In the first century , the people of Israel found themselves — once again — needing God to come to their rescue . “ Hosanna !” Who could blame them ? Psalm 94 is the perfect song to sum up the mood of that time . “ How long , Lord ?” ( verse 3 ). We have all prayed a form of that psalm , some more recently than others . Simeon was an aged man in Luke ’ s gospel . His waiting had persisted for decades . But the Holy Spirit was on this man , and we cannot discount the impact the Spirit has on us in our surrendered waiting . The Spirit had slowly formed Simeon over time into a “ righteous and devout ” man ( Luke 2:25 ). Like stones that have become smooth from water running over them , Simeon had been well formed in the waiting . Although his years had accrued , his expectation that the Messiah would come had not diminished . we wait . But maybe Simeon has something to teach us about our own waiting . Maybe he models for us how to wait in a more meaningful , purposeful way . Maybe he invites us to consider waiting as an opportunity and not a problem . Consider this the next time you ’ re stuck in traffic .
Waiting can be active , or it can be passive . This makes all the difference when one wants to sustain expectation over the long haul . Looking at the cellphone while waiting in line is an example of passive waiting . We wait frustratingly , seeking distractions to keep us busy and entertained . In the following chart , consider how we respond to waiting :
Simeon is a model of what Advent is meant to produce in us as we anticipate Christmas morning . The season of Advent prepares us to receive what our hearts truly long for , and that monthlong period of waiting shapes us . As the ancients awaited the first coming of Christ , so we now await the second coming . The church today needs new Simeons : people becoming more righteous and devout amid waiting , which is to say that gap between expectation and reality .
But we hate to wait . Our lives conspire toward immediacy . From grocery lines to traffic lights , from the doctor ’ s office to bingeing shows , waiting has become torturous — unacceptable , even . One of the cellphone ’ s functional purposes now is to distract us while
As Simeon waited , he grew in righteousness and faithful- ness to God ’ s people and plan . Luke called him “ devout ” ( verse 25 ). We derive devotion from this word . Simeon did not passively wait for the plan of God to arrive , busying himself in aimless distraction . In passive waiting , our hearts grow cold and wander , our minds grow dull and seek amusement , and our wills become cynical and resigned .
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