Christmas 1 B
Luke 2:25-35
A Peaceful Passing
12/29/02
"A myriad of men are born; they labor and sweat and struggle;...they squabble and scold and fight; they scramble for little mean advantages over each other; age creeps upon them; infirmities follow; ...those they love are taken from them, and the joy of life is turned to aching grief. It (the release) comes at last--the only unpoisoned gift earth ever had for them--and they vanish from a world where they were of no consequence,...a world which will lament them a day and forget them forever." That’s how Mark Twain spoke about matters of life and death.
It’s sad really -- for a man who had so many blessings in life and so much to look forward to – that he had such a dismal attitude as his life drew closer and closer to death. But it’s not all that unusual either.
Death is not a preferred subject. In fact most of us, even we who have glorious expectations for life after death, would prefer to talk of something else. That’s probably even truer today. It’s Christmas. It’s a time of joy. It’s a time teaming with excitement and life. It’s no time to think about death.
And yet we can’t help it. The church calendar won’t let us. In some parts of Christendom the martyrdom of St. Stephen was celebrated just a day after all the feasting on Christ’s Birth. Still others recognized yesterday as the slaughter of Holy Innocents, as they remembered that Christ’s birth came at the expense of every male child, 2 years and younger in the vicinity of Bethlehem. And now today, on this first Sunday after Christmas, the church gathers to here of another expected passing. Sainted Simeon beholds the hope of the world and exclaims, “Lord, now lettest thou, thy servant to depart in peace according to thy word.” Simeon speaks of death, his death.
Yet, did you notice the difference in attitude? Simeon doesn’t seem the least bit concerned. In fact he appears to be welcoming death whenever it may come, whether it be that day or some other in the near or distant future. Whatever his course may be, he’s at peace; a realization today that begs the question. “How can that peace be ours?”
That is the real pressing question of the day. Simeon’s eventual departure from this life isn’t really of any importance. And it’s not the least bit surprising that God’s Word says nothing more of this man or the sainted Anna again. We don’t know how and when they passed out of this world. All we know is that they faced that day with the peace that passes all understanding. That’s what is of great importance, and that we come to know that peace too, because Simeon’s is not the only one passing today.
In a couple of short days the whole world will stop to observe the death of another year. Most people will celebrate just as they did on Christmas morn. Some will even celebrate just a tad bit more. But behind all the festivities is the very real reality that this is also the passing of one of our years. Like those we meet in our lesson today, our days are swiftly passing, which makes it all the more important that we know and embrace that which made Simeon’s departure such a “joy” filled, “peace”-ful expectation.
Many would probably wonder what all the hubbub is about, because by most people’s standards Simeon was as already as prepared for death as one could possibly be, even before he entered the temple that day. Simeon was a godly man, well versed in the Word of God and obviously a regular visitor at God’s house. He was as close to being right with as any man could expected to be. Perhaps not perfect, no one is; but surely God would note and give him credit for trying.
His heart was in the right place, and look at his expectations. His attitude is hopeful. His outlook is good. He believes the future is full of promise, an excellent disposition to help ease the distress of passing away.
Or so many say. According to definition, Palliative Medicine is the administration of care with the intention of making patients comfortable in the face of death in contrast to curing them. Beyond the obvious goal of pain management, the top two goals of such care is (1) the exploration of spiritual goals and (2) the management of mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. In simple terms that means that they work hard to keep peoples’ hopes high and their lives in order in preparation to meet their God. Indeed, that’s exactly what you read in much of the literature written by patients facing their death. One woman wrote that as long as “people stay aware, and release their fears and their illusions, and just go with the process, death can be death can be a good thing, and everybody can be enriched for it. Another person said, “I’m looking forward to the most fascinating experience in life, which is dying. You’ve got to approach your dying the way you live your life - with curiosity, with hope, with fascination, with courage and with the help of your friends."
What’s interesting is that in the end this wasn’t enough for Simeon. Something was still missing. Something wasn’t right. He wanted more. God had promised more. And that day in the temple God delivered. The thing that made the ultimate difference and gave Simeon his greatest relief as he contemplated his death was the arrival of God’s promised savior, the one hailed to be the “Prince of Peace.”
He is obviously not universally accepted. As Simeon stated, “He was destined to cause the fall of many.” He came to his own, and His own did not receive him. Many tried to use and many succeed in abusing him. And today the story is still the same. The one woman I mentioned before didn’t want anything to do with what she called the “Christian” care for the dying. She wanted to do it all herself. She wanted to face her destiny on her own merit. And like her there are still many more who will laugh at the idea that Bethlehem’s Babe could bring a sense of peace to a sin-weary world.
But human will and preparations can only carry a person so far. Worldly hopes can only last so long. Eventually they succumb to the inevitable. With close observation and scrutiny they come up short. And Simeon had the forethought to see it and believe it. What’s more he had the faith to embrace God’s plan of hope, God’s solution which he provided himself. His eyes of faith saw the promised Christ who had come to make up for all that was lacking in us.
An honest reflection of our condition can’t help but bring that realization, even for a faithful pastor. I remember the now sainted Ted Nickel, telling about the passing of his dad into eternity. As the time for his death drew near he grew more and more distressed… I was comforting him with his works. So I turned to remind him of the Christ who perfect ministry was laid on his. No matter what we do we cannot make up for a lifetime of mistakes and failures even as our sinful flesh continues to make more.
That’s the promise of the Christ. Where human will and effort comes up short, God gave his Son to make up in us what was lacking. Where our attempts at being right with God leave us wanting and burdened with shame, he who had no sin of his own became our sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God. When our hopes for this life grow short and begin to fade; when all we have to look forward to is the end of this life of pain; it is the Christ that gives us “the” hope that lies beyond. He’s the true peace as we face our passing.
He’s the true peace, while we wait no matter how long that takes. The scripture is silent on just what happened to Simeon, how long he waited for the Lord to call him home, what he did in the mean time. But if the words of our text are any indication, it’s likely that he spent whatever number of days he had as a living testimony to that peace which filled his heart, that others might know it too. His peace was not reserved for some date to come. It became a reality for him while he waited, a reality that’s to be ours while we wait.
For it’s not the timing of our passing-- be it soon or quick or long or in the distant future -- that determines whether or not we are live calmly and content. It’s not the process of dying -- be it instantaneous or drawn out, be it painless or tormenting – that determines whether we face death in peace. It’s a matter of whether we pass through this life having been brought to a relationship of faith with Him who would be our peace. Spirit-led in God’s Word to see God’s salvation in Jesus, we have full peace with God. We’re ready to “pass on”. We’re prepared to live in testimony to that peace while we wait. Amen!
