Simeon’s Story

Luke 2

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him.  It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
    according to your word;
 for my eyes have seen your salvation,
     which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
    and for glory to your people Israel.’

And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him.  Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’

This account, recorded in the Gospel of Luke, is accurate. How do I know? I know because I am the son of Simeon, and he told me this story before he died.

Actually, he told me most of this story even before it happened. He knew it was coming, you see, and his faith in the prophecy was strong. He recounted it many times, in fact. I could almost recite the prophecy by heart. And then, it happened, just as he said.

My father, you see, was forever waiting. Waiting for something life-changing, not so much for himself, but for our nation Israel and by extension, for the whole world, really. He was waiting and waiting. I am not certain for how long, but I believe he waited for years, many years, in fact. And as he waited, what was at first a vague spiritual message, became more and more clear.

What did he know and when did he know it? At first, all he knew was that he had been singled out to wait for something special from our Yahweh God. My father was too humble to ever consider himself as a prophet, but in my opinion, that’s just what he was. And slowly, over the years, as he waited, he came to learn the nature of the prophecy: the arrival of the Lord’s Messiah.

Of course, there were many earlier prophets, going back hundreds of years. Isaiah, Jeremiah, and even Moses were among them. But their prophecies were ancient, distant, while the prophecy given to my father became much more immediate and connected to his very life. He was to take part in the prophecy, to literally be a participant.

And so, as he aged, his expectations continued to rise, anticipating the imminent arrival of our Lord.

He did wonder, you should know, why this prophecy fell to him. I mean, without question, my father was a humble man, not a man of means or of great education. He was not known by our religious leaders, though they could easily have spotted him in the temple most days, deep in prayer.

And perhaps, that’s why he was chosen. Because, you see, a more prominent person would have drawn attention to himself, both before and after the birth of Jesus. You must understand that a religious leader, selected instead of my father, would have broadcast the news that the Messiah was coming. And once the Messiah had arrived, such a prominent person would have taken charge and promoted himself as the herald of the most significant news of all time.

My father had no appetite for such fame. And let me tell you one more thing about him, something that will affirm why our God chose him and not one of our religious leaders.

You see, it wasn’t at first clear to me why my father was selected to carry this news. His humility made him an unlikely choice, in my opinion.

But now, I am much older, actually, the same age as my father when he first met the baby Jesus. And as the years went by, I was able to witness the entire life, death and resurrection of Jesus. And as a result, I now know why such a humble person, and not a well-known religious leader, was chosen.

You see, years after my father’s death, I heard Jesus utter these words:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

 Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

No words ever better described my father. To borrow an expression describing King David, my father was a man after God’s own heart. As Jesus himself was humble, so was my father.

Did my father know that the Messiah would appear as a baby and not a grown man? Did he know that the Messiah would come from such modest means? And did my father understand that his silence and imminent death would protect the life of the baby Jesus from those who would seek to kill him?

I wish I had asked him these questions. But I did not. My father, has of course, gone on to his reward. You must know that he died soon after his experience in the temple.

I also wondered about his ominous prophecy about the life of Jesus, and especially the “sword” that would pierce the heart of Mary. Did he know what would happen to Jesus? Could my father imagine how the Messiah, the Son of God, would be treated by us, his very children? That he would be rejected and brutally killed, only to rise again?

I wish my father was here so that I could ask him. But I was too young at the time. There are so many things that I will never know, and I regret not asking when I could.

Simeon the Righteous

Aleksey Yegorov 1830

And one more thing. I believe my father was chosen to receive this prophecy because he had shown the faith needed to wait for it. A person of weaker faith would have grown tired, discouraged and would eventually have given up.

But not my father. God knew what he was doing when he chose my father for this task.

And Mary and Joseph? As the scripture says, they were “amazed.” My father’s appearance in the temple, together with his words of prophecy, served once again to reinforce the message they had first heard in visions, that their son, Jesus, would be the Son of God.

What does it all mean? One thing that stands out to me is how God communicates with us, through his Spirit. Before the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph both experienced visions, followed by visits from shepherds who’d heard angels singing the praises of the birth of Jesus. And now, they heard from God again, speaking through the voice of my father, Simeon.

I hope you have, in reading this, gained an appreciation for the faith of someone who waits. Someone who is humble enough not to broadcast how he was chosen for something special. If you remember anything about the story of my father, Simeon, I’d like for you to remember his prayer. You see, he prayed every morning, at sunrise, and he never knew which day would be THE day when the prophecy would be fulfilled, the day that would summon his departure from this life. I heard him pray this prayer many times, always the same, and always on his knees:

“Lord, I humbly wait for your arrival. As the sun rises today, let the presence of your spirit rise in the hearts of all who call you Lord. You have blessed me with your calling on my life. You have blessed me and I am ready. Ready to see the light, your light, the sign of your salvation to all peoples. And if today is the day you have chosen, let my part in it glorify you by my obedience. And let my very life be a sign to all who, like me, humbly wait for your coming.”