So here we arrived four week from King to baby. We come to the most unusual of Sundays: the first after Christmas. Unlike our other great holiday Easter which we celebrate on a Sunday, and actually every Sunday, Christmas finds us on different days of the week each year. A silent night can be every night is the first lesson of Jesus.
Before people watched their screens they watched the skies. I think their is a great misunderstanding of the connection between the bible and nature. In many ways the bible is the culmination of our desire to understand our environment. Whenever the bible talks about the greatness of God it is done by describing what has been created. Nature itself is the greatest witness to our God.
Before people watched their screens they watched the skies. I want you to understand this idea. Just as we take important and relevant information from our screens our ancestors read the world around them in a similar way. We haven't really created any new human talents as put them to use for other things.
Caesar spoke in awe of the Druids for their ability to remember everything. We still have this talent if not need for it. Our ancestors created this world with God. They were God's as we are. The world was predictable for them. Remarkedly so. Ten thousand summers so. Our place started to make sense.
The first notification as it were was the sun setting in different times and places during the year. This enough to stir wonder, but would return each year as well. This time of year the days stopped growing shorter in the north and started growing longer. This has long been a time between even long before the first date was decided.
And onward to spring. And so are we returned to the same places and stories of Jesus year after year in the Methodist Church. Here in this time between, after this most precious gift we continue to celebrate. More than a birthday we celebrate the beginning of our own return to God. Our day republic. In this story from our scripture we listen for our lesson for today.
Luke 2:22-40Amplified Bible
22 And when the time for their purification came [that is, the mother’s purification and the baby’s dedication] according to the Law of Moses, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord [set apart as the Firstborn] 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy [set apart and dedicated] to the Lord)” 24 and [they came also] to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord [to be appropriate for a family of modest means], “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
In this first part of our scripture today we are welcomed into a time and place. We are reminded once again of the expectation and constraints of society. Not so much important what is done as that everyone in the community knows what is to be done. Even we see accommodations for class is made. This old news of division. It reminds us that Christmas is the beginning of the idea that would grow into new good news of equality. As we learn in our own body each part is vital. Each piece needed.
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout [carefully observing the divine Law], and looking for the [a]Consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed). 27 Prompted by the Spirit, he came into the temple [enclosure]; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, [b]to do for Him the custom required by the Law, 28 Simeon took Him into his arms, and blessed and praised and thanked God, and said,
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout [carefully observing the divine Law], and looking for the [a]Consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed). 27 Prompted by the Spirit, he came into the temple [enclosure]; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, [b]to do for Him the custom required by the Law, 28 Simeon took Him into his arms, and blessed and praised and thanked God, and said,
When we think about our Christmas story we think in broad strokes and we often focus on Jesus being rejected later, but the story like any is deeper and we see it here. Simeon is a type of man that we could all hope to be like. In his right time and right place. The religious experience is one of the most personal experiences we can have, but we have his words,
2
“Now, Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to leave [this world] in peace,
According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your Salvation, 31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 A Light for revelation to the Gentiles [to disclose what was previously unknown],And [to bring] the praise and honor and glory of Your people Israel.”
“Now, Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to leave [this world] in peace,
According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your Salvation, 31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 A Light for revelation to the Gentiles [to disclose what was previously unknown],And [to bring] the praise and honor and glory of Your people Israel.”
That something like this is experienced is what keeps us building churches. Here is the heart of religion both our own and the Jewish one as well a Venn diagram of the good news, without one there is not two. A man can live a good life and come to an end such as Simeon.
If we imagine God, Simeon is the type of man we might envision. This long loving relationship that comes to a final moment to fruition. An inevitability of a man well loved by God to find the right place and right time.
What is truly remarkable is that he could reach out to these young parents at this critical time. He speaks first for himself, but continues for them,
33 And His [legal] father and His mother were amazed at what was said about Him. 34 Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Listen carefully: this Child is appointed and destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for [c]a sign that is to be opposed— 35 and a sword [of deep sorrow] will pierce through your own soul—so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Mary and Joseph and Jesus were certainly not alone. These sign post for them placed by God to the Glory of God. We have these too. People in our lives. Places in our lives. Times in our life. There is agreement all around. When we listen to God and try to follow we find agreement. When we try to go our own way we also find agreement. We have a sign post here for us as we start a new year.
The agreement is always there because we choose to see certain things in certain way. They, like Simeon have their own nature, but we see what we choose. We know of the sorrow for it reveals our heart as well.
Between Christmas and New Years this time in-between we think of this baby we worship growing into this man we follow. Each year we finish with a King and start again as a baby. We find this lesson to keep our own faith fresh and for new growth each year. We start over and over again secure in our destination. How we mark our time and our good works which by the grace of God we are lucky to find.
As we talked about during this season of advent God is not hiding salvation from anyone and certainly to the glory of God we still speak of Simeon and this fine day.
“Listen carefully: this Child is appointed and destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for [c]a sign that is to be opposed— 35 and a sword [of deep sorrow] will pierce through your own soul—so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Listen carefully, indeed and when the scripture itself tells you to listen carefully...will pierce through your own soul-so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
We all know of the straw that breaks the camels back, but what we have here is quite the opposite. A small thing that makes all the difference. This moment for new parents along with others would keep them going through long years. Jesus was a young child and a teenager and a young adult and gone too soon. Before he was gone too soon he talked in the middle of the night over a kitchen table about life.
As a new father information is the key commodity. Joseph and Mary had difficulties to overcome, but they had an understanding and what is more a guarantee of struggle. While struggling to travel to Bethlehem and find shelter on the silent night, they are reminded again by Simeon. Sorrow would not be a signal of failure but a sign post from God that they were on the right road. Almost as if the time to worry is when things go well. Joseph and Mary never had that concern.
36 There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old, and had lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, 37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She did not leave the [area of the] temple, but was serving and worshiping night and day with fastings and prayers. 38 She, too, came up at that very moment and began praising and giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all who were looking for the redemption and deliverance of Jerusalem.
As she takes her place on the list of thing that happened to the inevitable we remember this day that day. And we see our God in relationship with this women as well. Set in place next to Simeone here in this story. We look back at who was there then and find Anna not out of place. We see God speaking to those who listen. We don't see any other separations than those who listen and those who will not hear.
39 And when they had done everything [in connection with Jesus’ birth] according to the Law of the Lord, they went back to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. 40 And the Child continued to grow and become strong [in spirit], filled with wisdom; and the grace (favor, spiritual blessing) of God was upon Him
And Christmas came and they went home. We have hints and traditions about these times in Jesus' life but nothing very substantial. In many ways there isn't much substantial. We are born and then we become who we are. This we see in Jesus and his story. He was born and then we learn who he was and how he lived and how we should live.
I think of teen-agers when I think of these missing years of Jesus. When we are born it takes awhile before we are able to ask any questions. We love babies because they do not ask questions. Need sleep food or dry mostly. Communication can be loud and strained at times but essentially very simple. It takes us years to start to formulate our own questions. Often when we are confronted by questions we are surprised. I think being a teen-ager is mostly about the answers you are given.
We hear about this context again in Galatians 4:4-7
Amplified Bible4 But when [in God’s plan] the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the [regulations of the] Law, 5 so that He might redeem and liberate those who were under the Law, that we [who believe] might be adopted as sons [as God’s children with all rights as fully grown members of a family]. 6 And because you [really] are [His] sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, [a]“Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave (bond-servant), but a son; and if a son, then also an heir through [the gracious act of] God [through Christ].
As children of God our communication is once again simple.
We praise you for the humility of your incarnation, the magnificence of your salvation, and our accessibility into your presence. From eternity, you came close; for eternity, you remain closer, for our Father has hidden our lives in you.
Lord Jesus, it’s only because you’ve embraced us in the gospel that we have a good measure of the same peace Simeon experienced; for you are God’s promised salvation for Israel, for Gentiles, and for us. In you we’ve found the consolation that cannot be found anywhere else. You are our righteousness and redemption, our holiness and hope, our sanity and surety, and a whole lot more. The saints in heaven are more joyful than us, but they’re not more loved or more secure than we are.
As we stare the beginning of a New Year in the face, we want the peace of your grace to help us live by the rhythms of your peace. Slow… us… down, Jesus. Like Simeon, we want to live thankfully and expectantly. Continue to show us the difference between the things that matter, and the things that don’t matter “squat“. If we’re going to be in a hurry about one thing in the upcoming year, may it be to linger longer in your presence. Everything else will take care of itself. So very Amen we pray, in your glorious and grace-full name.
Benediction: Luke 2: 29-32
Here’s a closing benediction based on the Song of Simeon (Luke 2: 29-32). It was written by Bruce Prewer.
Going On Our Way with Confidence
(based on Luke 2:22-40)
Loving God, now your servants may go in peace,
just as your word has promised;
for our own eyes have seen your salvation
made ready with everyone looking on,
a revealing light for outsiders,
and a glory for all your faithful people.
Grace mercy and peace,
from the Creator, Saviour and Counsellor,
will be with you now and ever more. Amen!
In our faith journey as in our life journey we do walk in circles. We must take this faith of a new baby and nurture and grow each year so that we can face the challenges of each new generation. Sometimes we only see the baby then the savior, but we have mostly this in-between time.
People like to talk about when they were saved, but I like to think that I am saved everyday. Somedays we find ourselves in the temple in front of our community as a family held up as the example of examples. And then we can find ourselves refugees in another land. Things change and stay the same. God is the one in charge of times of celebration and struggle. God doesn't change our understanding can.
I don't think I know much of God. I think of Simeon on that day after the first Christmas and what a good life he led and what a good time he found himself. I wouldn't call it jealousy, but almost to see what he saw and to know. To tell people. Doesn't seem that much until you try to. I find joy that such a person lived.
There is much we can get wrong about God, but there are certain things we know. We know about God's love and how it brought both Jesus and Simeon there. Makes me wonder who that day was for if not for me and you as much as Mary and Joseph.
We take these signposts of God like Simeon and we say the world would not be this way without God. Our Children become teen-agers and it is messy, but what is more is we nurture them and they grow in their own place and time with the grace of God to the Glory of God.
Complicated to tell simple to live. Easily confused but joyous. More than anything else that is how you know. More than anyone perhaps that ever lived that was Simeon.
Let Us Pray:
( https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/scotty-smith/a-prayer-for-adoring-jesus-like-simeon/ )
Dear Lord Jesus, what a breath-taking image and holy paradox. Eight days after your birth, Simeon took you into his arms; yet it was by your arms that all things have been made and are sustained—“things above the earth, on the earth, and below the earth.” Everything has been made by you and for you, including Simeon and us.We praise you for the humility of your incarnation, the magnificence of your salvation, and our accessibility into your presence. From eternity, you came close; for eternity, you remain closer, for our Father has hidden our lives in you.
Lord Jesus, it’s only because you’ve embraced us in the gospel that we have a good measure of the same peace Simeon experienced; for you are God’s promised salvation for Israel, for Gentiles, and for us. In you we’ve found the consolation that cannot be found anywhere else. You are our righteousness and redemption, our holiness and hope, our sanity and surety, and a whole lot more. The saints in heaven are more joyful than us, but they’re not more loved or more secure than we are.
As we stare the beginning of a New Year in the face, we want the peace of your grace to help us live by the rhythms of your peace. Slow… us… down, Jesus. Like Simeon, we want to live thankfully and expectantly. Continue to show us the difference between the things that matter, and the things that don’t matter “squat“. If we’re going to be in a hurry about one thing in the upcoming year, may it be to linger longer in your presence. Everything else will take care of itself. So very Amen we pray, in your glorious and grace-full name.
Benediction: Luke 2: 29-32
Here’s a closing benediction based on the Song of Simeon (Luke 2: 29-32). It was written by Bruce Prewer.
Going On Our Way with Confidence
(based on Luke 2:22-40)
Loving God, now your servants may go in peace,
just as your word has promised;
for our own eyes have seen your salvation
made ready with everyone looking on,
a revealing light for outsiders,
and a glory for all your faithful people.
Grace mercy and peace,
from the Creator, Saviour and Counsellor,
will be with you now and ever more. Amen!
Nottingham 12.27.2020
