Luke 2:29-32
‘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.’
Have you ever had to wait a very, very long time for something you truly wanted? What was that waiting like? (Frustrating? Peaceful? Excruciating? Calm?) Perhaps what the wait is like has something to do with our faith - when we trust in the Lord, our wait is much easier. Simeon, who sang this song when he met the infant Jesus after waiting for so long, waited patiently and trusted that the Lord would do as he said. Simeon could now die in peace as God's word had been fulfilled - with Simeon's very own eyes he beheld the glory of the Lord's Messiah. We can imagine Mary placing the baby into the old man's arms, moved by his words of wisdom and faith. Perhaps he put his face near the infant's to see him better, as the elderly often do when holding a child so they can see their face with aged eyes. No doubt, it had to be a precious and tender moment in the memory of the young mother as she thought about it later. A source of comfort and hope in those times when she would have to wait for God to act, like as she stood at the foot of her son's cross on Calvary, or as she grieved his death over that Sabbath night.
We all have moments when we have to wait for God to act. But act he does! In the waiting time we cling to our faith that God's promises are indeed trustworthy and true and we will see the Lord's salvation with our own eyes just like Simeon.
Holy Lord, give us patience and hope as we wait and watch for the return of the Messiah on the last day. Fill our hearts with your light and love, and encourage to recall your wondrous deeds that happen in your time, not ours. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
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