“I Am Simeon”
Speaker Notes
Luke 2:22-35
Jesus Presented in the Temple
22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses,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”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”
25 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 on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 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, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
Bill Cross forwarded me this:
A Visual Counterpart to Jurgen’s Meditation on February 6th . . . . This etching with drypoint was executed in 1654 in his “dark manner” by one of the greatest artists of all time: Rembrandt van Rijn (1606 – 1669). Born in Leiden, Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam at 25, and spent the rest of his life there, never leaving the Netherlands – although nevertheless painting many works of sophisticated and penetrating insight. A draftsman of remarkable dexterity, Rembrandt in minutes conjured up tiny images of extraordinary atmospheric depth, particularly in the 1650s as he faced a series of personal and financial crises. In this print of the Presentation of the Christ Child in the Temple, our attention is drawn most of all to the haunting face of Simeon. As Mary and Joseph bow their heads behind him, and Anna (at upper right) looks on, the old man looks up, his face bathed in light which almost seems to emanate from the baby in his hands. Simeon kneels in recognition of the authority of the high priest, but even more in worship before him who is a high priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek: this very child. The moment we witness is the fulfillment of all which Simeon has hoped for, all that he has lived for. As the dark of the cavernous space contrasts with the light on Jesus and on Simeon, so does the ancient face of Simeon contrast with the unseen face of the newborn baby. And in this place, at this time, there is another contrast, too. It is here that the private story of a young mother, an accepting father, and a few observers, becomes a public story. Simeon knows what the seated high priest cannot: that this child is the hinge of history. While Jesus came quietly into the world, his purpose is not meek and mild. It is that in him, all might live.
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