The Music of Christmas, Day 16

 Simeon’s Theme

Read Luke 2:22-27

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 

– Hebrews 11:6 

 

We walked for miles along the long and narrow footpaths of the Kenyan plains, going from one village to another. Stephen, a passionate disciple of Jesus, knew the exact location of every community, no matter how small. I was one of a half dozen men following him, and the only mzungu (foreigner). Kenyans are known for speed, frequently winning marathons around the world. Despite my long legs, I struggled to keep up, even knowing they were holding back the pace so I wouldn’t fall too far behind. Exhausted, I just wanted to get to our next stop and sit down for a few blessed minutes while Stephen told people about Jesus.

 

Imagine my disappointment when the next village looked abandoned. A few huts scattered the bare dusty ground. As we passed, intending to pick up the trail on the other side, we noticed a man lying in the shade of a hut. A water bucket sat near and his long thin body was covered with a well-worn blanket. Old and frail, he also appeared to be sleeping. Stephen spoke softly to him. Opening tired eyes, the man replied in a voice too weak, as if stretched thin by a lifetime of talking. I couldn’t understand a single word, but quickly gathered that the man had been left there by his family. They went into the fields to work for the day and he was unable to follow. Lovingly, they’d placed their elder in the shade with water and a few other supplies to sustain him. 

 

Stephen spent a long time talking with the man, asking his permission for us to share the story of Jesus with him, as was Stephen’s approach in every village. The man, suddenly animated, spoke with renewed strength. I guessed that he wanted us to leave. He did not. Then Stephen turned and said the man was ready, waiting for me to tell him all about “this Jesus.” Confused and unsure, I began the story, pausing often for Stephen to translate. At the end, the man launched into another long and passionate conversation with Stephen. This time, I was certain we’d overstayed our welcome and were being asked to leave. But Stephen turned and said, “This man is now ready to pray for Jesus to save him.” Astonished, I prayed, as did Stephen, and the old man followed with a melodious prayer that needed no translation. My ears did not recognize his words but my heart understood and prayed along.

 

Leaving the quiet village in the distance, I asked Stephen to explain what happened. He recounted the old man’s story this way: “When I was a small boy, a mzungu came to our village and asked my grandfather, the village elder, if he could tell our people about a man named Jesus. I was hiding nearby and heard my grandfather tell this man to go away. I was sad because I wanted to hear what this man had to say. I wanted to know about this Jesus. That night I prayed that if this man was telling the truth, if Jesus was real, that one day another mzungu would return to our village and tell me the story my grandfather refused to hear. Today, I am much older than was my grandfather. I have waited and watched, and God has answered my prayer and proven that Jesus is real.”

 

Simeon was quite elderly by the time Mary and Joseph arrived at the temple to dedicate Jesus. He had spent decades waiting for God to fulfill a promise to reveal the Messiah. Having waited and watched for so long, Simeon recognized what many others missed. He saw it by faith, looking for what he had never before seen. Like the old man waiting in the shadow of his humble home, Simeon waited, seeking Jesus. And when the moment arrived, he did not miss "this Jesus.” His Jesus, the Messiah. 

 

The Kenyan and Simeon both believed. Both sought after God for decades. And God, ever faithful, rewarded that perseverance by revealing Himself and drawing them near. “You will seek me and find me,” wrote the prophet Jeremiah, “when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13) This is a promise without an expiration date. There is no statute of limitations on God’s Word. Our problem is how quickly we give up. Have you forgotten that God is not bound by time? It takes faith to wait a lifetime for what you’ve always hoped was true. If only we are willing to wait.

 

Patient Father,

Give me the faith of Simeon. 

A faith that never stops waiting in eager expectation for You. 

Give me the faith to believe that You are the God who reveals Himself 

to those who earnestly seek after You and Your kingdom. 

Reveal Yourself to those who are patiently waiting even now. 

Reveal Your Son, Jesus to every man, woman, and child 

until the earth is filled with the knowledge of You and Your glory.
Amen.

The Music of Christmas is available in print or digital formats.