THE SONGS OF CHRISTMAS: The Song of an Old Man
Luke 2: 25-35
1. My little 20 month old grandson Kyle certainly loves to sing. He sings in the bathtub. He sings while playing with his toys. And he sings at the top of his voice from his car seat while his mom is trying to talk to me on her cell phone. Sometimes he even uses some words.
2. Most children and even teenagers love to sing – as long as it is their style of music.
3. As we get older, while most of us still love to sing, our capacity to make as pleasing a sound for others generally decreases. It may still sound good to us in our own heads but what comes out our vocal chords tends often to be more like a joyful noise unto the Lord. We struggle to reach the same high notes or range or breadth of octaves and our voices crack without warning.
4. On the third Sunday of each month when we go to the Long Term Care at the hospital and then to Heritage House, we do a lot of singing with the good folks there. And they love to sing. Now no recording company is likely to seek us out to make their next hit CD. No invitations are likely to be extended from around the state or even from any official group here in Morton for us to go on tour – but I tell you that the smile on their faces radiates the joy in the hearts of those dear folk and I am convinced that their songs gladden the heart of our Father God in heaven.
5. Our Scripture reading tells the story of one very old man’s song – a song that would probably never have won him a GRAMMY award among today’s or even yesterday’s musicians – but it has been sung and recited and blessed millions in thousands of church congregations all around the world ever since the 4th century.
• We have come to know it as the Nunc Dimittis – from the opening words in Latin, as a fitting benediction at the end of a worship service “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.”
• Simeon sings these beautiful words, not to close off a church service, but as an incredible expression of faith and hope at the close of his life. Now he could die in peace because he had not only seen with his eyes, but embraced in his bosom, the promised Messiah he had longed for and hoped for and waited for all his life.
6. Let’s look at Simeon and his song and see what lessons God would teach us as we commence this new year of 2006
A. SIMEON’S HOPE
1. It had been 1000 years since the great days of Israel under King David and the years of relative peace under his son, King Solomon. But in the generations that followed the nation had witnessed a split in the land – a division into a northern and southern kingdom.
• And then, because of corruption and wickedness in the leadership, both temporal and spiritual, God had permitted the invasion, occupation and captivity of the people first by the Babylonians, then the Assyrians, the Persians, the Greeks and now finally by the Romans.
• So Simeon had been born, grown to adulthood, and now is at the end of his life all under foreign and pagan occupation and influence on his country, his culture, and his religion.
2. The circumstances were such that many people had been driven to cynicism and despair or to passive resignation and acceptance of the status quo.
3. But not Simeon. We are told that Simeon was a “righteous and devout man, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him”. In the time of deepest darkness, he continues to actively look for and believe in the coming of the light.
4. Simeon was no quitter. But nor was he a radical revolutionary ready to take up arms against the oppressors.
5. Simeon was not one who devised his own agenda and then asked God to bless it. Rather he stayed focused on God – looking and listening for His directives and leadership. That takes work. That lifetime of attentiveness to the Master’s voice was what had developed within him a confident patience and hope.
6. I can just imagine him awaking to each new day – even as his joints became less mobile and his hearing faded and his eyesight dimmed - with this question, “Lord is today the day?” and then remaining tenaciously attentive and alert to the promptings and the nudges of the Holy Spirit. His attitude is so reminiscent of that of Jacob back in the Old Testament who wrestled all night with the angel, saying “I will not let you go until you bless me.”
7. That is the posture that generates a living and vibrant hope when others have already turned to despair or violence or apathy and indifference.
8. That was the posture that made him ready to hear the Spirit’s gentle voice one day, saying, “Hey Simeon, get on over to the temple right now. Have I got a surprise for you!”
9. Perhaps 2005 was not the best year for you. Maybe there has even been a succession of not so good years – years of loneliness, years of struggle with your health, your finances, your relationships. The dark valleys seem to have been so long that they have eclipsed and overshadowed those moments when there seemed to be a brief rise and some rays of sunshine.
10. May I encourage you here at the outset of 2006 to adopt the tenaciously hopeful posture of this old man Simeon. Don’t quit. Don’t surrender to the darkness but keep looking to and trusting God for the light. Even in nature, the light always comes shortly after the time of deepest darkness. Hold onto Him until He blesses you.
B. SIMEON’S FAITH
1. What did old Simeon go to the temple expecting to see? The Lord’s Messiah, I am sure, for the Spirit of God had put within him a burning assurance that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Christ – the Deliverer of Israel.
• But how would he recognize Him? What would He look like? How would He stand out from the crowds? What would he be doing? Teaching? Preaching? Performing wonders?
• So picture this old man, his heart pounding with excitement within his chest, perhaps wheezing and panting as he moves as fast as his aged legs will carry him to the temple courts, his eyes carefully scanning every worshipper and his mind racing with the question, “Could this be the one?”
2. And then he sees this very ordinary, plainly clothed young couple carrying their 1 ½ month old infant to perform the customary ritual of purification 40 days after the birth of their first male child, and the Spirit of God affirms within him – “This is He for whom you have longed and waited”
3. Ecstatic joy – mingled most likely with a mixture of tears and laughter – explodes from his heart and his old and croaky vocal chords as he takes the little one from Mary’s arms, holds him to his breast and then lifts Him up in blessings to God.
• Lord, now let your servant depart in peace for my eyes have beheld your salvation!
• Not only did the Lord let this old man see His Messiah, but embrace Him in his arms. God always does so much more for us than we could ever expect!
4. Others likely passed by Mary and Joseph and saw just another poor young couple with their infant son and two young pigeons for the sacrificial offering. But Simeon looked not just with the eyes in his head but the eyes of faith and so was able to see God’s special miracle in that little baby.
5. It’s always that way with God. He seldom comes to us in the ways that all people automatically see and recognize. Jesus said in Matthew 25 that on that great final day as people are separated by the consistent choices they have made in this life, “I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Naked and you clothed me. Sick and in prison and you came to visit me”
• And then both the righteous and the unrighteous will answer, “Lord, when did we see you hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick, or in prison?”
• And He will answer, “In as much as you did (did it not) to one of the least of these you did (did it not) to me”.
6. In just a few moments we are going to celebrate again the Last Supper Jesus shared with His disciples and which He commanded that we do until He returns in remembrance of Him.
• And we will take and eat just very ordinary, everyday bread – perhaps purchased here at the IGA store.
• And we will take and drink very ordinary, everyday Welch’s grape juice
• And for some – that is all they will see, eat, and drink
• But there will be others of you who have prayed and asked and longed for the Holy Spirit to come upon you and reveal Christ to you and your eyes will be opened so that you will see beyond the bread and beyond the juice the Blessed One who gave Himself for you, who took upon Himself your sins and your suffering so that you might be forgiven, healed and walk in newness of life.
• And, like Simeon, your heart will overflow with His joy and praise.
C. SIMEON’S LOVE
1. What gives us evidence of the fact that Simeon’s old heart was beating in loving synch with that of his Father God is that he acknowledges this little One as God’s Light for all people everywhere – including the very ones occupying their land and keeping them under the Roman boot.
• Here is God’s gift of salvation for all people everywhere – to give His Light to the Gentiles and His glory to Israel
2. It could have been so easy to just see Him as Israel’s Messiah – to deliver them from their hated enemies and elevate them to a place of superiority and power.
3. The “God’s on our side” mindset. The perspective that states that if only all people know what I know and see things as I do, they would be OK like me.
4. That arrogant concept is the furthest from this dear man’s attitude and heart. Instead he humbly numbers himself among those in need of God’s salvation and which has been graciously and generously provided for Jew and Gentile alike.
5. The truth and salvation and glory of God can never be contained within the grasp of any one individual, any one party, or even any one people for the glory of God fills and overflows all of creation.
6. As Simeon took that little baby into his arms and embraced Him, by doing so he accepted the loving and welcoming embrace of the God of all creation. It’s no wonder that an old man sang, that now he could depart in peace. The purpose of his life – to behold his Savior – had been fulfilled.
7. What is the passion of your life? What are you eagerly and persistently seeking after? Will you, like Simeon, know when your purpose has been fulfilled?
8. If you already know your purpose and have beheld and embraced your Savior, then stand and bless God with this next hymn.
9. If that purpose is not yet clear to you, but you are honestly seeking, stand and sing in faith and hope and allow your eyes to be opened and your heart to rejoice as immediately thereafter you hold Him in your hands and receive Him in the bread and the cup.
AMEN
