Simeon-Maintaining Expectancy

One of the great secondary stories to emerge from the birth narratives regarding Jesus is the account of Simeon, the elderly gentleman of Jerusalem, who had longed for and expected to see the Messiah in his day. Luke describes him as a man who was “righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel.” No doubt his skin was warm from years in the desert sun, his body feeble, eyebrows and beard thickened and white, and his hands trembling. Still he believed that God would fulfill His promise. And God would not disappoint. Simeon would in fact, see, hold, embrace, and bless the Christ child. He was able to maintain his expectancy against all odds. At least four characteristics of Simeon give insight into his tremendous faith.

First, Simeon was not disillusioned by the delay; the writer of Proverbs reminds us that hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. It is so easy to give up on the promise given to us by God, and become disillusioned by the delay. Simeon did not. Neither was Simeon influenced by the culture. Jerusalem, by that time, had become cold and lifeless, gripped by a form of godlessness, void of power and hope of a future deliverance. Simeon however stood untainted in that cultural godlessness. Such tenacious commitment to godliness in a perverse culture must mark the people of God today! He also refused to settle for less that what he had been promised. His was the promise of seeing the Messiah and nothing else would do. Unfortunately, we often settle for less than God’s best. Finally, he was not paralyzed by a lack of personal fulfillment. The promise delayed but he kept being faithful. How many today have given up hope and abandoned their spiritual post because their lives lack fulfillment? Simeon refused to be paralyzed by his lack of fulfillment and ultimately embraced the Christ child.

God has given each of us promises and a hope of what lies ahead. We must not become disillusioned by the delay, tainted by the doubt around us, willing to settle for less, or paralyzed by the lack of personal fulfillment. Someday we will embrace our promises and be so glad we maintained our expectations.