The Spirit led Simeon to the Temple. When Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the Temple to do what the law said they must do, Simeon took the baby in his arms and thanked God: “Now, Lord, you can let me, your servant, die in peace as you said. With my own eyes I have seen your salvation, which you prepared before all people. It is a light for the non-Jewish people to see and an honor for your people, the Israelites.” [Luke 2:27-32 (NCV)]
To some people, today is known as Groundhog Day but, because it is the fortieth day after Christmas, many Christians know it as Candlemas, the Presentation of our Lord, or the Purification of Mary. According to Mosaic law, the mother of a boy child was considered “unclean” for seven days following the birth of her child. She then had to wait another 33 days to be purified from her bleeding before she could enter the Temple. (If she bore a girl child, her purification time was doubled.) Once a woman’s time of purification was over, she was to come to the Temple and offer up a sacrifice of both a lamb and a pigeon or turtledove. If the family couldn’t afford the lamb, a turtledove or pigeon could be substituted. Forty days after Jesus’ birth, in fulfillment of this law, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to make their offering and present their son to the Lord.
The elderly Simeon was in the temple that day. Scripture doesn’t tell us that he was a priest or a learned scribe and there’s no reason to think he was. It does tell us that he was righteous and devout. Unlike many of the rest of his countrymen, Simeon still eagerly awaited the arrival of the Messiah and the Holy Spirit had revealed that Simeon would not die before seeing Him. As soon as the old man saw Jesus, he recognized the child for whom he was waiting. After taking the baby in his arms, Simeon praised God and said that he’d seen God’s promised salvation, a light for all people, and now could die in peace. He then prophesized the Messiah’s suffering (a suffering that would pierce Mary’s heart, as well). This man of faith holds the honor of being the first Jew to recognize the promised Messiah and the first one to realize that Jesus brought salvation to Jew and Gentiles alike.
Simeon’s beautiful words live on in many liturgical churches with what’s called the “Song of Simeon” or the Nunc Dimittis (from the Latin translation and meaning “Now let us depart”). It often is sung or said following communion, at evensong or compline, and at the Burial of the Dead.
Also in the Temple that day was the aged Anna. Described as a prophetess, the old woman stayed in the temple night and day worshipping God with fasting and prayer. Like Simeon, as soon as she saw Jesus, Anna knew he was no ordinary baby and started praising God. Prayer and praise, however, were not enough; she immediately went out to tell everyone the good news. Anna holds the honor of being the first missionary for Christ!
Luke tells us that the Spirit led Simeon to the Temple that day. What if he hadn’t listened to and obeyed that quiet voice? Once in the temple, can you imagine his surprise when he saw the infant Jesus in Mary’s arms, a woman who could only afford an offering of two birds? Simeon, however, didn’t let presumption or prejudice keep him from seeing the truth. Anna, who had been a widow for eighty-four years, didn’t bury her hope when she buried her husband. It would have been easy for her to have become a bitter old woman instead of a devout worshipper of God. Anna, however, prayed and praised and then proclaimed the good news.
Both Simeon and Anna dedicated their lives to God and lived to see the Messiah before they died. It will be different for us because, after dedicating our lives to God, we’ll have to die before we actually see our Savior’s face. Nevertheless, there is much to learn from the patience and dedication of these old folks. Understanding that God’s timeline was not theirs, they never gave up hope and neither must we. Because Jesus brought His light into the world, like Simeon, we are able to depart in peace!
LORD, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of thy people Israel. [Nunc dimittis. St. Luke ii. 29. (1928 Book of Common Prayer)]
The church in which I was raised recited a general confession during each service and I sometimes wondered why we bothered to confess. I reasoned that, since God sees everything we do, He already knows what sinners we are and what sins we’ve committed so why bother to tell Him what He already knows? Eventually, I understood that, while God knows what we’ve done wrong, He wants us to know it, too. Until we repent, how can we be redeemed? Until we acknowledge our guilt, how can we be pardoned? We must admit why we need forgiveness before we can accept it.
Every Thursday, my next-door neighbor has a standing two-hour appointment at the beach with a friend who lives about an hour north of here. Although marked on her calendar like a Bible study, committee meeting, doctor’s appointment, or book club, there’s nothing purposeful or especially important about their meeting. As she explained, the two simply meet to “catch up.” Unlike my neighbor, I’m more of a “let’s get down to business” than “let’s chat” type and, when I call or meet with someone, there’s usually a specific purpose for the contact. A few days ago, however, an old friend from our home town called for no reason other than to “catch up.” Neither of us had any important news; we just shared a little of what is going on in our lives. While the conversation accomplished nothing (and took me from my work), it was a much-appreciated blessing.
Yesterday’s devotion got me thinking more about the movie War Room. Elizabeth is a woman whose marriage is crumbling and Miss Clara is a fervent prayer warrior. Clara could easily have done her “Christian duty” for Elizabeth by offering to pray for the young woman’s marriage in her “war room” of prayer. Instead, Clara asks Elizabeth to give her one hour a week and offers to teach her how to fight for her marriage with the right weapons. With her offer, Clara lays herself open to rejection, being called a busybody (or worse) and the inconvenience and challenges that come whenever we become enmeshed in another person’s messy life. In short, Clara does more than pray for this troubled woman—she takes action.
Prayer is calling on God’s power; it’s like calling in the big guns to fight the battle. When doubt in the efficacy of prayer sneaks in, however, it’s more like calling in the big guns but not believing they’re loaded with enough ammunition. I am often like the father in Mark 9 who qualified his request that Jesus heal his son by saying, “If you can.” Like that father, I profess to believe but I need God to help me believe more! Sometimes, the enemy sneaks into my heart and causes me to doubt both the ammunition and God’s aim.
Many stories, novels, operas, musicals, and movies have been based on the theme of selling one’s soul to the devil. In Christopher Marlowe’s 1592 play, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, a brilliant scholar who’s sure he’s learned all there is to know by conventional means turns to magic and ends up summoning the devil Mephistopheles. The two agree that, after Faustus has enjoyed twenty-four years of absolute power (with Mephistopheles as his servant), his soul will belong to Lucifer. When the handsome Dorian sells his soul so that he will never age in The Picture of Dorian Gray, he enters into a lifestyle of debauchery. While Dorian remains handsome, his picture changes to reflect the immoral and sinful life he’s led. In the 1968 horror movie Rosemary’s Baby, the naïve Rosemary discovers that her husband sold both his soul and her womb to Satan for riches and career success. As expected, none of those tales end well. The Devil and Daniel Webster, however, does but only because of the eloquence of the famed lawyer and statesman Daniel Webster.
Devotions of the Heart 