“Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
”Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
Luke 2:27-32 (NIV)
Simeon was very advanced in age, but he had been waiting and praying his whole life, to behold the Messiah with his own eyes, before he dies.
With faithful anticipation, Simeon praised God in the temple, year after year, although no Messiah appeared.
Over the years, his sense of anticipation never ceased. He kept coming to the temple expecting that perhaps this is the day, that he would behold the Messiah.
One day, he spotted a certain couple carrying an infant who was a little over a month old. He was moved by the Holy Spirit, that this was not just any baby boy, but the One he was waiting for. Simeon walked straight over to Mary and took the infant from her arms into his, looking at Him in amazement. Then he worshipped and praised God, to finally behold His Son, the Savior and gift to the world.
If we could only go to church every week with the same sense of awe and anticipation that Simeon had, it would enrich our church experience. Simeon knew that the Messiah would come one day, but he wanted more than knowledge. He wanted to experience Him, by touching and being touched by Him. It was a life changing moment for Simeon to behold Jesus, the Messiah.
Maybe we could go to church with Simeon’s attitude, wanting more than the knowledge that God is there. Maybe we could take our faith a step further, and have the same anticipation that this is the day that we will experience Jesus in a new and deeper way, to spiritually touch Him and be touched by Him, as Simeon did, by beholding Him.
Going to church with Simeon’s anticipation, means more than hoping to hear a good sermon or sing a favorite song or hymn. It’s more than knowing we are in God’s house. It’s about coming to church, and anticipating the Presence of Jesus, as if for the first time.
I asked myself if I ever come to church with Simeon’s anticipation.
I think I come in obedience and in gratitude, and with my many needs for God to meet, but Simeon’s mindset was much different than that. He came to the temple with an attitude of praise, yet always seeking to behold the Presence of the Savior.
Meditating on Simeon, reminds us to continually expect to behold Jesus in a new way. As we sit in our pew, do we consider that this is the day that the Lord might show up in a way that we have never beheld Him before?
That is Simeon anticipation.
To behold Jesus is to adore Him for who He is, and not for what we need from Him. To behold Him is to desire Him even when we have no answers to difficult questions in our lives. By faith we say, “I don’t understand much of what is happening Lord, but help me to behold you, like Simeon.”
I heard of a man who told his story of living as an atheist, making many wrong choices over the past thirty years of his life. One day he walked into an empty church, looked up and said, “I don’t know who you are; I don’t know how this works; but I’m a mess. Please help me.”
Jesus responds to that kind of plea.
The man didn’t come to church to hear great preaching or great music, not that there’s anything wrong with that, but he came there seeking one great person. He spiritually reached out for Jesus, and was touched by Him. Like Simeon, he beheld the Lord for the first time, experiencing His love and mercy, and his life was changed forever.
Jesus said “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
(John 20:29)
We are the blessed ones, if we are coming to church, without physically seeing Jesus, yet believing in Him. We can follow Simeon’s example, by coming into the temple with life changing anticipation, to behold Jesus, in a new way.
Lord, give us Simeon’s anticipation that this is will be the day we behold you as if for the first time, and be touched in a new way by your loving and merciful Presence, as we enter your house with praise. Amen
