He kissed her forehead and with one last look at the child, he moved away slowly through the crowd. Then turning back to Mary, he gently cupped her head with his hands and said tearfully, “And a sword will pierce through your own soul also” (Luke 2:35). He dried his eyes with a sleeve and turned to Joseph, laying a hand on his shoulder, and said, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed, so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34–35). With a kiss of blessing Simeon softly placed Jesus back in his mother’s arms. Today, I opened my eyes while praying and there you were - an infant! I had never thought you would be an infant!” Looking to Joseph with laughing eyes, he said, “One never thinks of the Christ as an infant!” Simeon, still gazing adoringly at the child, said, “Years ago the Lord promised me that death would not come until I had seen his Christ. Mary again felt the shivering wonder that her baby, this one she nursed and changed and bathed and cradled, was “Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Then the old man broke into a half sobbing prayer, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel (Luke 2:29–32). Mary glanced at Joseph who was wordless too. He gently rocked him and mouthed silent praise with tears streaming. Without taking his eyes off Jesus, he asked, “May I hold him?” Mary felt no fear as she placed Jesus into Simeon’s arms. Barely audible he muttered, “The salvation of Israel. The man moved near and looked in awe at the child.
The old man looked to her and gently asked, “May I see your son?” Mary smiled and nodded. Taking Joseph’s prohibiting hand in both of his, he patted it and said, “I’m sorry, my son. The man looked up at Joseph first confused and then smiled. “Let me see the child!” He sounded almost distressed. Suddenly, in front of them, an old man appeared. Hundreds were praying, men with covered and women with uncovered heads. They entered the complex and made their way across the noisy Court of the Gentiles toward the Eastern Gate of the inner wall. These two frightened creatures would soon die to make her clean. She always recoiled at the sacrifices: the struggle, the fear, the violence, the blood - innocent life killed because of another’s guilt. Mary watched Joseph return with the cloth bag, its erratic movements divulging an inner turmoil. He was barely eking out a living in Bethlehem, taking whatever odd job he could find. Profiting from purification! He also felt shame that he couldn’t afford a lamb.
Outside the temple complex Joseph bartered with merchants for two turtledoves. She and Joseph had made the nearly ten-mile trek from Bethlehem the previous day, camping with a few others a half-mile or so outside the holy city. Under the Jewish law, this had made her unclean and required a purification sacrifice on the fortieth day. It had been forty days since Mary had birthed her boy. It bustled with the rattle and hum of morning chores and commerce. They walked northwest up the street that led to the Temple Mount. They passed the pool of Siloam where the disabled and diseased hoped for a healing stir of the water. It was mid-morning when Joseph and Mary and their infant son entered Jerusalem’s Fountain Gate at the city’s southern tip.
But she discovered that for those who trust God, he uses soul-piercing events to unleash more grace, salvation, and joy into the world than we could have ever imagined.
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