The Twenty Seventh Day of Advent, 2016

Friday, December 23, 2016

God, you can now release your servant; release me in peace as you promised. With my own eyes I’ve seen your salvation; it’s now out in the open for everyone to see: A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations, and of glory for your people Israel.  Luke 2:29-32 MSG

Dear old Simeon! Translations use different adjectives to describe him – devout, righteous, good, prayerful, expectant. He knew that God had promised a Messiah, and he had prayed that he would live to see the promise fulfilled! When Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the temple for His circumcision and dedication when He was eight days old, Simeon was there – waiting for the Messiah. There is no indication that Simeon knew of the birth. No angels had appeared to him that we know about. But when he saw this couple with their baby, he knew! Here was the One he’d been waiting to see. The Scripture says that the Holy Spirit was upon him. He could not contain himself. He took the baby into his arms, and cried out to God. “Now, I can die. He’s here. My salvation is here.” (my paraphrase)

The New International Version of the Bible says: which you have prepared in the sight of all people. I like The Message paraphrase better: out in the open for everyone to see. There are lots of mysteries in the Bible, things that we have trouble understanding, but this is no secret! It’s out in the open. All we have to do is to see.

Father, let this Christ who lives in my heart be no mystery to anyone but out in the open for all to see.

And Then It Was Christmas: A Journey Toward Christmas
prepared for Homosassa United Methodist Church, 2006,
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator.