The Faith of Simeon and Anna

All through the series of messages during the season of lent, we have been looking at the ways in which the prophets speak about God’s salvation coming through his Messiah. Today, on resurrection Sunday, I want us to see another example of the prophets pointing towards God’s salvation. And all along the thing we have been noting about the prophets’ discussion of salvation has been the connection of shalom to God’s Messiah. Over and over during lent I have been reminding us that the Hebrew word shalom means more than “peace” as simply the absence of conflict or violence. Shalom is also the active advancement of thriving, flourishing, and wellbeing.

shalom “peace” = thriving, flourishing, wellbeing

Today’s example from scripture is a bit unique. It involves the words of prophets, and at the same time involve Jesus himself as a character in the story. It involves an element of shalom in the example we see. Yet at the same time there seems to be something of a two-sided coin in this salvation message. It is a welcome message of shalom for some and seems to come as a message of pain and hardship for others. There is a lot going on here all at once. And to make it even more complicated, it is a story that comes from Luke chapter 2, a story in scripture we usually associate with Christmas, not Easter. But I promise you, there is an Easter message in these words.

Luke 2:25–38 (NIV)

Luke 2:25–38 NIV

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 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. 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.

Contentment is hard to come by. I am reminded of that when I read this story in Luke. Simeon and Anna, we can assume, are both old. In the case of Anna, Luke tells us so. In the case of Simeon, we assume that he is old because of the details in the story—that he appears to be ready for death but has been told by the Holy Spirit that he would see the Messiah first. Here is what strikes me, they see the Messiah—as an infant—but will not live long enough to see the actual salvation of the Messiah. They are content enough just to see and know that God’s salvation is on the way.

Simeon & Anna display a contentment that sees beyond themselves

That kind of contentment is hard to find in our world. It is a contentment that sees beyond oneself to recognize the larger legacy taking place. It isn’t the first time in scripture we see such a thing. Hebrews 11 commends the faith of Abraham which shows up in his belief and acceptance of God’s covenant of a promised land even though Abraham himself knows he will not live long enough to see that covenant fulfilled in his lifetime. Joseph also displays that kind of faith when he gives instructions for his bones to be carried from Egypt back to Canaan when the time comes for God to bring his people out of Egypt. Joseph knows that he himself will not live long enough to see the covenant fulfilled, but he is content, nonetheless.

We don’t see that kind of contentment much anymore in our world. It seems much more the example in our world that people want to embrace the benefits of their efforts now without much thought about the greater legacy which is left beyond themselves. Or maybe that is just something which comes with the wisdom of age and experience for those who are later in life and begin to recognize their own mortality. It shows a bigger picture of the world beyond just what’s in it for me. Simeon and Anna point us in this direction.

first time Mary & Joseph are approached by people of unique notoriety

Let’s set the scene with a little more detail. Luke spells out for us exactly what requirements of the law Mary and Joseph are completing by their presence at the temple. You will need to back up a few verses in Luke 2 to read about that. We can assume they are in the outer courtyard because Mary and Anna are there—women would not be allowed any further into the main courtyard of the temple. (Sorry, that’s just how they did things back then.) It is also significant to recognize that this is the first time Mary and Joseph are approached by anyone who has—how shall we say it—reputable standing. Matthew’s gospel makes it clear that the visit of the magi takes place quite some time after Jesus’ birth. Up to this point, Mary and Joseph have been visited by the shepherds who received the message of the Messiah’s birth from the angels. But let’s remember that shepherds are commonplace workers in Jewish society. They would not be noted as anyone special.

Luke uses this scene to preview gospel themes

Luke tells us that Simeon is righteous and devout, and he tells us that Anna is a prophet. These people carry a special standing and reputation. Further, Luke tells us that Mary and Joseph marvel at what it is they experience by this interaction in the temple. Let’s note that Mary and Joseph—a common and ordinary family—would have been rightly shocked to have esteemed people like Simeon and Anna approach them in this way. This is not just a random event or insignificant sidenote in the story of Jesus. Luke is cluing his readers towards some very central themes of his gospel message in this story.

salvation shalom is anticipated

What are those themes? Start with what we see mentioned at either end of the passage for today. In verse 25 we are told that Simeon is waiting for the consolation of Israel. And verse 38 concludes with a mention that Anna tells the news to all who are waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. This story is framed with bookends that point towards expectation. There is eager expectation for God’s salvation to show up. Simeon, Anna, and others are looking for it, anticipating it, hopeful for it.

resurrection provides hope

Hope is such a key feature of the faith we see in Simeon and Anna. They had both waited such a long time for God to reveal his salvation to them. Yet we see in their examples a lifetime of hope. Hope focused their attention and kept them steadfast. Simeon remained righteous and devout because he held onto the hope that was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit. Anna stays at the temple worshipping all the time. Her life revolves around the hope she has in God’s salvation.

are Simeon and Anna hopeful because they have faith? or are Simeon and Anna faithful because they have hope?

Or maybe I’ve got that backwards. It isn’t their hope which fine tunes their faith; it is their faith which fine tunes their hope. Maybe it is not so much that hope focuses their attention towards the faith they have in God’s salvation. Perhaps instead it is that the faith they have in God’s salvation focuses their hope. Which is it? Are Simeon and Anna hopeful because they have faith? Or are Simeon and Anna faithful because they have hope? The answer is yes, both of them at the same time.

Over the summer we spent time as a church examining a number of habits we call faith practices. These are spiritual disciplines which help followers of Jesus become better disciples. Simeon and Anna are not just examples of people who have faith, they are examples of people who exercise their faith. They demonstrate those habits which help them be better followers of God. Luke tells us that Anna is a person of worship and fasting. These are faith practices which strengthen the life of faith. As the life of faith strengthens, so does the hope which goes along with faith.

There is something to note in this story about pressing deeply into the life of faith. It demonstrates certain outcomes in the lives of Simeon and Anna. They are both strengthened in hope. And they are both attentive towards noticing God’s salvation when it shows up. This early on in the gospel story, Jesus is just a baby. Most of the people in Israel completely missed the arrival of God’s Messiah. But Simeon and Anna have a faith that is intently focused. Because they expect God’s salvation to show up, they see it when it happens.

salvation shalom is cosmic

Here's another theme of this passage. Simeon and Anna recognize that God’s salvation reaches beyond just them. As we have already noted, these two people are quite old. They both know that they will not live to see the complete fulfilment of the Messiah’s work. We don’t know the origins of Simeon; we assume he is one of the Israelites. We are told that Anna is an Israelite from the tribe of Asher (one of the northern tribes in the land). However, Simeon specifically makes mention of a salvation from God which reaches beyond Israel. He talks about Jesus as a light for all nations and God’s revelation for the gentiles. This should not be surprising language to find in Luke. After all, Luke writes his gospel and the book of Acts to Theophilus, a gentile in the Roman world.

resurrection provides restoration of all creation

Simeon and Anna seem to have this ability to see beyond the religious bubble they are living within at the temple in Jerusalem. They recognize that the shalom of God’s salvation is something which stretches beyond their immediate surroundings. The restoration of shalom runs deeper and goes further than what we see in front of us at any given moment. We saw this last week in the Palm Sunday story of the triumphal entry. So very many of the Jewish people were only looking for a savior who would free the nation of Israel from the oppression of Rome. Those people missed the broader restoration of shalom brought by the Messiah because they refused to see beyond their immediate surroundings.

salvation shalom is transitional

And finally, this story holds a theme of tension within the midst of shalom. On the one hand Simeon is filled with peace. He says as much.

Luke 2:29 (NIV)

Luke 2:29 NIV

29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.

Simeon recognizes and embraces the shalom which is revealed to him. But only a few verses later he says this.

Luke 2:34–35 (NIV)

Luke 2:34–35 NIV

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.”

resurrection provides change

change comes with tension

original witnesses of Easter were filled with confusion, trepidation, doubt, bewilderment

Already in the opening chapters of Luke we are told of the tension which will accompany God’s restoration of shalom. Let’s bring it forward to resurrection day. We come into church on Easter Sunday as a day of great joy and celebration. We sing Easter songs filled with triumphant victory. None of this is wrong. The resurrection of Jesus is a day of triumphant victory. Buts let’s not lose sight of the way in which this was a day filled with so much confusion and tension for the disciples. Their immediate reaction to the news of resurrection comes as a mixed bag of confusion, trepidation, doubt, and bewilderment.

resurrection of Jesus is not the endpoint in God’s plan of salvation; it is the starting point in God’s plan of salvation

Resurrection leaves the people surrounding Jesus in a moment which no longer allows for passive observers or disengaged bystanders. There is no dismissing this part of the story. All of the gospel hangs on this part about resurrection. When the stone was rolled away from the tomb on that first Easter and Jesus walks out of the grave, his resurrection is the first in a movement of resurrections. There is no greater example of shalom restored than the resurrection of Jesus. This is why the Bible refers to the resurrection of Jesus as the “first fruits.” It is the beginning of something which most certainly has more to follow. The resurrection of Jesus is not the endpoint in God’s plan of salvation; it is the starting point in God’s plan of salvation.

Simeon and Anna are examples of faith which embrace the shalom of God’s salvation

Resurrection confronts the world with the restoration of shalom in God’s in the world. Those first disciples on that first Easter were not quite sure what to make of it yet. Thankfully they, as well as us, can look back upon the lives of Simeon and Anna as examples of faith which embrace the shalom of God’s salvation.