Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - SIMEON

 SIMEON

When discussing the birth of Christ, we often don’t go beyond the visit of the Magi and Herod’s rampage on the children of Bethlehem. Usually, we do not read further in Luke to realize all that happened after the time in the manger. But there’s so much more to the story…

“And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, [and] when the days of [Mary’s] purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord…” (Luke 2:21-22). It’s interesting to speculate as to where they were living during this time, perhaps in the home to which the Magi later came. And if the shepherds, after seeing the baby Jesus, had “…made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child, and all those who heard it marvelled at those things which were told them by the shepherds…” (Luke 2:17-18), how could they enter Jerusalem unrecognized and unnoticed? Certainly the supporters of Herod and of the High Priest could not have known what was taking place.

So they came into the city and to the temple with no one apparently knowing who the Child really was. This, in spite of the shepherds having made it widely known what they had heard and seen regarding the Baby, and also in spite of the prophecy of Jacob: “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah…Until Shiloh comes…”(Genesis 49:10). Well, the sceptre had been removed by the Roman occupation, the priests had even torn their garments because the Messiah had not appeared and yet here He was, in their midst and not recognized. 

Still one apparently realized who this Child really was. Simeon, a “just and devout” (Luke 2:25) man “…came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus…he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: ‘…my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples. A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel.’” (Luke 2:27-32). 

What made Simeon so perceptive regarding Christ when He was not recognized by so many others? And what made the meeting between the two so fortuitous? After all, it would be only for a short time and only for one occasion that Christ would have been in Jerusalem.

Firstly, Simeon “came by the Spirit into the temple.” It wasn’t just a coincidence that Simeon happened to be in the temple at that time. How many times do we get an urge to go places or meet someone or do something we perhaps didn’t initially intend to do? How many times are we led by the Spirit in such circumstances without recognizing it and as a result miss out on something special?

Secondly, Simeon had been waiting for and looking for the Messiah. It appears he was more in tune with what was happening than both the chief priests and Herod’s advisors. He was informed that: “…he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26). We are told to “seek and you will find” (Luke 11:9) and that “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Simeon had been seeking Christ and was rewarded in Jerusalem.

Finally, Simeon was willing to accept Christ when he did at last find Him for “…he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said…my eyes have seen Your salvation” (Luke 2:28,30). Do we sometimes not accept Christ even after seeking Him? Christ said: “…I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him…” (Revelation 3:20). When we do find what we have been seeking then it becomes most important that we accept and enter into a relationship with the One we seek.

Simeon did what was needed of him and as a result was able to see what the shepherds had first been told by the angel - “…I bring you good tidings…which will be to all people” (Luke 2:10). In turn, Simeon uttered the first post-birth prophecy that Christ would be “A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:32).

To seek and then to be led to the acceptance of that which has been sought: well, that is something to really think about.