Jesus Creed

Jesus Creed

Acts of Advent 17

posted by Scot McKnight | 12:10am Tuesday December 23, 2008

What the Angels envisioned – “peace on earth” – Simeon envisions as
well. Here are the words of this aged saint who spent his time waiting
for the Messianic kingdom:

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous
and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy
Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 Moved by
the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in
the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28
Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant
in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have
prepared in the sight of all people, 32 a light for revelation to the
Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”


Surely the temptation for someone like Simeon, someone who had suffered so long and who had waited so long, was to become triumphalist and dominant and heavy-handed. Surely he was tempted to think “Yes, now that the Messiah is here we can destroy the Romans.” But not Simeon. He sees the birth of the Messiah to be the Day when the light of God, a revelatory light, will give light to the Gentiles. And he does not take up the triumphalist song against his own contemporaries either: he’s happy for his nation. “And for glory to your people Israel.”

Christmas is about expanding the work of God to others, including one’s enemies.



Leave a Comment ยป
Related Topics: Advent
beliefnet
  list archives most recent most popular  
beliefnet
Previous Posts

This blog is no longer active
This blog is no longer being actively updated. Please feel free to browse the archives or: Read our most popular inspiration blog See our most popular inspirational video Take our most popular quiz

posted 3:10:39pm Aug. 31, 2010 | read full post »

Our Common Prayerbook 30 - 3
Psalm 30 thanks God (vv. 1-3, 11-12) and exhorts others to thank God (vv. 4-5). Both emerge from the concrete reality of David's own experience. Here is what that experience looks like:Step one: David was set on high and was flourishing at the hand of God's bounty (v. 7a).Step two: David became too

posted 12:15:30pm Aug. 31, 2010 | read full post »

Theology After Darwin 1 (RJS)
One of the more important and more difficult pieces of the puzzle as we feel our way forward at the interface of science and faith is the theological implications of discoveries in modern science. A comment on my post Evolution in the Key of D: Deity or Deism noted: ...this reminds me of why I get a

posted 6:01:52am Aug. 31, 2010 | read full post »

Almost Christian 4
Who does well when it comes to passing on the faith to the youth? Studies show two groups do really well: conservative Protestants and Mormons; two groups that don't do well are mainline Protestants and Roman Catholics. Kenda Dean's new book is called Almost Christian: What the Faith of Ou

posted 12:01:53am Aug. 31, 2010 | read full post »

Let's Get Neanderthal!
The Cave Man Diet, or Paleo Diet, is getting attention. (Nothing is said about Culver's at all.) The big omission, I have to admit, is that those folks were hunters -- using spears or smacking some rabbit upside the conk or grabbing a fish or two with their hands ... but that's what makes this diet

posted 2:05:48pm Aug. 30, 2010 | read full post »

Advertisement
Comments read comments(1)
post a comment
Rick

posted December 23, 2008 at 4:24 pm


There is something great in this passage on how the Trinity is represented and working in the life of this 1 man. He is impacted (blessed) personally, and also partakes in proclaiming to all the larger message.



report abuse
 

Post a Comment

By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.

Share this story

Related Topics: Advent
beliefnet
  list archives most recent most popular  
beliefnet

About Beliefnet

Our mission is to help people like you find, and walk, a spiritual path that will bring comfort, hope, clarity, strength, and happiness. More about Beliefnet.

Help

Media Kit

Subscribe

Legal

Copyright © Beliefnet, Inc. and/or its licensors. All rights reserved. Use of this site is subject to Terms of Service and to our Privacy Policy. Constructed by Beliefnet.

Advertisement

Report as Inappropriate

You are reporting this content because it violates the Terms of Service.

All reported content is logged for investigation.