Luke 2:29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; 2:30 for my eyes have seen your salvation 2:31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 2:32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” (ESV)
We usually don't think of this passage when we think about the Nativity but of all the elements in the story of the Lord's birth, this is my favorite.
Imagine that God had revealed to you that you would live until the promised Savior came. What would that be like? Would your priorities change? What would be important to you? How could you sleep at night knowing that at any moment you would see and know the promised one?
Would you look at the world differently? Would you look at people differently? What of difficulties and trials? Would they take on a different meaning? What of pleasures and joys? How would they compare to the expectation of the coming of the Lord's Christ?
Simon (and Anna) appear unique and in some ways they are. But was not all of Israel to be anxiously looking for the promise Messiah? Was the expectation of these two not supposed to be the expectation of all? We can only, in truth, say,"Yes!"
Notice Simeon's words:
Your salvation.
In the presence of all peoples.
A light of revelation to the gentiles.
For the glory of your people Israel.
This is not some limited narrow event designated to a small and captive people. This is a cosmic event. A powerful inclusive event. This coming was for all mankind.
This event was to have a powerful effect upon gentiles. Tree huggers, rock worshippers, Zeusers and Pantheists. It was a light - presupposing darkness - of revelation for men and women in the darkness who did not know the truth. It was, quite specifically intended to set the gentile world on its head. And it did.
This coming changed the world forever. No longer was darkness and ignorance a normal state. There was, in the might of revelation, a challenge to the norm - darkness and ignorance. There could no longer be a comfortable apathy concerning the one true God and His sovereignty. Everything would be different for the gentiles from this moment on.
But what of Israel? This moment was to be for her glory. No, not for the praise of Israel but as a justification of her whole existance. She was the people to whom and through whom the promised one was to come and come He did.
I kind of think of this as a cosmic, "We told you so!" moment. All of Israel's history, her very creation and sustinance was aimed at this moment. There was no other reason for her except as the people through whom God would bring redemption to His creation.
In Simon and Anna we see what should have been the reaction of all of the Children of Abraham. But, alas, as the story plays out, it was not.
Now I don't know anyone who has been promised life until the Christ returns. But, as the promise is that His return is immanent - at any moment - I don't know many who have the mind and heart of Simon or Anna either.
Laying aside all the "millienial" foofarra, Christ is returning and that return could well negate the need for this blog.............
ok--- still here.
Do we live with a powerful anticipation of His return? Does knowing that in the next moment we could be with Him really affect our lives?
Now I have strong concerns about the Left Behind series but it did (and does) have one good effect. It brings to the front of our minds the fact that at any moment He will return.
My Pastor and friend David Smith taught recently on the significance of the calling of Abraham and it's parallel to the Christian life. We are called to go, following Him, trusting in Him for all things. It is a life of utter dependence firmly based on a promise.
Now, accepting that our redemption is complete and secure, what promise do we "go" on?
How about the same one as Abraham?
Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 11:9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 11:10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. (ESV)
Hebrews 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 12:23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 12:24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. (ESV)
The point is that this isn't home! We too are to look for His coming, His bringing the New Heaven and New Earth. We are to live and measure all that happens next to the promise. Like Simon and Anna we need to consciously and consistantly focus on the promise, His promise!
What we do here matters. It must or we'd not be here. Many of you know I struggle with depression. Sometimes just getting out of bed is a battle. But I know that every morning, regardless of how the depression is I know two things. First, I know that He has something for me to do - even if I don't see it. Second, this may be the day - His day - my day - our day. This is always enough. Oh, it may not be pretty and as Patti says, "The bear may be grump." But compared to the promise of good works He has prepared for me to do and the promise of His coming - well - the bear will just need to deal with the Grumps.
How foolish must the Thessalonians felt when Paul told them to get off the hill and get back to life. But ya know, they were gutsy folks. A little off in their understanding but gutsy.
We, like our Master, must be about our Father's work. That work though needs to be flavored with the fact that we never know when He'll return - so, no slacking!
Let me close with this. The measure of our service to Him is simply faithfulness. Not perfection, not even consistancy but faithfulness. That means two things. First it means we do everything in utter dependence upon His faithfulness. Second, it means we never quit. We may fail and faulter. We may get distracted or diverted but we NEVER quit. Some us will run after Him. Some of us will walk after Him. Some of us will limp after Him. Some will even crawl after Him. But regardless the pace or the method we follow after Him.
And - we should all anxiously look for Him - living with our lives clearly marked by His promised return.
MS
No comments:
Post a Comment