Hoping and Waiting - First Sunday of Advent

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 7:14; 9:2-7; Luke 2:25-26

Simeon was young when the Romans had come. But even now in his old age, he could still hear the pounding of feet on the street, the ringing of the swords; the shouts of the guard;, the groans of the wounded. And the smell of blood--oh how he wished he could forget. His people was a conquered people. For a hundred years they had scratched out freedom, but it was short-lived. Now even as he walked through the city some forty years later, Simeon could feel the eyes of the Roman guard boring into his back.

Simeon loved this city. Once the seat of glory and conquest, now a symbol of resilience and of the faithfulness of God. It refused to be permanently destroyed. They would always keep on rebuilding. 

Oh, his knees. They creaked with every step Why so many stairs? Slowly, one at a time, up, up, up to the temple. When he was a boy he used to run up these steps – sometimes two or three at a time – always with his mother calling for him to slow down--it was, after all, the house of God! The great temple that had been erected while the Persians ruled them. Babylonians. Persians. Greeks. Romans. They all blended together now. And somehow, even after 500 years of being back Jerusalem, it still felt like they were not yet home. When would God really bring back the kingdom? Like the days of the David the Great: Slaying giants, routing thieving marauders, keeping those pesky Philistines in check. Those must have been the days! Could you imagine the celebrations of King Solomon the Wise? Banners fluttering in the breeze, music laughing through the air, wine flowing freely, people worshiping Yahweh without the sneers and snickers of the Romans.

Suddenly Simeon realized that he had reached the top of the steps. There he was, lost in thought again. Maybe today would be the day.

“Peace, Simeon.” It was Caiaphas, the young priest. “Coming to watch again?”

“Peace, Caiaphas. God has promised that I shall see him with my own eyes. I will not stop coming until I see his face.”

“If you say so. Do you think he could really overthrow the Romans?” Caiaphas’ voice lowered to a whisper. The Romans did not tolerate insurrection. Caiphas’ friend Simon had been tied to a post and whipped only last week just for rolling his eyes at the guards. He couldn’t be too careful.

“Need I remind you of the great escape from Egypt?” Simeon wasn’t as quiet as Caiaphas would have liked. “Pharaoh’s army was the strongest in the world. Nothing stood in his way. And our people were only slaves. The whole world saw that day that nothing is impossible for God. My young boy, with God, anything is possible. Never forget to whom you offer sacrifices, my child. Even under Roman rule, the LORD is God, and we are his people. He will not forget us. He will be true to his word. I just hope he comes soon”

That night, after another long day of waiting, Simeon watched the sun dip below the horizon - fiery clouds lighting up the sky in a fearsome display. “God of Abraham and my Fathers. Do not be far off. Do not wait forever. I put my trust in your promise, my hope in your goodness”

Discussion:

What was the promise given to Simeon? What was he waiting for?

What did Simeon do (something what God’s people often do in Scripture) when Caiaphas questioned God to Simeon?

What is it that we, as the people of God, wait for today?

Do you sometimes doubt or question God?

What things can we remember in history to remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness and power?

How has God shown his faithfulness and power to our family?

Just as the Jews waited for the Messiah to come, we too wait only now for his second coming. 

Sing together: O Come, O Come Emmanuel