Daily Scripture: Luke 2:25 There was in Yerushalayim a man named Shim‘on. This man was a tzaddik, he was devout, he waited eagerly for God to comfort Isra’el, and the Ruach HaKodesh was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Ruach HaKodesh that he would not die before he had seen the Messiah of Adonai. 27 Prompted by the Spirit, he went into the Temple courts; and when the parents brought in the child Yeshua to do for him what the Torah required, 28 Shim‘on took him in his arms, made a b’rakhah to God, and said,
29 “Now, Adonai, according to your word,
your servant is at peace as you let him go;
30 for I have seen with my own eyes your yeshu‘ah,
31 which you prepared in the presence of all peoples —
32 a light that will bring revelation to the Goyim
and glory to your people Isra’el.”
Reflection Questions:Joseph and Mary would have been strangers to most everyone in Jerusalem. So it must have been unexpected, perhaps even a bit alarming, when elderly Simeon first approached them. But in the busy Temple court, where others saw only a poor couple with a baby, Simeon, “led by the Spirit,” recognized their child. By staying open to God’s inner nudges, Simeon had the honor of holding the infant Savior he had waited for so long.
- Simeon’s words of praise echoed Isaiah 42:6 and 49:6, which said “the servant of the Lord” would be a light to the Gentiles. At a time when, later, even many of Jesus' followers struggled to accept Gentiles (cf. Acts 11:2-3, 15:1-5), what qualities do you think allowed Simeon to see and accept Isaiah’s far-reaching vision? How can you stay open to God’s message and mission, even when it stretches your comfort zone?
- If you’ve ever been a parent, or been around new parents, you know how instinctively protective mothers are of their little babies. So Luke wasn’t just recording an everyday happening when he wrote that “Simeon took Jesus in his arms.” What do you think Mary must have seen in Simeon’s face, or heard in his voice, that led her to trust this elderly stranger to hold her precious baby?
Lord Jesus, what a precious scene—an aged follower of yours welcoming you to earth when you were a tiny baby. Give me the spiritual eyes and heart to welcome you in whatever ways you come into my life. Amen.
---------------------Insights from Courtney Felzke
Courtney Felzke is Pastor of Silver Link. Resurrection’s Silver Link Ministry serves senior adults who become unable to fully engage in the life of the church, including those who are physically frail or suffering from dementia. Courtney seeks to maintain a connection with all such Resurrection participants through pastoral care and worship.
In reading today’s Scripture passage, the words which stuck out to me were: “revealed to him by the Holy Spirit” and “Guided by the Spirit.” Several things came to my mind as I read these words. First, the importance of being open/alert for where God is working in our lives. Simeon knew to go to the temple because he was listening to the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it’s hard to feel God present with us and working in our lives. However, when we’re attentive to God, I believe we’ll see and feel God all around us.
The second thing which came to my mind as I read the above mentioned words was our need to trust in God. This goes hand in hand with being open to where God is at work in our lives. I believe that in order to see God working in our lives, we must first trust that God is present with us at all times. As we give our lives fully to God, as we trust that God is always walking with us even during the most difficult of times, then we will be able to more easily see God’s mighty hand working throughout our lives.
Both of these thoughts have been especially helpful to me during difficult journeys in my life. I remember one time when I felt so overwhelmed by all that was going on, my heart was racing and I didn’t know how I would do all that was expected of me. That day I broke down in my car. Through sobbing tears I told God all of my concerns. I said, “God, I’m giving all of this to you. I need your guidance and your strength to get through this time.” Not five minutes later I had clarity regarding how to handle the issue, and renewed energy to tackle the issue. Our Father God was walking right alongside me, guiding me every step of the way.
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
913.897.0120
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In reading today’s Scripture passage, the words which stuck out to me were: “revealed to him by the Holy Spirit” and “Guided by the Spirit.” Several things came to my mind as I read these words. First, the importance of being open/alert for where God is working in our lives. Simeon knew to go to the temple because he was listening to the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it’s hard to feel God present with us and working in our lives. However, when we’re attentive to God, I believe we’ll see and feel God all around us.
The second thing which came to my mind as I read the above mentioned words was our need to trust in God. This goes hand in hand with being open to where God is at work in our lives. I believe that in order to see God working in our lives, we must first trust that God is present with us at all times. As we give our lives fully to God, as we trust that God is always walking with us even during the most difficult of times, then we will be able to more easily see God’s mighty hand working throughout our lives.
Both of these thoughts have been especially helpful to me during difficult journeys in my life. I remember one time when I felt so overwhelmed by all that was going on, my heart was racing and I didn’t know how I would do all that was expected of me. That day I broke down in my car. Through sobbing tears I told God all of my concerns. I said, “God, I’m giving all of this to you. I need your guidance and your strength to get through this time.” Not five minutes later I had clarity regarding how to handle the issue, and renewed energy to tackle the issue. Our Father God was walking right alongside me, guiding me every step of the way.
---------------------
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120---------------------
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