“The Spirit of God leads by invitation, not coercion.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – February 23, 2023
Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation
that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.” Luke 2:25-32, ESV
According to the Law of Moses, every first-born male was to be dedicated to God in the temple on the fortieth day after their birth. As such, in Luke 2 we encounter the Virgin Mary following the commands of the law, bringing Christ to be presented at the temple. And though a young mother bringing a newborn to the temple would have been a daily sight, this was no ordinary presentation, for Christ was no ordinary child.
As Mary enters the temple, she is met by a man named Simeon, one who is called “righteous and devout,” and in his interaction with Mary we see, just forty days after Jesus’ birth, someone coming to him in reverent worship, seeing in this child the fulfillment of every promise of God.
Might we today look to Simeon as a model for our own posture toward Christ? Today I offer three simple reflections upon his life that I believe to be true for any and every disciple of Christ.
First, Simeon lived a life of hopeful anticipation. We are told that he was “waiting for the consolation of Israel.” Living in his day under the daily oppression of the Roman Empire, no one needed to tell Simeon that his people were in need of consolation! And yet, when many a man may have given up hope and resigned themselves to the reality of their situation, Simeon clung to hope and believed the promises of God. In your own life and community, think of all that is not as it should be. Have you resigned yourself to this fate, or can you, like Simeon, wait for the consolation of God?
Second, Simeon was guided by the Holy Spirit. His ability to wait in hope was due to the Spirit’s presence within him, and his presence at the temple that day was the result of the Spirit guiding him to that place. However, and this is key, the Spirit did not force Simeon to go. The Spirit of God leads by invitation, not coercion. Simeon could have never found his way on his own, yet he models obedient submission, following as the Spirit leads, and we must learn to do the same.
Lastly, Simeon sees Jesus as he truly is, and gives him the honor and reverence he is due. In our day, Jesus Christ has become many things: a curse word, a passing fad (“my homeboy”), a political figure from the past. Yet Simeon approaches Jesus in fear and wonder, for in Christ, his eyes have seen the salvation of God, “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” If we approach Christ in any other way, it is most certainly something or someone other than the living Christ that we have encountered. Simeon’s life was centered in every way upon Jesus Christ. May the same be true of us.
Prayer
Father, thank you for Simeon and his faithful witness to your goodness and love shown in Jesus Christ. May we learn from his example and follow as you lead, centering our own lives on Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
Take time today to meditate further upon these verses from Luke 2, asking the Lord to speak to you through the witness of righteous and devout Simeon.
Related Reading
Psalm 14:7; Jeremiah 17:13; Luke 1:26-33
Worship Resource
Lauren Daigle: Look Up Child
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