Christmas 2013

Dear Friends and Family, As in the last 9 years, I bring you more thoughts of the Christmas story. Every year I wonder what God is going to teach me, and this year God is using Simeon. Of the four gospels, only Luke records the story of Simeon. I would like to have known Luke. I would like to have watched him as he gathered information about Jesus in order to record it. I wonder who he talked with and how he chose which information to share in his gospel. He shares things the other gospels leave out...things that must have seemed insignificant to most, but to Luke, important. I imagine Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem, Jesus’ birth, shepherds visit, on the 8th day Joseph circumcised and named Jesus, on the 40th day they make the 5 mile walk to the temple to offer a sacrifice to redeem the firstborn son. They climb the stairs and pass through the section of the temple in which Gentiles are allowed, climb more stairs to the Court of Women where Mary pays the price for the turtledoves or pigeons. They climb more stairs to the threshold of the temple where she waits to be noticed by a priest. One comes to her and sprinkles her with the sacrificial blood and declares her clean. She offers up Jesus. We are not sure if Simeon was a priest or just a man in the temple. Some historical documents suggest he may have been one of the 72 translators of the Septuagint which would make him over 200 at the time of this story. Simeon is described as righteous and devout. How wonderful for such a thing to be said of you. He was looking for the Messiah. (This same phrase is repeated about Joseph of Arimathea as he asks for the body of Christ at the crucifixion.) Wow! Am I constantly looking for Jesus everyday? As Simeon looked….he saw! Oh that when I look, I will see! Simeon had the “Holy Spirit upon him.” As a Christian, the Holy Spirit is not just upon me, but in me. Simeon had been promised by the Spirit that he would see the Messiah before his death. His faith in that promise was firm. Oh, that my faith in the promises of God were so firm as Simeon’s. Simeon’s one heart’s desire was to see the Messiah. Oh that that will also continually be my heart’s desire. And he had such insight about it. Oh that would have insight to see and understand daily. Mary and Joseph allowed him, a stranger, to hold their baby. First, he blesses God, then he thanks God for the promised child. Oh that I would bless God and thank Him daily for the gift of Jesus. Next he talks about Jesus being a light to the Gentiles. Joseph and Mary were amazed at what was being said about their child. I always find that funny….they got angelic appearances, shepherds visits, knew He was the Messiah, are are still amazed when others proclaim it. I wonder if they doubted his identity, or if they were amazed that God revealed truths to others. Sometimes I think I am the only one God is speaking to...then I hear what God is doing in someone else’s life and the realization that I am not “special” smacks me in the face and I see God speaking to everyone. It is just those who are listening who are gettting it. Next, Simeon blesses Mary and Joseph...I love that part. I smile. They need some blessing...they have been through a lot of social shunning, etc. They are alone in a place that is not home and they have been stuck there for at least 40 days or so until Mary is well enough to travel back home after the birth. As Simeon spoke to Mary, he says scary things. I half hope she did not understand until she was watching Jesus die on the cross, but as a mother myself, I bet she thought about and worried about those words many times. I bet every time anything happened, she wondered if that is what Simeon meant. I wonder if she thought of that while she stood at the foot of the cross in utter despair. Among the scary things that Simeon spoke, were also words of comfort to the fallen world. There were words of hope for Gentiles, actually an Old Testament quote. Oh, that the words I speak could be as hopeful, inspiring and insightful as Simeon’s. I have learned from Simeon: I should seek Jesus daily and expect to see Him working in me; make it my heart’s desire to see Him and trust His promises. May I bless God and others. May I be thankful for the gift of Jesus, everyday. May I continually be amazed at a God who communicates with all of us all the time. May I always be listening to God. May my words bring comfort, hope, inspiration and insight. May I wait patiently, and expectantly to do good to those around me as Jesus would have me do. When I see Jesus, may I freely share Him with a fallen world. May we all focus on whatever aspect of the Christmas story God reveals to us more deeply than before. May it change us this year! Merry Christmas!!