My Eyes have Seen your Salvation
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Isaiah 61:10-62:3 • Psalm 148 • Galatians 4:4-7 • Luke 2:22-40
Isaiah 61:10-62:3 • Psalm 148 • Galatians 4:4-7 • Luke 2:22-40
On this first Sunday after Christmas - we’re also celebrating new year’s eve.
In the Methodist tradition we renew our covenant with God at the beginning of the year. A tradition that began with John Wesley.
Celebrating another rotation around the sun - a new beginning - new opportunities. Giving thanks to God for what he has done in the past year.
And surrendering ourselves in anticipation of what God will do in the new year.
This is the traditional Methodist Covenant Prayer:
Covenant Prayer
Covenant Prayer
I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things
to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.
Simeon
Simeon
And that brings us to Simeon - and I appreciate this short description of Simeon in Luke 2:25:
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him.
Righteous and devout.
Looking forward to the consolation of Israel
The Holy Spirit rested on him.
Righteous and devout.
Righteous and devout.
I am a little bit intimidated by Simeon - because when I was trying to understand why people called ministers ‘Reverend’ - it was his name that came up.
If you look up the word: ‘Devout’ the Greek dictionary mentions:
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 53.8 εὐλαβής, ές
53.8 εὐλαβής, ές: pertaining to being reverent toward God—‘reverent, pious.’ ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος δίκαιος καὶ εὐλαβής ‘this man was righteous and pious’ Lk 2:25.
Righteous - as a word simply means that he did what was right before God and before people.
So he challenges me - to think about what it means to be a ‘reverend’ or to be ‘reverend’.
And I’m sure its not just for reverends… but to think about how we conduct our lives.
Are we people who ‘revere’ the Lord -
We can get familiar can’t we.
Take God for granted.
I’m always struck by that line of As the Deer:
You’re my friend and you are my brother even though you are a King.
To live in intimacy with God - and in deep respect of God’s holiness.
How?
It seems like a good idea to be ‘righteous and devout’ - but how do you go about it?
The answer is probably a bit longer than we have time for - but I guess the importance is a combination of righteous and devout… not one without the other.
Genuine and not duteous.
Looking forward to the consolation of Israel
Looking forward to the consolation of Israel
Perhaps part of being righteous and devout is this other aspect of Simeon’s person.
His faith led him to look forward:
Looking forward to the consolation of Israel means that he knew God had something in store for the people.
It is tempting in our humanity to think we can do God’s work for him - but ofr some reason this Simeon - waited - in Faith - knowing that God had something.
And God would do something.
Simeon - and Joseph of Aramathea both get mentioned as:
Luke 23:50–51 (NRSV)
50 Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph, … …and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God.
Aramathea awaited the Kingdom - but Simeon longed for something worded a little differently…
the consolation of Israel
The word for consolation is παράκλησιν from the same word as ‘paraclete’ a word for comfort - for advocate - for coming along side.
Something only God could do.
The Holy Spirit rested on him.
The Holy Spirit rested on him.
And so we read - that in this attidude of decotion and righteousness.
Knowing it wasn’t in his own power.
To do so
Simeon waited for God to do something.
And when Jesus came - he did a small but bery significant thing.
He spoke the Word that God had laid on his heart - through the Holy Spirit:
28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
29 “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word;
What he had been waiting for had now come - and with the Holy Spirit Simeon does only a small thing - he says what is on his mind.
I wonder if he had any idea that we would be reading his words all these years later.
Simeon
Simeon
-Righteous and devout.
-Looking forward to the consolation of Israel
-The Holy Spirit rested on him.
Words of Simeon
Words of Simeon
29 “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”
And
34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed
35 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
Lucan pair…
36 There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,
38 At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.