예수께서 세상에 오셨을 때 그 도성 예루살렘에서 아기 예수를 알아본 두 사람이 있었습니다. 할아버지 시므온과 할머니 안나가 그들입니다. 하나님께서는 나이 많은 노인들을 사용하셔서 아기로 오신 구주를 환영하는 역을 맡기고 있습니다. 그런데 누가의 기록을 살펴보면 할아버지 시므온과는 대조적으로 할머니 안나의 경우는 자세한 소개를 하고 있습니다. “또 아셀 지파 바누엘의 딸 안나라 하는 선지자가 있어” 아셀 지파는 이스라엘 열 두 지파 임에는 분명하고 북쪽 이스라엘에 속했던 지파이지만 구약성경에 별로 등장한 적이 없어 소위 ‘사라진 지파’로 불리고 있습니다. 하지만 안나의 등장은 이 지파가 다 사라지지 않았으며 그 지파를 위한 하나님의 은혜가 남아있다는 것을 알 수 있습니다.
안나는 그 신분이 선지자로 소개되고 있습니다. 이스라엘 사람들은 역사상 일곱 사람만 여선지자로 인정하는 바 여자로서 선지자로 불린다는 것은 흔치 않는 명예임에 틀림없습니다. 하지만 개인적인 삶의 여정은 평탄하지 않았습니다. “안나라고 하는 선지자가 있어 나이 매우 늙었더라 그가 출가한 후 일곱 해 동안 남편과 함께 살다가 과부된 지 팔십 사년이라” 결혼 칠 년 만에 혼자되었다면 몇 살이나 되었을까요? 삼십은 갓 넘긴 나이가 아닐까하는 생각이 들지만 이 천년 전 이스라엘의 조혼 풍습을 감안한다면-대개 여자들은 열네 살 때 결혼을 했다고 함-어쩌면 스무 한 살밖에 되지 않았을 가능성도 큽니다. 칠년 남편과 함께 보낸 세월의 열 두 배인 팔십 사년을 혼자 살았습니다.
아주 젊은 나이에 혼자되는 아픔을 겪은 여인이지만 그것으로 인해서 위축되지는 않았습니다. 슬픔은 인생으로 강퍅하고 모질게 할 수도 있고, 보다 부드럽고 남을 이해하는 사람으로 만들기도 합니다. 왜 그런 차이를 가져옵니까? 그것은 하나님을 어떤 분으로 보느냐에 달려 있습니다. 하나님을 무자비한 운명의 신으로 여긴다면 고통과 슬픔의 순간 하나님을 미워하고 증오할 것입니다. 그러나 하나님을 자비의 아버지로 아는 자는 그런 순간에 ‘모든 위로의 하나님’으로 만나게 됩니다. 하나님은 결코 그 자녀의 삶에 무의미한 고통을 허락하시지 않습니다. 고통에는 하나님의 뜻이 있습니다. 환난 중에 받는 위로로서 환난 가운데 있는 동료 인생을 이해하고 위로하는 성숙한 성도로 빚어 가십니다.
안나는 청춘에 혼자된 여인이지만 자기 연민에 빠지는 대신 전적으로 하나님 섬기는 일에 자신을 드렸습니다. 혼자된 외로움을 잊기 위해서 천박한 쾌락에 자신을 내맡기는 대신 “성전을 떠나지 아니하고 주야에 금식하며 섬기는” 삶을 살았습니다. 외로움을 하나님 아는 일에, 섬기는 일에 승화시킨 존경할 만할 여인입니다. 자신의 고통보다 하나님 백성의 처참한 현실을 직시하며 기도의 삶을 살았습니다. 소위 메시야를 기다리는 백성으로 이스라엘은 특징져졌지만 대부분 사람들의 마음속에 는 메시야에 대한 소망이 식어진 시대에 ‘이스라엘의 구속됨’을 바라는 소수의 남은 자의 한 사람으로서 마침내 기다리던 아기 예수를 만났습니다. 그날 이후 그녀의 삶은 새롭게 불타올랐습니다. 간절한 기도는 끝나고 놀라운 증거의 삶이 시작되었습니다. “복스러운 소망, 우리의 크신 하나님 구주 예수 그리스도의 영광이 나타타심을” 기다리는 자매들을 기억하면서 여선지 안나를 소개합니다.
When Jesus came into the world, there were two people in the holy city of Jerusalem who recognized the baby Jesus. They were the elderly Simeon and Anna. God chose to use these aged saints, entrusting them with the role of welcoming the Savior who arrived as an infant. Yet when we look closely at Luke’s record, unlike the brief mention of Simeon, Anna is introduced with remarkable detail: “There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher.” Although Asher was undeniably one of the twelve tribes of Israel and belonged to the northern kingdom, it rarely appears in the Old Testament scriptures and is often referred to as one of the so-called 'lost tribes.' However, Anna’s presence reveals that this tribe was never entirely lost, and that God’s grace toward them still remained.
Anna’s calling is introduced as a prophetess. In Jewish tradition, only seven women throughout history were recognized as prophetesses, so being called a prophetess was undoubtedly a rare and profound honor. Yet her personal journey was far from easy. “She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.” How old was she when she was left alone after just seven years of marriage? While one might imagine she was barely over thirty, considering the ancient custom of early marriage in Israel two thousand years ago—where girls often married around the age of fourteen—she might have been merely twenty-one. For eighty-four years—twelve times the seven brief years she spent with her husband—she lived on her own.
Although she suffered the heartbreak of becoming a widow at such a tender age, she was not crushed or disheartened by it. Sorrow can harden a person’s heart and make life bitter, or it can soften the soul and shape someone into a person of deep gentleness and empathy. What makes such a profound difference? It depends entirely on how one perceives God. If we view God as a cruel deity of fate, we will inevitably resent and hate Him in moments of grief and agony. But whoever knows God as the Father of mercies meets Him in those very moments as the 'God of all comfort.' God never permits meaningless suffering in the lives of His children. There is divine purpose in our pain. Through the comfort we receive in trials, He shapes us into mature believers who can truly understand and console our fellow travelers walking through tribulation.
Though Anna was left alone in her youth, instead of drowning in self-pity, she devoted herself wholeheartedly to serving God. Rather than surrendering to shallow pleasures to numb the ache of loneliness, she lived a life where she “never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.” She was an admirable woman who sublimated her loneliness into knowing and serving the Lord. Looking beyond her personal grief, she gazed intently at the desolate spiritual reality of God’s people and embraced a life of prayer. While Israel was historically known as a people awaiting the Messiah, the hope for His coming had grown cold in the hearts of most in that era. Yet as one of the faithful remnant who genuinely longed for 'the redemption of Jerusalem,' she finally met the long-awaited baby Jesus. From that day forward, her life was rekindled with renewed passion. Her earnest longing in prayer was answered, and a magnificent life of witness began. Remembering all our sisters who wait for “the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,” I share the story of Anna the prophetess.
Toe Jesus in die wêreld gekom het, was daar twee mense in die stad Jerusalem wat die baba Jesus herken het. Hulle was die bejaarde Simeon en Anna. God het hierdie bejaarde mense gebruik en aan hulle die taak toevertrou om die Verlosser, wat as 'n kindjie gekom het, te verwelkom. Tog, wanneer ons Lukas se weergawe noukeurig bekyk, word Anna, in teenstelling met die korter vermelding van Simeon, met besondere breedvoerigheid bekendgestel: “Daar was ook 'n profetes, Anna, 'n dogter van Fanuil, uit die stam van Aser.” Alhoewel Aser beslis een van die twaalf stamme van Israel was en aan die noordelike ryk behoort het, verskyn dit selde in die Ou Testamentiese geskrifte en word dit dikwels 'n sogenaamde 'verlore stam' genoem. Maar Anna se verskyning wys dat hierdie stam geensins heeltemal verdwyn het nie, en dat God se genade vir hulle behoue gebly het.
Anna word voorgestel as 'n profetes. In die Joodse geskiedenis is slegs sewe vroue as profetesse erken, daarom was dit sonder twyfel 'n uitsonderlike eer om as 'n vrou 'n profetes genoem te word. Tog was haar persoonlike lewenspad allermins maklik. “Sy was al baie oud. Ná haar meisie-jare het sy sewe jaar met haar man saamgelewe, en sy was al vier-en-tagtig jaar weduwee.” Hoe oud sou sy gewees het toe sy ná slegs sewe jaar se huwelik alleen agtergebly het? Mens sou kon dink dat sy skaars dertig was, maar as ons die ou Israelitiese gebruik van vroeë huwelike twee duisend jaar gelede in ag neem—waar meisies dikwels op veertienjarige ouderdom getrou het—was sy moontlik maar een-en-twintig jaar oud. Vier-en-tagtig jaar lank—twaalf keer die tydperk van sewe jaar wat sy saam met haar man deurgebring het—het sy alleen gewoon.
Alhoewel sy as baie jong vrou die pyn van verlies en eensaamheid moes verduur, het dit haar nie ontmoedig of verbitter nie. Hartseer kan 'n mens se lewe verhard en bitter maak, of dit kan 'n mens sagter maak en vorm tot iemand vol deernis en begrip vir ander. Waarom is daar so 'n verskil? Dit hang geheel en al af van hoe 'n mens God beskou. As ons God as 'n meedoënlose lotsgod sien, sal ons Hom in tye van lyding en droefheid verwyt en haat. Maar wie God as 'n barmhartige Vader ken, ontmoet Hom juis op sulke oomblikke as die 'God van alle vertroosting'. God laat nooit sinlose pyn in die lewe van Sy kinders toe nie. Daar is 'n goddelike doel in ons beproewing. Deur die troos wat ons in beproewing ontvang, vorm Hy ons tot volwasse gelowiges wat ons medemens in hulle eie swaarkry kan verstaan en bemoedig.
Al was Anna van haar jeug af 'n weduwee, het sy haarself volkome aan die diens van God gewy in plaas daarvan om in selfbejammering te verval. Eerder as om haar aan vlak plesier oor te gee om die pyn van eensaamheid te verdryf, het sy 'n lewe gelei waarin sy “nie van die tempel gewyk het nie, en met vas en gebed God nag en dag gedien het.” Sy was 'n agtenswaardige vrou wat haar eensaamheid verhef het tot 'n dieper kennis en toewyding aan die Here. Sy het verby haar eie smart gekyk na die haglike toestand van God se volk en 'n lewe van volgehoue gebed geleef. Alhoewel Israel bekend gestaan het as die volk wat op die Messias gewag het, het die hoop op die Messias in daardie dae in die meeste mense se harte verflou. Tog het sy, as een van die oorblyfsel wat werklik na 'die verlossing van Jerusalem' verlang het, uiteindelik die Kindjie Jesus ontmoet op wie sy so lank gewag het. Van daardie dag af het haar lewe opnuut ontvlam. Haar vurige smeking is verhoor, en 'n wonderbaarlike lewe van getuienis het begin. Met 'n biddende gedagte aan al ons susters wat wag op “die geseënde hoop en die verskyning van die heerlikheid van die grote God en ons Verlosser, Jesus Christus,” stel ek die profetes Anna aan u voor.