But this morning I forced myself to slow down and I am so glad that I did. I think this is the first time that I've ever read through this story and actually paused after each thought and tried to visualize the characters and put myself in their positions, behind their eyes, and in their heads. And these people came to life for the first time ever for me.
As a result of my careful reading this morning, I've developed a whole new level of respect for Mary and Joseph as people, but what compelled me to journal today was not what I discovered about Mary and Joseph, but what I discovered about Simeon and Anna. They are my heroes. In fact, after today, I think that of all the people mentioned in the Bible, they could be my favorites.
Simeon is described as "a righteous man" who was "filled with the Holy Spirit" and who "eagerly expected the Messiah to come and rescue Israel." Wow....what a way to be remembered.. I would ask that someone write a note for me that this is what I want recorded on my grave one day: "He was a righteous man who was filled with the Holy Spirit who eagerly expected the Messiah to come and take away His Bride," but already it is not true of me because a man who is eagerly expecting the Messiah to come never thinks about his grave. But I pray to God that He would make me like that.
But it gets better - Luke says that one day the Spirit led Simeon to the Temple; this is the verse that smoked me:
"...so when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there."
That's what verse 28 says: "Simeon was there."
Waiting. Expecting. Eagerly.
He was already there. He wasn't about to miss it. The groom appeared like a thief in the night - as an 8 day old baby among thousands of people in the Temple that day - but Simeon was there waiting and his lantern was filled with oil and he wasn't about to be left behind.
That's the Kingdom. Wow.
But it still gets better. Because then Anna walks into the room. Except that I picture her running into the room - well, at least as fast as an 84 year old woman can run. And she has the biggest smile on her face that anyone has ever seen, and like an excited grandma arriving at the hospital to see her first grandson ever, she's hobbling as fast as she can down the hall looking in every room she passes, absolutely elated and continually repeating, "Where is he?? Where is he?? Where's my grandson??"
Expecting. Eagerly. Ready.
I can't read her story without crying:
"Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. ...She was a widow, for her husband had died when they had been married only 7 years. She was now 84 years old. She never left the Temple, but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God."
But the next part is my favorite of all:
"She talked about Jesus to everyone."
Can you see it? Close your eyes and picture it. Picture her hobbling into that room, out of breath, desperately scanning the crowd for the One she knows is there - so hopeful - yet afraid she's already missed it - and then she sees the baby.....and she knows. She just knows. Her lantern is filled with oil and she knows. Her heart jumps into her throat and her stomach twists and she knows. Picture that woman's face. Her eyes. Her hands covering her mouth. Tears. Picture her walking over, ignoring Simeon in the middle of his blessing. She and that baby are the only two in the room. And then she gets to that spot and she sees Mary for the first time and her eyes are full of tears and all she can do is look into her face and hold out her hands to ask for the baby. Mary looks to her husband and then Simeon and then back to the woman, but then she understands....and she slowly hands over her son.
Picture Anna taking that 8 day old baby and looking into his face. And she knows. She has been waiting for 80 years - how could she not know what His face would look like?
And just like that, she looks up and grabs the shoulder of the nearest person she can find and spins him around and says, "Look! This is the One - this is Emmanuel." And then she moves on to the next person. And the next. And the next. This is Emmanuel. She doesn't care what people think; she simply can't contain her joy. I couldn't help but think after reading this that I am totally content with where I am right now, but that if I should ever think about marrying someone one day, I hope I don't even consider it unless she has a heart like Anna's.
Hebrews says that "All these faithful ones died without ever receiving what God had promised them..." But Simeon and Anna saw - one ordinary, hard-working, righteous man who lived expecting to see the Messiah every day, and one overlooked, lonely 84 year old widow who was far more in love and alive than anyone else in the world has ever been or ever will be.
How awesome is God?
And so I encourage you: Be ready. Be eagerly expectant. Don't let your lamps run out of oil.......don't risk missing the Groom. He is coming!
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