Simeon and Anna

Many of us love to hear and read the story of the birth of Jesus found in Luke’s gospel.    Most of us stop our reading fairly quickly after Jesus is born and  miss what happened a few days later in the temple.  Read these words from Luke 2:

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.²⁷ Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, ²⁸ Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

²⁹ “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
    you may now dismiss^[d] your servant in peace.
³⁰ For my eyes have seen your salvation,
³¹     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.”

³³ The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”  ³⁶ There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷ and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.^[e] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. ³⁸ Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.   ³⁹ When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰ And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

In the early days of this new year, these are important words for me to read.   What stands out in this story about Jesus’ first trip to the temple is that Simeon and Anna have the spiritual wisdom to see that this child in Mary’s arms is the Messiah, the Christ.    As this new year stands fresh before us, my prayer for myself is that (like Simeon and Anna) I will have the wisdom to see God in my midst and that I also will seek to make God seen.  Happy 2016 to one and all.  -  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:   O God, you are alpha and omega, beginning and the end.  Give us eyes to see you and make you seen in the places we live and move each and every day;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.