²⁵Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. ²⁶It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, ²⁸Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, ²⁹“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; ³⁰for my eyes have seen your salvation, ³¹which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, ³²a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” ³³And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. ³⁴Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed ³⁵so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” 

“I can’t wait until Christmas!” is an exclamation that we have heard for the last several weeks from children.  Adults have had a different exclamation, almost one of dread, “I’m not ready for Christmas!”  Here we have been – kids wanting to speed recklessly through December and adults trying in vain to apply the brakes to time.  Two days ago we crashed into Christmas, and many of our houses can be identified as the scene of the accident.  Christmas came – now what?

Of course, Christmas did not happen all on the same day in the beginning.  Oh sure, there was a day in which Jesus was born, but not everyone knew about it at the same time.  The shepherds found out after Joseph and the inn keeper, the magi discovered perhaps as long as two years after the shepherds, and Simeon (in our scripture) found out when Jesus was forty days old.  This discovery led me to another realization, just as many were still stuck in Advent, days, months, and years after Jesus’ birth; so too are many still stuck in Advent twenty centuries later.  Remember the song says, “Let every heart prepare him room”.
 

Many are looking and haven’t yet seen

Simeon started off in this category.  We are not sure how long, but it is clear that he was looking – looking for the consolation of Israel.  He had been assured that he would see it in his lifetime.  This is an amazing confidence, because people had been looking for the Messiah for 500 years.  One day, Simeon was guided by the Holy Spirit to the Temple.  He wasn’t sure why he was being guided there, but he went looking for whatever the Lord wanted him to see.  The Temple was always crowded.  Today the only thing that remains of the Temple is the external Western Wall.  We are looking forward to traveling to Israel this June and standing at this wall.  It is always a moving experience seeing all the prayers that have been written and tucked into the spaces between the stones.  I have been there in the rain and still there were a lot of people standing there, praying.  I have no reason to believe that the actual Temple would have been any less crowded.  I wonder how long it took Simeon to find Jesus being carried by Joseph and Mary.  I wonder if he was surprised to find him in the arms of a peasant couple who could not even afford the standard sacrifice for a first born.  I wonder what it was like when he found him.

I never see The Lion King without thinking of this moment in scripture – Simeon taking the child in his arms and praising God.  In fact, when I first saw The Lion King I exited the movie, as I frequently do when leaving a movie, talking about it.  I went with another preacher and his wife.  One in our group thought it was a propagation of New Age beliefs with its emphasis on the Circle of Life.  Another one saw biblical themes unintentionally being retold throughout the movie.  Still another person said, “It was a movie – an animated movie about a lion, a meercat, and a warthog.  Get over it.  Where do you want to eat?”  But I wanted to stay on this one scene where Rafiki lifts the lion cub up for all the animal kingdom to see.  “Look harder!” I exclaimed, “Can’t you see him?  Let every heart prepare him room.”

As we spend this weekend picking up after Christmas may we never forget that many are still stuck in Advent, still waiting for Christmas to happen to them. 
 

Some are Seeing and can hardly believe their eyes

Simeon saw salvation in that little bundle.  He could safely say, “Now I’ve seen everything!”  He took the child in his arms and recited a beautiful poem.  The Message phrases it this way:

God, you can now release your servant; release me in peace as you promised.  With my own eyes I've seen your salvation; it's now out in the open for everyone to see: A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations, and of glory for your people Israel.

Simeon had seen everything, “salvation is now out in the open for everyone to see”.  Some did see and it made all the difference.

I see so much on Christmas Eve.  I still remember a Christmas Eve years ago.  We were living in Pattison and had come home from the worship service.  We still had plenty of time to exchange presents with each other.  Zac was only three years old and he was handed a present from Chelsea.  I think Chelsea may have wrapped it herself.  It was not very disguised – wrapping paper folded around a soft teddy bear shape.  It was as if Zac got two presents: one in the anticipation and the second in the realization that his suspicions were right.  He tore the paper off the soft package and there it was.  He was as animated as I’ve ever seen him as he exclaimed, “Oh Chelsea, it’s just what I’ve always wanted!”  Then he jumped up and hugged his sister and showed Tammy and me his brand new teddy bear.  I remember thinking, “How long can always have been for a three year old boy?”

Simeon looked at that child in his arms and said, “Oh God, it’s just what I’ve always wanted – salvation, not just for me, but for the whole world!”  He could see it so clearly.  I am sure that there were some, perhaps many, in the Temple that saw only a baby.  Simeon must have wanted to say, “Look harder.  Can’t you see him?  Let every heart prepare him room.”  Some are still looking – stuck in Advent.  Others see – and it’s just what they’ve always wanted. 
 

Some see what this Child will do

Mary and Joseph were amazed that a total stranger knew their story and the story of their child.  I picture Simeon handing the child back to the parents and unfolding their future.  “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”  For all the downtrodden, this child was the hope for which they had looked for years.  For those in power, he would be perceived as a threat.  Simeon assured Mary and Joseph that it would not be smooth sailing.  When inner thoughts are revealed trouble soon emerges.  People do not always want to be freed.

When our friends at Christ United Methodist Church built their new sanctuary they had a problem with feral hogs tearing up their new landscaping.  They decided to put a live trap out there and relocate the hogs.  One morning the pastor went out to check the traps and was surprised to find a very frightened and angry buck in that trap.  He knew better than to simply set it free, because it may have chosen to take out his rage on his liberator.  He had to call in the professionals.

Simeon told Mary that this is what would cause her heart great pain as some would chose to take out their wrath on their liberator.  The result was still to be salvation.  This child would grow to be a man who would stop at nothing to save his people, all people.  It may just seem like some old man’s words to a new mother, but look harder.  Can’t you see him?  Let every heart prepare him room.  How one would relate to this young King would be the defining moment in his or her life.

There is an Island in the North Pacific, a few hundred miles north and east of Guam, named Anatahan Island.  On this Island about 30 Japanese survivors landed after their three ships were sunk in June 1944.  Even though Emperor Hirohito surrendered on August 15, 1945 these survivors were still fighting, still resisting any American attempt to rescue them.  They barely survived and fought with one another frequently, eleven people died during their seven year occupation of the island, six of them from violence.  Pamphlets were dropped from the sky to alert the castaways that the war was over, but these were dismissed as mere propaganda.  Family members of the 29 men and one woman wrote letters encouraging a peaceful surrender and finally a message from the governor of their area was delivered.  On June 30, 1951, Lt. Commander James B. Johnson accepted the last formal surrender of World War II – from the survivors of Anatahan Island.  Almost six full years after the war was over.

Over 2,000 years after Simeon saw Jesus people are still wandering around looking for their salvation.  They remain stuck in Advent.  Attempts to deliver the message to them have been dismissed as religious propaganda.  We must keep trying.  We must live as those who have seen and speak as those who have blessed.  This news is not merely joy to you and me, it is Joy to the World, the Lord is come!  Let earth receive her King.  Let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing! 

Christmas – Now What?  Now we need to reach out to those who are still stuck in Advent.  Let every heart prepare him room.  Amen.