December 27th, 2020
“Simeon and Anna”
Luke 2: 21-38
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Monday: “Eighth Day” - Luke 2: 21-24
There are certain folks we talk about every year with the Christmas story - Mary, Jospeh, the shepherds, the angels, the Wise Man. These are the folks that fit into our nativities and Christmas pageants. They are staples. There are others that we talk about frequently, folks like Elizabeth and Zachariah, those who lead us into the Christmas story. But other folks, well, we don’t talk about them as much. People like Anna and Simeon. People who are a continuation of the story of the Christ child in profound ways.
Just as John (the Baptist) was presented by his parents Zechariah and Elizabeth in the temple eight days after his birth for his circumcision and naming, so was Jesus taken to the temple eight days after his birth. He was given the name Jesus, just as the angel foretold, when Mary was told that the Holy Spirit would come over her and that she would give birth.
But several weeks after that time in the temple, forty days after Mary gave birth, the family had to go back again. This time, about a month after the circumcision, it is for Mary to be ritually cleaned. She needed to do so before she would be allowed to worship in the sanctuary or handle sacred things, other than ironically, the holy son of God that she is cradling in her arms. At the same time a sacrifice would have been made for Jesus since he was the first born son - turtle doves if you had money, pigeons if you didn’t. It was here that the family encountered Simeon.
What rituals do we have in our faith that are meaningful?
Prayer: Lord, we may not understand all of the rituals that we find in the Scriptures, but we do recognize the importance of Jesus going to the temple that day. Thank you, O Lord, for the faithfulness of his parents, and the faithfulness of Simeon and Anna and their declarations over the Christ-child. Amen.
Tuesday: “Simeon” - Luke 2: 25-26
Outside of this scripture, we don’t hear much about Simeon. We are told that he was righteous and devout, similar to the terms used a chapter earlier for Zechariah and Elizabeth. He was getting on in years, but the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would meet the Messiah, the one that would save him, save his people, save Israel, before he died. For centuries God’s people had been waiting for their salvation to come, and for a Messiah to come and rescue them. Simeon had been promised by the Holy Spirit that the time would come before he died.
How exactly did the Holy Spirit reveal this to Simeon? We don’t know. We aren’t told in Scripture. But we do know that Simeon so deeply believed this revelation that he staked his life upon it. We also know that he trusted the Spirit’s continually leading in his life, because it was the Spirit that led him to the temple that day.
How does the Holy Spirit speak to you?
Prayer: Lord, we thank you that you do not leave us alone. Instead, your spirit speaks to us and guides us throughout our days. Give us a heart of obedience to listen and respond, as your servant Simeon did. Amen.
Wednesday: “Praised God” - Luke 2: 27-28
Everyone else saw Joseph and Mary coming to present their offering and become clean and didn’t think anything of it. This is just another young family coming to perform their religious duty. But Simeon saw them, through the eyes of the heart of the Holy Spirit, and knew, knew deep within him that the prophecy had been fulfilled. This was the time. Salvation had arrived.
Now maybe by this point Mary was just used to odd things happening with her child. It wouldn’t have been too long ago that a whole gang of shepherds came in from the fields to worship her child and said that angels led them there. But here is an old man, a complete stranger, who took her child scooped her child into his arms and started to praise God. And Mary and Jospeh were absolutely amazed.
What prophecy did Simeon recognize as being fulfilled?
Prayer: God, no one else may have understood Simeon’s words or reaction that day in the temple, but we know that you led him. And as a response, he praised you and you alone. Lord, may we be so bound to your Spirit, that we cannot contain our praise as well. Amen.
Thursday: “Eyes Have Seen” -Luke 2: 29-35
A few years ago Todd Agnew released what is to this day still my favorite Christmas album entitled Do You See What I See? It’s a collection of songs written from different perspectives of characters in this growing Christmas narrative. The one based on Simeon has the following lyrics: A young couple walks through the temple door
“Carrying of salvation in their arms, A sight for old eyes, Redemption draws nigh. In the eyes of this little baby boy… You can take these eyes, For I have seen Your salvation Oh, You can take this breath, And bring me at last into Your Peace. Oh and You can take these hands.I have held the light of the nations And the glory of your people Israel.”
It would be shocking, would it not, to hear such words being proclaimed over your child, even if you knew all that Mary and Jospeh knew. Their son, who no one else seemed to notice was deeply seen and recognized by this man.
How would you react as Mary and Joseph to Simeon proclaimed?
Prayer: Lord, we confess that there are times we do not understand. That we do not perceive. That we do not respond. Do not give up on us, O Lord. Keep speaking to our hearts, we pray.
Friday: “Anna” - Luke 2: 36-38
But it didn’t stop there. There was also a prophetess, Anna, who lived in the temple, day and night. The moment she saw the child, she also knew that Salvation had come and she started to praise the Lord. She would talk to anyone she could about encountering the redemption of Israel - she could not contain the joy spilling over from her heart. Could Mary have imagined that her encounter with the angel would lead to this? To this day in the temple.
It wasn’t Anna or Simeon’s goodness or piety that allowed them to see the Christ child - it was the Holy Spirit. And it was the Holy Spirit that allowed them to go forth from that place to proclaim that they had see God’s Word in the flesh.
Are we so emboldened and led by the Holy Spirit that we can not help but proclaim this as well?
Prayer: Lord, we thank you for the things that we do not understand. We marvel at how big and wondrous your ways are. Let us live into the gift of the mystery, we pray. Amen.
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