Ana grew not bitter but better!

Luke 2:36-40

[When the time came for Mary’s purification offering at the Temple, as required by the laws of Moses after the birth of a child, his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord] Anna, a prophetess, was also there in the Temple that day. She was the daughter of Phanuel, of the Jewish tribe of Asher, and was very old, for she had been a widow for eighty-four years following seven years of marriage. She never left the Temple but stayed there night and day, worshiping God by praying and often fasting. She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she also began thanking God and telling everyone in Jerusalem who had been awaiting the coming of the Savior that the Messiah had finally arrived. When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the Law of God, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. There the child became a strong, robust lad, and was known for wisdom beyond his years; and God poured out his blessings on him.

Food for thought!

Ana was also there in the Temple that day. Anna. Who was she? First, Anna was a widow for 84 years following just 7 years of marriage. Ana had known sorrow and she had not grown bitter. Sorrow can do one of two things to us. It can make us either bitter or better; it can make us hard, resentful, rebellious against God (some people gave up on God due to their suffering and problems). Or it can make us kinder, softer, more sympathetic (other people gave in to God because of their suffering and problems).

It all depends on how we think of God. If we think of him as a tyrant we will resent him. If we think of him as Father we too will be sure that a Father's hand will never cause His child a needless tear. Anna did not leave God in her widowhood. The gospel says that “She never left the Temple but stayed there night and day, worshiping God by praying and often fasting.”

She was eighty-four years of age. She was old and she had never ceased to hope. Age can take away the bloom and the strength of our bodies; but age can do worse--the years can take away the life of our hearts until the hopes that once we cherished die and we become dully content and grimly resigned to things as they are.

Again it all depends on how we think of God. If we think of him as distant and detached we may well despair; but if we think of him as intimately connected with life, as having his hand on the helm, we too will be sure that the best is yet to be and the years will never kill our hope.

Ana never ceased to worship and pray. What does this mean? It means that she attended both publich prayer (worship) and private prayer. Public prayer is great; but private prayer is also great. As someone has truly said, "They pray best together who first pray alone."


Ana didn't and couldn't get bitter despite being a widow; she got better because she was always in touch with the Lord, who is the source of strength and in whose strength our weakness is made perfect. We too, let's not give up on the Lord at all times of our life.