Simeon's Praise

Simeon's Praise Luke 2: 22-35 I wonder if you've ever met that person who on the face of it is quiet and unassuming, and yet cares and loves deeply, never complains about their circumstances, isn't critical of others, however wrong they might be, and is always ready to encourage and support? People like this, I'm sure you'll agree, are few and far between; and yet, praise the Lord, they do exist. Though the reality is that such people tend to be overlooked and undervalued by the majority of folks, simply because they don't stand out in the ways that society expects of them. Simeon, who we meet in our passage today, and whose song of praise, known as the Nunc Dimittis from the Latin translation of the Bible meaning "You now dismiss", was I suspect just such a man ... in sharp contrast to his namesake Simeon the second son of Jacob's twelve, who along with his brother Levi caused his father much grief because of his hostile and violent nature, as we find recorded in Genesis chapter 49. No this Simeon, I'm sure, would have been a peaceful man, one who went about his business quietly but with outstanding and certain faith in the God of Israel whom he served. In those days many of the Jews were of the opinion that because they were the chosen ones, God's special people, it was only a matter of time before the Lord would act and they'd gain their rightful position as masters of the world and lords of all the nations. And, to bring in that day, some believed that a great champion sent by God would descend upon the earth. Another king of the line of David, who'd lead his people to a violent and final victory over all their enemies. And yet there were a few others, people like Simeon, whose dreams weren't of warfare and power and overthrow. Instead they believed in a life of constant prayer and quiet watchfulness, until the sovereign Lord in love and mercy came in the way that he planned, the day when he'd come to be with his people, to console them. That day, as we heard from Isaiah, about which God had urged his people to: "Burst into songs of joy together ..., for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem." You see Simeon believed that God would act in this way because of his understanding of the words of Scripture. Perhaps not least those words in the 52nd chapter of Isaiah. And here he was, now it seems an old man, still holding on to these beliefs. Despite the fact that all around him others were preaching a more confrontational God, a more obviously judgemental God, such that they themselves were also confrontational and judgemental ... especially concerning those who weren't of the house of Israel. Simeon meanwhile had remained faithful to his understanding of God's plan, even though he could well have become disillusioned. After all nothing had yet happened to improve the people's position, in fact it had got worse, if anything. Yes they'd got their own land now, but nevertheless they were little better than servants of Rome. And still God hadn't come. And so some had given up waiting and turned to violence but not Simeon. No he persevered convinced that, whatever else might change, God never would, that he'd always keep his promises. You see Simeon understood that the living God of Israel was far greater than mere mortal man would ever be able to grasp. And so he was content to leave the details of how he was going to save his people up to God himself ... without trying to second guess him. His place as he saw it, as a mere servant of God, was to wait in quiet obedience upon his master. And so, as a result of this obedience to God and his persistent belief in the Lord's promises, Simeon had grown in Godliness as he'd quietly and faithfully lived out his life. He was, as we're told, "righteous and devout". In other words God had rewarded him with a character that was pleasing to him. And not only that; he'd also shown his love for Simeon by giving him a special promise, which was that he would actually see, before he died, the Lord's Christ. And surely this was a promise by which Simeon's faith and his trust in God would only have been confirmed and strengthened. Simeon then was clearly open to the Spirit's guidance. His heart and his mind were tuned in to the Lord's will for him. And so when, on the day that Mary and Joseph went along to the Temple in Jerusalem with the baby Jesus to complete the sacrifices required by the Law for women who'd recently given birth, Simeon was able to perceive that God was directing him to go up to the temple. And there he obediently went, into what would have been the court of the women, the second court into the temple, the furthest into the Temple that Mary would have been allowed to go. But of course it was one thing going up to the temple in response to God's leading, a very different thing entirely being able to recognise the reason for that leading once he got there. And yet, Simeon being very definitely a man of God, when he saw the little baby knew immediately who he was. And suddenly he was filled with the wonder of the moment as he took the Son of God into his arms and began to praise the Lord for all that His coming to earth meant. Simeon's words showing once again how close to God he'd become. Because he was able to demonstrate, as he spoke of the child and to his parents, the acute insight which he'd been given into the nature and destiny of the Lord's Christ. Now one might have thought perhaps that Simeon's focused faith, his primary desire to live in a way that would please God, would have resulted in him having a rather limited and restricted concept of what God's plan in sending the Messiah would be. That like many of his fellow countrymen he'd have been tremendously nationalistic ... glorying in what God was about to do for the people Israel alone. But, no, instead we find him speaking of the Lord's salvation in a way that it hadn't actually been expressed up until now. In a way that was certainly in line with Old Testament teaching but nevertheless in a way that most good Jews would have been offended by. In a way, that we know, caused a great deal of offence to the religious leaders during Christ's ministry. Because Simeon clearly widened those who'd be influenced by this light that had come into the world, to include all peoples, and not just the Jews, saying (from verse 30 of our passage): "My eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people", and also, "A light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." Actually, very shocking words ... words in fact that we, who were once considered outside God's plan of salvation, can perhaps take too much for granted at times ... whilst others can take them too far declaring that everyone is saved. As no doubt some of the people of Israel did in Jesus' day, when they claimed that because they were children of Abraham, his natural descendants, they were automatically acceptable to God. But, again, Simeon showed his deep understanding of the mind of God when, in speaking to Mary, he told her that, no, not everyone would be saved, not even every Jew, those who'd been covered by the temporary atonement purchased by the annual sacrifice at the Temple. No, the child would, in fact, cause many to fall as well as many to rise (verse 34 of our passage). He'd be someone who people would speak against and reject; someone who was to reveal what human beings can't see, that which is at the centre of each of us ... our thoughts, our true selves. He'd separate out those who're made right with God from those who aren't. And then, speaking personally to Mary, Simeon made reference to the ultimate destiny of her son ... to his death on the cross. That which would be the sword that would pierce her own soul too. With this song of Simeon, then, a new train of thought was introduced to God's people, that of the inclusiveness of the good news of salvation. No longer would people be able to point at a certain racial group and say, "they're God's people", whilst saying of another, "They're beyond redemption". No longer would they be able to make assumptions about God's will for specific individuals, no longer would they be able to, in effect, make up God's mind for him. Which is what the attitude and behaviour of the Scribes and Pharisees amounted to when they created and debated their many rules which they believed better explained God's will based on the Law that he'd given them. Instead God was now taking over. Coming to earth as a man to teach and direct personally regarding his will for those whom he's chosen to be righteous. To himself enable all people, who respond to him in faith, to experience his Salvation. To actually live within them through his Holy Spirit ... so that they might know his will and be made able to more obediently follow it. And Simeon saw that this would happen ... so that he was able to leave God's plans in God's hands, and simply rejoice in the fact that he'd witnessed its revelation. He was able to say, after a life of dependence on God: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace." Oh to rejoice at what God has done, at what he's doing, and at what he will do, whilst simply resting in the knowledge that he's in control, trusting in his word to us! What a wonderful attitude to have as his servants! But then do we always find this way of thinking in our churches, amongst God's people? Or do we find, too often, that God still has many spokesmen and women all with conflicting views about his will for us, all certain that they're right. Oh to have that same level of active love, compassion, and acceptance that Simeon felt ... that God's Son, Jesus Christ, has shown to us. Seneca, a first century Roman philosopher, once said that: "what men need above all is a hand let down to lift them up". And, as William Barclay rightly says concerning this thought from a non-Christian: "It is the hand of Jesus which lifts a man out of the old life and into the new, out of the sin into the goodness, out of the shame into the glory." And so, surely, if we're to represent him properly, we too should be trying to the best of our ability to do the same, to hold out our hands to whomsoever the person in need might be. When we look at a crowd of people, something I guess that we hope to not to see these days, it's very hard to distinguish one face from another. And yet were told that God knows all about the very least of his creatures, that he alone knows the thoughts and motives of people. Our role though, as his servants saved purely by grace, is simply to reach out in Christ's name to all people, as we're given the strength and ability. And to do so with humility, loving them more than ourselves, not assuming we know their thoughts and motives, not assuming a position of spiritual superiority. But recognising that Christ died so that everyone is offered the chance of responding to the good news of his death and resurrection, whoever they might be, by either accepting it or rejecting it. Always of course praying for acceptance, whilst leaving that to the working of the Holy Spirit, who knows the will of God. Finally, we learn from the example of Simeon something about patience and perseverance whilst we wait for God to work in our lives and in the lives of others. He was surrounded, as we've said, by people who held different views to his own about what God's Salvation meant. People whose views would have been attractive to many because they were about action, about doing something themselves to speed on God's plans, about earning God's forgiveness themselves. But Simeon waited for God to act; convinced that what he'd been promised, God would bring to pass. Despite the fact that the passing years would've continually been crying out to him: "it's never going to happen". Of course he wasn't idle during this time. No, he spent the hours of his life well seeking God, finding out what pleased him, and walking in his ways whilst humbly persisting in a Godly life. So that eventually he received such a wonderful blessing from God and so that now, through the witness of God's word, we all know him to have been a righteous and devout man. So then where do we stand, we who're God's chosen people today? Are we spurred on by our awareness of the scope of God's free salvation even for the meanest of people? Do we humbly recognise that our understanding of God and his ways is incomplete, whilst seeking to love all people, even though they may despise us? Not limiting our love, but asking God to enable us to love even those we'd prefer to reject? Well as Christ's ambassadors we must surely ask ourselves some hard questions here. Such as, are people encouraged to consider Christ by the lives of love which they see us living? Are people drawn to him by our words? Do they marvel at what we say about him? Or do they see something else and simply walk by. May we each seek to be like Simeon. People who are humble, loving towards all others, supporting and encouraging of others, there for the one who's in pain with God's enabled compassion. May we all be people of faith who're sensitive to God's leading, and who patiently wait for him to lead us on. And then, when he chooses to do so, may we be so tuned into his will that we'll go, such that we'll be able to fully experience his many intended blessings for us. Amen