“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” 

Luke 2:29-32

These are the words of a man named Simeon, spoken after he saw and held the baby, Jesus. He’s not in any of our Nativity scenes either, because he wasn’t at the birth nor even in Bethlehem. But, Jesus was only about a month old when they met. Mary and Joseph brought the baby to the Temple after her time of purification, in obedience to the Law of Moses, to consecrate their firstborn to God. Simeon was there. Waiting. Through the Holy Spirit, God had promised Simeon that he would see God’s Messiah, and under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, Simeon was in the Temple on that day.

Simeon teaches us a profound lesson in trust. In contrast to the Magi, Simeon was not seeking to learn; he already knew about the Messiah. Instead, Simeon was waiting, confidently, for God to come through. Scripture describes him as righteous, devout, and moved by the Holy Spirit. On this day he was in the right place, the Temple, at the right time, when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus. Once again, pieces of the story come together, not by coincidence, but rather under the direction of God’s almighty hand.  Simeon began that day focused, and he entered the Temple prayerfully prepared, aware of the Spirit’s presence, alert to the people around him, and ready to meet his Messiah. He came to the end of that day at peace, for he had seen and held the fulfillment of God’s promise. The most arresting words he speaks are his first words, “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.” Simeon’s physical life, in this world, was nearly over. His work was done. God had kept His promise, and Simeon’s trust was affirmed.

Christmas is now a week away. The list of what we must do between now and then is probably overwhelming. Staying focused on what is important, as Simeon did, is a daily battle against our culture and our expectations. Again, I encourage you to pause. Consider God’s promises to you from His word. Pray. Marvel for a moment at Simeon and his story and God’s hand in it. Become aware of the Holy Spirit’s presence at this moment, and don’t let the day’s noise cause you to forget He is with you. Let the Spirit order your day as He did Simeon’s. Then, maybe you, too, can come to the close of the day with God’s peace in your heart. Trust Him. He knows better than you what today holds.
 

Jay W. Hill