by Pastor Mark Shupe
“And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.” – Luke 2:25 NASB
Perhaps the least known of all the characters in The Christmas Story is Simeon. Rarely is Simeon the subject of a sermon; there are no familiar Christmas songs that make mention of his name; he is not in any of our manger scenes. Yet, of all the people associated with the birth of Christ, Simeon is one of the few who really got Christmas; he saw Christ for who He really was, the One who would bring salvation to Jews and Gentiles alike.
It’s Christmastime and what do we see? We see lights, lots of lights in all kinds of sizes, shapes, and colors. We notice crowds of people – at the malls, airports, even at Christmas Eve church services. We look at our overly packed calendar and realize there is very little open space. Our Christmas gift lists are overflowing and overwhelming. But, do we really see Christmas? Are we able to see beyond the visible, beyond the apparent, and focus our sights on the true meaning of this season?
Christ is still the greatest news ever proclaimed or received. A Savior has been born for you – A Savior who loves you, forgives you, comforts you, and makes something good out of the messiness of life. Embrace Christ and welcome Him into the midst of whatever you are facing this Christmas season and in so doing, you will have the eyes of Simeon.
