Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him…..Coming up to them at that very moment, (Anna) gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Awaiting God

Have we become an impatient people? We have instant messaging, five minute microwave brownies, high-speed internet, cell-phones, movies on demand, and the list goes on. Much of this I believe has led us to become an impatient people. Maybe it started with that Burger King commercial back in 70’s, “you can have it your way” - we’ve massaged that slogan and added an exclamation point behind it, maybe two. Now it is, “I can have it my way, and NOW!” Are we gathered here becoming an impatient people as well? Do we sometimes have a hard time waiting?

Today’s lesson is about waiting, awaiting God. I encourage you to take up the lesson in your bulletin insert.

Just a little background. (Verse 21) On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise Him, He was named “Jesus,” the name the angel had given Him before He had been conceived. Being born under the Law, born as one of us, He was subject to even circumcision, and by the way, the name “Jesus” most commonly means, “The Lord saves.”

The text goes on, 22 When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord)… The time of purification was 40 days after the birth, eight days for the circumcision from the forty means thirty-two days later Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem.

To understand this we need to go back to the prophet Haggai. He is writing 500 years before Jesus is born, Jesus who is God in flesh appearing, Jesus in who the fullness of God dwells or in who the glory of God lives, wrapped in our humanness. Haggai writes, at a time when the Jews are returning from exile and rebuilding the Temple, I will shake all the nations, and the desire of the nations will come , and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord almighty…The ‘glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. (Haggai 2.7 & 9) And we are talking a splendor beyond even what Solomon built and it was said to have been one of the wonders of the world.

The people were hoping that when the Temple was rebuilt that God in all His glory would fill the place. To understand this we need to turn back to 1st Samuel and as they are dedicating the Temple built by Solomon, The cloud (the glory of the Lord, all that is God) filled the Temple (1Sam 8.11) just like in the days of Moses at the setting up of the traveling temple, then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. (Ex 40.34) In the days that followed the words of the prophet Haggai, the people waited. “We want to see some old time glory of the Lord filling the Temple!”….and they waited and waited. I wonder if they like we often do, got tired of waiting? How often are we impatient with God or of the things of God?

But God is not slow in keeping His promise as some define slowness.(2 Peter 3.9) At just the right time He sent His glory to the temple but in a way that was unexpected. Mary and Joseph came carrying the Glory of the Lord to His Temple.

Remember Mary and Joseph were there to offer, as it says in verse 24, a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons." Now the sacrifice was to be a lamb without blemish or defect but in the case of those who couldn’t afford it, “a pair of doves or young pigeons” could be substituted. Isn’t this ironic? He who created all wealth has become so poor for our sake that His parents can only afford the least the Law requires.

Mary and Joseph are bringing the One who will be the ultimate Lamb who takes away the sin of the world to the temple. Most of the people didn’t see it? Do a lot of us still really miss the full impact of it even today?

Jesus once asked the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered for the group saying, “You are the Christ the Son of the Living God.” And Jesus said, “Blessed are you Simon Son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by My Father in Heaven. (Matt 16. 15-16) Apart from the working of God you could have asked a whole lot of people in the Temple area that day who is that baby the couple from Bethlehem is carrying and they would not have known who He ultimately was -and the people missed it…. But we shouldn’t be too hard on them. Apart from the working of the Holy Spirit we would miss it, too. But how often even though it has been revealed to us do we miss other things, as well: the meaning and power of baptism- not just a work of man but the work of God; communion- all that is God coming to us within bread and wine just as all that was God was within the baby Jesus; God’s Word- the wisdom and power of an eternal God laid out before us; and the chance to minister to others not even so much for their benefit but ours, that our faith might be grown and strengthened. How often do we miss much or all of that?

All That Is God In One’s Arms

It seems that a woman was looking for work and applied for a job taking care of a young couple’s firstborn son. She was chosen as one of the five “finalists,” and a few days after being interviewed for the position, the telephone rang. She was bit surprised that the parents offered her the position because there were certainly others more qualified. When she asked why she was chosen, the parents explained, “You were the only one who asked to hold our son in your arms.”

And our text continues: 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God…Holding God, how often are we privileged to take hold of God and the things of God?

Simeon continued, 29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." By and through the working of the Holy Spirit, Simeon’s eyes had been opened. Jesus’ ministry was about opening the eyes of the blind.

Sin has left us all blind. If we say we have not sinned and are not blinded by sin then we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Oh, we can see the things of world, often keenly and astutely, but when it comes to the things of God we are blind. If we who are blind seek to lead others in the things of God then we are as Jesus said, the blind leading the blind and both will fall into a pit. (Luke 6.39-40)

But Jesus did not leave us blind. He came to give sight to the blind. He did this by and through the teaching of God’s Word, His Word. He gave sight to the blind by healing suave made from the blood He shed on the cross- by and through His death we find forgiveness. In that forgiveness is sight- sight to see our sins and repent of them; sight to take hold of Jesus’ teachings, of His life, death, and resurrection. By and through all of that we are brought to see that in Jesus our sins are really forgiven.

This One who could give spiritual sight was attested to by shepherds, Elizabeth, Simeon, and Anna.

Do You See What I See…Have You Seen What Has Been Shown Me?

It is written, Two blind men were sitting on the edge of the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” Despite the rebukes of the crowd they impatiently and persistently shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” …Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed Him. (Matt 20.29-34)

Well, we too have received sight. It is a great gift to have sight when those around you are blind and in real peril. We have the opportunity, the charge and even the responsibility to help those around us. We can help them by telling them of our Jesus. We can do it by and through our words and how we live out the hope that we have within us. We can do it by sharing with gentleness and respect all that we have been brought to see.