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In one sense, it was a routine duty: Forty days after giving birth to a son, every Jewish woman was required to bring an offering before the priest—a lamb and a pigeon or turtledove if she could afford it—or two turtledoves or pigeons if she was poor.
These animals were sacrificed to the Lord, and the woman was declared cleansed of any impurity caused by childbirth (Leviticus 12:1-8). So forty days after Jesus was born, Mary traveled to Jerusalem with Joseph and Jesus and offered two turtledoves, just as the law required.
But because this was no ordinary family, this was no ordinary offering. Just forty days prior, Mary lay in a cave, her newborn child in a manger, while shepherds came with reports of angelic visitors and heavenly singing. It had not even been a year since she herself had been visited by an angel and told that she—a virgin—would become pregnant and bear a son who was destined to save his people from their sins. And now here she is, in the Temple, probably wondering if anything extraordinary would happen there as well.
And sure…
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