THE HALL OF NO-FAME

How many of our brothers and sisters are in the Hall of No-Fame? Most. One of the long remembered no-famers is Anna the Prophetess. Just after Jesus was born Mary and Joseph took him “to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.” They took him to the priest Simeon.

“Simeon then blessed them and prophesied over Mary, saying:
“A painful sword will one day pierce your inner being,
    for your child will be rejected by many in Israel.
    And the destiny of your child is this:
    he will be laid down as a miracle sign
    for the downfall and resurrection of many in Israel.
    Many will oppose this sign, but it will expose to all
    the innermost thoughts of their hearts before God.”

A prophetess named Anna was also in the temple court that day. She was from the tribe of Asher and the daughter of Phanuel. Anna was an aged widow who had been married only seven years before her husband passed away. After he died she chose to worship God in the temple continually. For the past eighty-four years she had been serving God with night-and-day prayer and fasting.

While Simeon was prophesying over Mary and Joseph and the baby, Anna walked up to them and burst forth with a great chorus of praise to God for the child. From that day forward she told everyone in Jerusalem who was waiting for their redemption that the anticipated Messiah had come.” (Luke 2)

This no-famer prayed and fasted for 84 years. There is little fame in that for her. But now we all know about Anna.

“I am the Messiah.” Jesus