Sunday in Octave of Christmas 27.12.20 Waiting
Simeon and Anna had to wait a long time, and they were given the grace to do that.
They believed in God's promise, but how long would it be before that promise would take effect?
They were waiting for the first coming of the Messiah; we are waiting for His Second Coming, but also in a sense we are still waiting for the first coming.
He has come but His coming has never been sufficiently received. He came to His own and they received Him not (Jn 1,11).
In every age He has been ignored, denied, insulted, rejected etc.
Many have believed, but only partially. How many have believed to the point of really putting His will into effect?
It is our time now, to wait and hope, to be in the right place when needed. We have to get used to being in a minority. Simeon and Anna were only two people, probably mostly ignored by the passing throng.
We pray while others go about their business (which now includes business on the Sabbath!).
They turned up to the Temple every day. We (between us) turn up to the church every day.
They might have been tempted to discouragement; we certainly are.
We can be discouraged when we look and look, and yet nothing seems to be happening. My eyes are weary from looking upwards (Is 38,14).
Like the watchman waiting for dawn or the deer that yearns for running streams, the Lord will not disappoint us.
The waiting stretches beyond one generation. We will not see everything in one lifetime, but all who have been faithful will be included in the final triumph.
If salvation were just a matter of something being given to us, like rain from above, then it would be easy.
The complicating factor is that a response is required from us. We do not just wait passively, but actively seek to interact more fully with God.
We want to get to know His ways, to put His teachings into practice.
If Christmas is seen as just an isolated event, only once a year, and not really relevant to the rest of our lives, then we will never see what Christ was intending.
We have to give Him enough obedience to see what difference it can make.
When we turn to Him in expectant prayer, connections will be made, and miracles will result.
We will see a greater share of peace on earth, unity in families, food for all etc, if we let the true Sun shine upon us.
Our Lord relies on His present disciples to receive Him and make Him known to the world.
It is not just Christmas day; it has to be every day.
To receive this gift takes a certain intensity of effort. We have to focus to make sure we stay on the right path. It is so easy to take a wrong turning – so we keep time with the feasts and seasons.
God wants us to take Him seriously, and this for our benefit as well as to His glory.
He calls us back to Him, as He has in every generation. One God, One Saviour, one faith.
If we rigorously sift out the falsehood we will see our way clear.
We work with what we have to help bring about the final resolution. It is worth the wait.
We do possess Him already, but we have to work out a few details yet.
In the Octave of Christmas we are reminded of the tension under which we still operate. Joy is the main theme, but there are three feast days of martyrs!
If we needed reminding, there is still some suffering to be endured, but Joy looms large as the final state.
It is worth the wait.
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