Today and tomorrow we’ll be looking at two of the walk-on characters in the Christmas story. They don’t show up in our manger scenes, or on our Christmas cards, but they have their own wonderful Encounters With Jesus.
“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 2:30-32
Now I Can Go
Simeon
My father always said I should have been born a Levite. Even as a young boy, I loved the days we spent in the temple. I grew up just outside the holy city, so on Sabbath we would all go to the temple to gather for prayers and the reading of the scrolls.
Though I am of the tribe of Judah, my name is Simeon. All my life, my teachers and rabbis said I was well named. My name means harkening. They would call me the little listener. When I was a boy, there was a Levite who would tell us, the children, stories of our history every Sabbath day. Sometimes it seemed the scrolls were nothing but a roll book, name after name—he begat him begat her. But many days he read us stories of the great deliverers of Israel.
We learned that the Lord Almighty had chosen us, the Jews, above all nations. When we cried out to Him, He rescued us. He used men and women from all backgrounds to liberate us from our enemies. I loved those days, those stories of faith-filled heroes like Gideon and Samson, Deborah and Esther, Joshua and Elijah.
The stories stirred up a yearning deep inside me to see the Lord’s hand of deliverance once again. In those days it was the Philistines, or the Babylonians, or the Assyrians. Today, Rome occupies the holy city and all of our lands.
Some say the Lord has abandoned us, that we are a godforsaken nation because of our repeated rebellions. But they forget the promise God made to our people. He would send Messiah. The scrolls speak of One who would be born not far from here, in Bethlehem, born of the root of Jesse, the tribe of Judah, the son of David. He would be a deliverer. He would set us free once and for all from the hand of our oppressors. He would reign on the throne of David. The kingdom He would establish in Israel would have no end.
O how I longed to see this Messiah!
When I was a boy, I didn’t understand the need. My parents protected us from the indignities and persecutions we suffered as an occupied people. As I became a man and began to raise my own family, I felt the oppression firsthand. They let us worship after a fashion, but they demanded our money, tribute to their Caesars. They required us to give our children to serve them, to do their menial tasks, all the heavy lifting. It was hardly any different than what our forefathers suffered in Egypt.
I said I was a good listener. Sometimes I heard things—heard things in my spirit. It was hard to explain. In the scrolls, we read of seers—those who had visions, even those who encountered angels. But I heard the voice of the Lord. At first I told everyone about it, but they looked at me like I needed special help, so I stopped sharing what I heard.
Initially I wasn’t sure if it was the voice of the Lord, but the things I heard could always be found in the scrolls. I would write out the message I’d received and read it to the rabbi. He would open the scrolls and show me a prophecy that said the same thing. It confirmed what I had heard.
About twenty years ago now—I think I was in my sixtieth year—I heard something that has thrilled my soul for these two decades: the Holy Spirit of the Almighty told me I would see this Messiah with my own eyes before I tasted death.
This I never shared with anyone. It was one thing to compare what you heard in your meditations to what was written in the scrolls, but this was so personal. Yet, I knew what I had heard. There was no question in my mind, because I had tested that voice so many times. I knew the voice of my Lord.
It has been twenty years. There have been days when I thought I missed it and days when I thought I was crazy. But somewhere inside, I knew I would see this Long Expected One, the Lord’s Anointed.
It was eight days ago that I heard it once again.
“The time is near.”
I began to fast and pray. I would head to the temple every day and worship before the Lord.
Today when I awoke, the Spirit of the Lord came upon me; that’s the only way I can describe it. It was not like in the past when I heard things. This was the presence of Holiness. I knew this must be the day, so I dressed and headed to the temple. I didn’t break my fast.
As I stood in the temple and ministered to the Lord, a couple came in with an infant. I could see they had come to dedicate Him to the Lord. As they stepped into the court where I was worshipping, my spirit leapt for joy. This child—this infant—was the One, the Promised Messiah.
As they approached, I went to them and fell to my knees before this One born King of the Jews. The young mother handed the child to me, and I wept for joy.
I cried out:
“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.”
As I looked into the eyes of my Lord, His Spirit rose up in me, and I spoke what I heard:
“This child marks both the failure and the recovery of many in Israel, A figure misunderstood and contradicted— the pain of a sword-thrust through you— But the rejection will force honesty, as God reveals who they really are.”
My heart can barely contain the joy and peace I feel. I have been old, but today all things are new. Though our oppression has not changed, today I am free. Though my joints ache and my eyes aren’t what they used to be, I am leaping for joy, and I have seen the Lord’s salvation.
I am ready to go to the bosom of Abraham today, where I can tell my story to those who have gone before.
The day of deliverance is here.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
~~~
To read the original story, see Luke 2:25-35.
If you would like to get your hands on a copy of the entire book check the right side of the page and follow the link to Amazon.
Thanks for coming by,
See you again tomorrow,
Ben