Introduction

In this sermon on Luke 2:25-35, Revd. Mark Fletcher explores the inspiring story of Simeon and what his example teaches us about faithfulness in small things. As we begin a new year, we discover that true spiritual growth comes not from grand gestures but from daily devotion, righteous living, and trusting God with the bigger picture while we attend to life’s details.

So we stand at the threshold of a new year, a year already marked by tragedy and loss, and who can say what lies ahead, what joys and trials we will face, and perhaps more importantly, who will we become for better or worse in the year ahead. A new year is a new adventure, but we tend to be rather idealistic about adventures and you will know, I’m sure that in actual fact, adventures can be really quite difficult and tiring and we can want to give up. And they take us to places that will test us and the characteristic that we need, perhaps more than any other, is perseverance. To set out courageously once more. So we are studying this extraordinary gospel of Luke and I don’t know if you remember, but at the beginning Luke said that he had carefully investigated all of these things so that we might know the surety of the things that we believe. And what he uncovers in his investigating are lots of lovely details about the life of Jesus that we don’t find anywhere else.

And tonight, Luke is going to introduce us to a wonderful story of a wise old man of faith who at the end of his life was able to see his perseverance and faithfulness vindicated. And to take a small but beautifully significant place in this greatest of stories. So the context is Mary and Joseph who have travelled to Jerusalem to dedicate the infant Jesus in accordance with the Mosaic law, which states that every firstborn son must be consecrated to the Lord.

And when they arrive, they are met by well, frankly, what must have been a slightly crazy looking old man who appears eyes bright with excitement, babbling something that they didn’t fully understand and reaching out for their child. It must have been a fairly unsettling experience. Don’t forget that this child’s life had already been threatened.

And they were back in Jerusalem for the first time, and that must have felt like a risky place to be. And having attention brought to them was probably the last thing that they wanted. So who is this old man? Well, our reading told us in verse 25, there was an old man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout.

He was waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him. But that’s all that we know. And what’s notable in fact, is that he isn’t anyone important. He’s not a priest or a religious official. He’s simply a faithful man of God and the Holy Spirit is upon him, which is rare in those days.

And you might not have spotted, but I think there is a kind of indictment here of the institutional religion of the day because it is an ordinary man of faith rather than the temple priests who recognise the significance of this event of the Christ child appearing in God’s temple. And so you have this dramatic scene.

A rather anxious young couple with a fugitive child welcomed into the house of God by a joyful old man who takes the infant in his arms and blesses them and praises God. And so I would like to suggest to you that at the beginning of a new year, as we set out on this adventure, once more, that Simeon can be a guide and an inspiration to each of us. One who has walked this road before and who kept going to the end and ultimately saw the vindication of his faith and his life. And I think what Simeon shows us, what Simeon says to us, is that what we need to be is to be faithful in the little things.

And allow God to take care of the big things. Be faithful with the details and trust God with the other stuff. We only know two things about him really, maybe three. The first is that he was devout, and that is not a word that we use very much these days, but you know what it means. It means dedicated, disciplined.

Just as we would recognise the dedication of an athlete who rises every morning to train and to eat right in order to win the prize, so to be devoted is to be the same about the things of God. Excellence in our lives is not an attribute. It is a habit. What we need to do is set good patterns for our days.

We can’t wait until we feel like doing the right thing because you know, just as well as I do, that doesn’t happen very much. We need to plan to do the right things. You can’t wait until you feel like praying or reading the scriptures. You need to make a plan and do your best to stick to it. And when you fall down, get up and start again.

Be faithful in the details and other things will fall into place. And secondly, he was righteous. To be righteous is to believe and to live in accordance with that belief, to live with integrity. In contrast to the sort of fake religiousness of his world and much of our world, it is to live well, to do what is right, even when it is costly or when it is difficult.

It is easy to believe that these things that we value, like love and truth, and kindness, and righteousness, make no difference in our world. To be righteous is to do them anyway. As Paul says in Galatians, let us not become weary in doing good. For at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

And Simeon did not give up. Through all the long years of his life. And year by year he was faithful and he did what is right, even when nobody was looking. And finally the Holy Spirit was upon him, and I think Luke makes quite a big deal of this. And these are the things which had sustained him through all of those years, sustained him for the long road and made him faithful to the end.

Someone once said, those who live nobly, even if in their day they live obscurely, need not fear that they will have lived in vain. May it be that our years are not lived in vain. May we live nobly, even if obscurely. And at the end of the story, Simeon gets to offer these words and they are remarkable words.

This is verse 29. Sovereign Lord, as you promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of every people. A light for revelation to the Gentiles and for the glory of your people, Israel. This is the epiphany, the revelation of Christ to the whole world.

These words of hope are good news for everyone. For the Christ child is the dawn of salvation. And not just for the few, but for all. And we, like Simeon, have seen the salvation of God. And then did you see he got to bless the holy family. He does what the slightly apathetic, slightly corrupt temple religion should have done.

He welcomes them and celebrates them and blesses them. But then he says two final things to them, and these are, I think, significant. First, he speaks of the way that this Christ child would turn the world upside down. Verse 34, he said, this child will be destined to cause the falling and rising of many people.

And Jesus has done exactly that throughout history. And quite specifically, I wonder whether there’s a reference here to the temple itself. Do you remember? There’s a moment later on in the gospels where Jesus meets the woman at the well. And he says to her, the time is coming and has now come when people will worship not here on the mountain or at the temple, but they will worship in spirit and in truth. And of course, that is the revolution that Jesus brings, that God can be encountered here and everywhere in our ordinary, everyday lives. Pay attention to the details and you will discover that God is here with us in spirit and truth.

But finally he points out that the road is going to be hard. You shouldn’t be surprised at this. And if it is marked with suffering, well, it was marked with suffering for Jesus and pointedly here, it was marked with suffering for Mary, and it will be for all who follow. Simeon says the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed and he says specifically to Mary, a sword will pierce your own soul too.

And I think really what that’s looking at is the fact that Mary herself will find herself sitting at the foot of the cross, grieving the death of her own beloved son. All of those who follow must be willing to take up their cross to follow that same road. But as we discover it’s a hard road, we also discover it is the path of life and joy.

So we set out once more. A new year lies ahead. An adventure lies before us. Perhaps we are full of hope or perhaps we are weary and heavyhearted. But let Simeon remind you. May he be to us, a model of faith and perseverance. To be devoted to God day by day, committed to doing what is right, whether it is seen or not, to be faithful in the small things, to build these communities of grace and love, to root ourselves in prayer and the scriptures, to teach the faith to others, especially to our children. To pray for those around us, especially for our families, to share this hope, this light in the darkness with others. To seek justice, to serve all people, and especially the people of God. And to honour God with our whole lives. At the beginning of this new year, will you with me, commit yourself to walking this road, to playing the part that you are called to. Take care of the details and let God worry about the big things.

So at the end you might say, with Simeon, Lord, let your servant go in peace. You have fulfilled your promise. My own eyes have seen your salvation. Amen.