Meet Simeon and Anna. Their lives caused God's Eyes to stop here in Luke 2 ~ 2 Chron 16:9. Waiting in the Temple for the Consolation of Mankind. Waiting for the Redemption of Jerusalem. Throughout the OT, people wrote about salvation as physical deliverance from death and sickness and enemies and disasters. Israelites like Simeon thought of salvation as deliverance from the enemy and a Reigning Ruler over Jerusalem. It wasn't Caesar Augustus, could it be the Christ Child? They both had been waiting a long time. And in walks a 12-year-old boy. Simeon "God has heard" was like 113 and Anna *married only to Christ* had been there for several widowed decades. Where two or three are gathered in My Name, there I AM in the middle of a 12-year-old and two centenarians.
Luke 2:35 And, the Good News is that it's more than
Redemption on Earth for it is Redemption for Eternity.
God wants to restore us to Himself. God is concerned in verse 35 with the condition of our hearts. How the Israelites will respond to the Messiah will reveal what is in their hearts. 2,000 years later, same chapter, same verse. How do we respond to God and what He is doing in our lives today? Luke 2:40 And the favor of your Good God is on you.
What IS in our hearts? What stirs deep inside of you? What do you think about in the wee hours of the morning? What do you ponder wonder? What's in your heart?
Luke 2:50-51 "50And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. 51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
ReplyDeleteI never really noticed the verse before regarding Jesus being submissive to his parents, even though they didn't understand He was doing His Father's business.
Submission to Him, is in my heart today.
So much of today's passage speaks to me. Jesus obeyed his earthly parents just as He obeyed His Father in Heaven. Mary treasured all these things in her heart.
ReplyDeleteMy prayer is to treasure God and His Word in my heart as well as to be obedient to Him.
Thank You Father for the Light and revelation to the Gentiles.
Annette H
I agree with Annette H....thank you Father for grafting the Gentiles in,so that I might partake of Your wonderful, awesome, amazing Grace. The Gift of Salvation. Oh, may I look for Him in every situation in my daily life, may I ponder His words in my heart, may I be submissive to His will.
ReplyDeleteAgain, Mary is treasuring things in her heart. I am overwhelmed at the Lord's personal love for me as I reflect on all the "treasures" he has done for me. I can't help but sing this morning . . .
ReplyDelete"He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realise just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.
And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all."
I so love these verses--Simeon's song of delight: "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;
ReplyDeletefor 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." Sweet salvation was on his lips.
This is us! Our eyes have seen His salvation. Now we can die in total peace. The measure of the gift of this knowledge can't fully be experienced, but we can know, rest, not worry about death.
He's so good to us, Gentiles, grafted in, by His merciful love!
And Anna found night and day in the temple- worshipping, praying, fasting. . .oh, to be found so faithful!
And the picture of Jesus as a boy - can you imagine never saying "Jesus, for the last time, go pick up your sandals!" I can't even go there picturing a perfect and obedient Lord child.