Joseph and Mary take the infant Jesus to Jerusalem to fulfill the Law. Simeon blesses God, identifying the child as His Salvation prepared in the presence of all peoples. He then turned his attention to Joseph and Mary who were standing by marveling at what was said. They were amazed. Being amazed in connection with Jesus is a recurring theme in Luke. Everyone marvels at Christ's words and deeds; most have a difficult time believing. Some, however, resist all evidence to reject Jesus as the Christ. This underscores the biblical truth that faith is God's gift. Mary has already been repeatedly amazed. Astonishment will revisit her again and again as she watches Jesus mature, take up His public ministry, be rejected by the religious leaders and eventually be put to death. Until now, her amazement has been joyous. But grievous times are ahead. Simeon will forewarn Mary of these things, but before doing so, He blesses Joseph and Mary. Only God can confer blessing. When a human being blesses a fellow creature, he is asking for God's favor to be granted them. It is an invocation for the Lord's covenantal faithfulness and loving-kindness. It is a petition for God to provide the grace needed to live a successful life in terms of the divine purpose for them. This is what Simeon does for Joseph and Mary. They have received a high calling and the old man is invoking God's blessing upon them for the fulfillment of the task. The God who blessed Mary and Joseph also blesses us today. Jesus prayed, not just for His disciples, but for all who believe (Jn 17:20). The Apostle Paul assures us that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ (Eph 1:3).
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Stan McGehee, Jr. is senior pastor of Living Word Community Church. Ordained in December of 1979, he holds a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Reformed Theological Seminary and a Masters of Theology from Tyndale Seminary. He has worked with his father at LWCC since the...
