Throughout history God has spoken to us.  Eight days after Jesus’ birth, Simeon held the baby and saw his long held dream and prophesy come true.

I wanted to continue my imaginings of what Luke’s first hand interviews might have to say to us today…

He was a permanent fixture, always there, praying in the same booth every day and giving words of encouragement to those who had made the long pilgrimage.  He had this light in his eyes, they seemed to sparkle beneath the deep furrow of his brows; penetrating, seeking waiting, always searching and ready to brighten whenever someone came by wanting to pray.  He would kneel on his mat every morning for the first few hours, his hands lifted up, his lips moving silently as his went through all the psalms.  In the afternoons he would walk around the outer courts like one of the prophets calling on everyone to look out for the day of the Lord and the holy one of Israel.

I have no idea how old he was, he had this ageless quality about him.  He was there when I started working at the temple and according to the others no one could remember a time when he hadn’t followed the same routine.

Until, that is, the day that he and the widow Anna met the Baby. We buried Simeon three weeks later, but from that moment, he ceaselessly went in and out of the temple saying the same thing ‘My own eyes have seen the salvation of the Lord, which has been prepared in the sight of all nations, a light for the revelation of the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel.’ He seemed to have renewed vigour like a runner when they get close the finishing line and they start that final sprint.

He said ‘The Lord promised that I would see the Messiah and so now I can go to my grave in peace.’

That’s what made me think I suppose.  It was his confidence in God, and his determination to make sure everyone knew what the Lord had done and what He was going to do.  I wished then that I had taken note of whose baby this was so I could see him for myself. I thought I had missed my chance forever but I guess God never lets us down, just like old Simeon said, even though it may take longer than we think.  It was probably about thirty years later, I was not so young myself when I finally met him, I knew it was him – the Saviour.  He had the same confidence, only more so, and the life in his eyes made everyone else’s seem dull in comparison. Jesus changed my life, yet it all started with Simeon because he first set that desire in my heart, to look for the glory of God and to search for his chosen one.

Then I realised that since we are all loved and saved by him, Jew or Gentile, slave or free and if we can all see the Lord, then it is for all of us to tell others, because you never know when someone will listen and then meet God for themselves.