Two aged saints, one gift from God, our greatest contribution

By Dean Collins

One day someone will stand in front of a chapel or a gravesite and deliver an obituary about you and me. We might wonder how that first sentence will start. Maybe it will be something like one of these:

She was a leader in our community and made a big difference in …
He was a a great coach and helped many athletes learn life was more than sports…
She was a good listener and helped others know they were loved…
He was a real grill master and fed the best to many …
She was an amazing mother…
He was a faithful husband…

Hopefully many wonderful things will be said about you when the moment arrives. I suspect that those of us who profess faith in Jesus might be honored if someone said this:

There was a man/woman from ____, whose name was____ and they were righteous and devout, waiting for the return of Jesus as the Holy Spirit directed their lives.

A man named Simeon

I suspect you’d agree a statement like that would suggest a life well lived. In Luke chapter 2 we read about a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. Luke tells us that he was righteous and devout, waiting on the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

Simeon doesn't get much focus at Christmastime. Obviously the baby Jesus is the main event. We usually give Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, the angels, maybe the wise men, and even the animals more attention than Simeon.

We don’t know a lot about Simeon other than the fact that he was at the temple when Mary and Joseph followed Jewish precedent and presented Jesus to the priest and made the appropriate sacrifice. Luke tells us the Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would see the Lord’s Messiah before he died. We have no other details than what Luke gives us, so we can only imagine how Simeon processed that information as his life passed

One thing for sure happened. Simeon kept showing up at the temple. On this day the Spirit led him into the temple when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus in their act of dedication. Simeon, overwhelmed by seeing Jesus, took him into his arms and gave thanks and praise to God for letting him see the Messiah before his life was over.

Years later the apostle Paul would focus his life on teaching that the gospel was for all and contained the power to save and unite all God’s children, both Jew and Gentile. But here, in the temple, when Jesus was only a few days old, Simeon declared the same message: “My eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

A plan from God

It was God’s plan all along that everyone saved would be united in Jesus. Seeing Jesus was the fulfillment not just of God’s plan but also of the Spirit’s promise to Simeon. In that moment God was working the big plan while simultaneously keeping a promise to one person, Simeon.

I suspect like me you have days where you wonder if God is paying attention to your situation. Does he have time for our problems when so many big things need his attention and intervention? The story of Simeon reminds us that God cares for individuals as a part of his love for everyone. Simeon didn’t earn this moment, but his righteous and devout character allowed him to experience it.

A prophetess named Anna

Luke tells us of one more person who had the privilege of experiencing this wonderful moment. Anna the prophetess was there as well. She was a widow of many years. Her heritage was from the tribe of Asher, and she was the daughter of Phanuel. Every day for years and years she came to the temple to fast and pray.

Some who saw her surely thought she was wasting time, had no life, maybe was a fanatic. Yet day after day she came and prayed. We don’t know what she prayed for each day, but it’s not hard to imagine the number of babies and their parents she prayed for as she watched couple after couple present their first child to the Lord. Each person she prayed for may have been nameless to Anna, yet she knew that every person mattered to God.

Two faithful, devout, and righteous old people shared space in the temple that day. Maybe they knew each other. Maybe they found comfort in each other’s devotion. We don’t know. What we do know is that like Simeon, Anna was at the temple at the very same day Mary and Joseph brought the child Jesus. When Anna saw Jesus she too offered thanks to God for this privilege of seeing the Messiah. Luke tells us one more thing about her experience. Anna spoke of Jesus to everyone who was looking and waiting for God’s redemption.

Our greatest contribution

There are many things you will do that make a difference for someone, maybe even for whole communities. Our work matters to God and should be embraced for his glory. But maybe the greatest contribution we will ever make is simpler than achieving our career and personal ambitions. Maybe the greatest thing we have to offer is to come daily into God’s presence to seek him and to pray for those he reveals to us as we do.

Our names won’t appear in the Bible, but our faithfulness might just lead to someone’s name being written in the Book of Life.

Your time with God’s Word
‭‭Luke‬ ‭2:36-38; Revelation‬ ‭22:5-7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Photo by Nathan Dumlao at unsplash.com

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