The Hopes And Fears Of All The Years

THE HOPES AND FEARS OF ALL THE YEARS (LUKE 2:21-38)

The Chinese say, “There is no bigger tragedy than a heart’s death.”

Hope is powerful. It’s been said, “Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.” The Bible tells us that hope in God does not disappoint: “Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us.” (Rom 5:3-5)

Simeon and Anna lived to an old age but they never lost hope in God. They waited patiently for the Messiah, devoted themselves selflessly to God and committed themselves exclusively to service. Their hope in God was rewarded when Jesus’ parents arrived at Jerusalem, entered the temple and offered required sacrifices for the baby’s circumcision and purification.

Why does hope triumph in the midst of pessimism, uncertainty and silence? Why is it so powerful and necessary? How does hope make us strong?

There is Peace in Abiding by God’s Promise (Luke 2:22-32)

Simeon was a visionary who could see the end and not just the beginning of things, one who basked in foresight while others moaned in hindsight, and an individual who lived the present in view of tomorrow. His waiting was a positive and optimistic, not a negative or passive outlook. He was more definite than desperate and he believed in God’s design despite delay. What motivated Simeon, captivated him and kept him focused?

Simeon never abandoned that hope or believed that the presence and promise of God had left Israel through 400 years of silence. He had a revelation that he would not die and that he would live to see the child (v 26). Yet it could be a horrible curse. Elderly life is not a blessing; eternal life is. Living without dying is a horrible thing.

By faith and in obedience, Simeon saw the Messiah, the Savior of the world and the King in the child. He took the baby in his arms, praised God for deliverance and announced his own retirement.

There is Peace in Abiding by God’s Priorities (Luke 2:33-35)

Do you know how many people had blessed the Jesus’ parents? None. The shepherds told their neighbors the good news (Luke 2:16-18). The Magi presented their gifts (Matt 2:10-11). It was left to Simeon to give the parents a needed blessing, a precious warning and a sincere advice. Joseph and Mary had been through a whole lot. Simeon was God’s voice of acceptance, His arms of presence (v 28), and His instrument of love.

Mary, who got a peek at the baby’s nature, mission and impact— one that affected the words, the thoughts and hearts of “all people” (Luke 2:10, 2:31), a Greek phrase used exclusively by Simeon. Yet the baby will also give Mary anguish, distress and struggles, because her baby will face opposition, rejection and execution (v 36). Mary’s grief will multiply with her upcoming roles as a supportive parent, a devoted follower and a helpless eyewitness.

There is Peace in Abiding by God’s Presence (Luke 2:36-38)

The prophetess Anna was a woman of great hope. She was an eighty-four years old lady whose husband died seven years into their marriage, and she had remained a widow. Age, romance and status meant little to her in view of her value before God.

In God’s eyes, Anna was valuable not by her years of life or her husband’s longevity, their years of marriage, the happiness she “deserved” or the places they traveled.

Anna was an extraordinary person living in an extraordinary place playing an extraordinary part. She may be old, odd, orthodox to others, but she was separated for God, obedient to God and approved by God. What an amazing woman - she never left the temple. She epitomized and echoed the psalmist: in Psalm 84, she thrived on these words: “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” (Ps 84:10)

I had baptized a couple in their 80’s who asked me, “What can we do?” Be like Anna, pray for the pastor, the church and all brothers and sisters.”

Conclusion: Have you made peace with God? Is God a one-day celebration or is He an everyday presence in your life? Have you reflected on the past year and how you can improve on the present year and coming years? What contribution can you make in your circumstances, no matter the age, to help out the church, the lost, the needy?