Scripture: Luke 2:22-35
Journal: What does the life of Simeon have to teach you today? How is God calling you to be like him?
Reflection:
We do not know exactly how old Simeon was, or
how long it had been since the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would
not see death until he had seen the Christ, but suffice it to say that it had
probably been a while. His “shift”
standing on the wall, keeping watch more than a watchman waits for the
morning, had most likely been a long one. He was old and tired and eager for the day
when the sun would finally come up again and he would see the coming of the
King, so that he could finally leave his role as watchman of Israel and depart in
peace and enter the eternal rest offer to all God’s people.
And on this particular day,
his dreams finally came true. You can
hear it in his voice as Joseph and Mary bring the newborn King into the temple to
present him to the Lord. “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart
in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that
you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the
Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”
Finally, O Lord, my work
is done. My long shift as watchman has
come to an end. For with my own eyes I
have seen the Savior. The One who has
come to redeem his people. For with the
Lord is unfailing love, and with him is full redemption. He will redeem Israel from all their
sins. Thanks be to God!
How easy it would have been
not to notice. I mean, hundreds, if not
thousands, of babies had come through the temple during his time. What made this one different? How did this one stand out from the rest? Or was it the subtle nudging of the Spirit
that let him know, the quiet whisper of the voice of God? It would surely have taken a keen eye and an attentive
soul to spot the One who finally came to free the world from its slavery to sin
and death. And this was him. This was the One they had all been waiting
for. So call out from the top of the
wall, “He is here! The King has arrived
to save his people! Everyone take
note! This is the One we have all been
waiting for!” After all, isn’t that what
a watchman is supposed to do?
Prayer
Closing
Prayer: God, you can now release your servant; release
me in peace as you promised. With my own eyes I’ve seen your salvation; it’s
now out in the open for everyone to see: A God-revealing light to the
non-Jewish nations, and of glory for your people Israel. (Luke 2:29-32)
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