdensome, the law allowed for the offering of two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering in place of the lamb, and the other for a sin offering (Leviticus 12:6-8). As indicated by this Gospel account, Mary fulfilled the provision allowed for those in poverty.

One may question why it was essential for the Lord, who was conceived and born without sin, to undergo circumcision and for His Most Pure Mother to adhere to the purification laws. First, it was necessary to fulfill all righteousness (Matt. 3:15) and to exemplify perfect obedience to God's law, representing His divine will. Second, it was crucial for the future ministry of the Messiah among His people; being uncircumcised would prevent Him from associating with the people of God and from entering the temple or synagogues. As an uncircumcised individual, He would have lacked influence and recognition as the Messiah. Likewise, His holy mother could not be acknowledged as a true Israelite by the priests and the people without undergoing purification. At that time, the mystery of the Immaculate Conception and birth remained known only to Joseph and Mary, necessitating strict adherence to all legal formalities.