Chaplain’s Corner
elderly people, a man named Simeon and a woman named Anna. We’re told Simeon was a very devout man and that the Holy Spirit had communicated to him that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah (the Hebrew term; in Greek, the New Testament language, it is “Christ). When the holy family arrived, the Spirit led Simeon into the Temple and there he approached Mary and Joseph. Then Simeon did a shocking thing. He took the infant in his arms and uttered a prophetic prayer out loud. He prayed, “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” (Luke 2:29–30). Simeon’s act is astonishing. What he said about Jesus, who was only a few days old, remains one of the most incredible statements ever made about an individual. He says this baby is God’s “salvation” for “all people.” Furthermore, this child is a “light to reveal God” to the nations of the world and the “glory” of Israel. As an adult, Jesus would make numerous astounding statements about Himself, including: “’I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life’” (John 8:12). In doing so, Jesus fulfilled Simeon’s prophetic prayer when He was only eight days old. All of this means that Christmas is not what we in America have made it: merely a time for family, gifts, food, and celebrations (as important as all these are!). Christmas is a Person! Perhaps now more than ever in our country, like elderly Simeon, those of us who know and love the Lord need to lovingly—but boldly—let our loved ones and everyone around us know that we are celebrating Christmas by saying, “Jesus came for me.” And then adding, “And Jesus came for you too!”
The Christmas Promise Christmas is for kids. Or at least that’s what we hear a lot. It is fun to watch our grandchildren and great-grandchildren open presents, their faces lighting up with excitement over new toys and gadgets. As older adults, we probably miss that with our children or grandchildren when they and we were young. Of course, our culture’s emphasis on stuff and increasingly distant view of what that first Christmas was about is increasingly sad. America has lost the true Christmas spirit. But that doesn’t mean we have to give in to this more secular worldview. Nor should we. Perhaps more than ever, our loving but vocal input on what Christmas is really all about is severely needed. This means recognizing that Christmas wasn’t initially just for kids. Interestingly, the first Christmas was as much for older people as it was for baby Jesus in the manger, the angelic choir singing, and the Magi bringing gifts later. The Christmas account doesn’t end there. It continues in the gospel of Luke eight days later. All Jewish male infants had to be circumcised eight days after birth. This was to fulfill the Law Moses had given Israel about 1500 years earlier. So, eight days later Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to Jerusalem for this important event. It is here that another significant “Christmas” event occurred. This time it involved two
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