An Old Man's Comfort
Aging is an inevitable part of life. All of us are growing older, and there is nothing we can do about it. There’s one alternative to growing older, and it’s not a good one!
At sixty-four, I have a love-hate relationship with the aging process. On the one hand, I have no desire whatsoever to be any younger. On the other hand, I despise having to watch what I eat. My wife helps with that issue. I told her the other day that my idea of cheating on her was eating fried food when I’m out of town!
I don’t like stiff knees or the rib that’s never completely healed when, at the age of sixty-one, I lost control of my Honda 250 trail bike and laid it down on the side of a mountain in a pile of rocks. That accident was clearly the result of a man who thought himself to be younger and more agile than he truly was.
I could list a lot of things I don’t like about aging. Many of you, I’m sure, could do the same. At the same time, there’s a lot to look forward to as we grow older. If we allow God to teach us lessons about life through our experiences, we grow in wisdom and discernment, able to see Him at work in our lives and the lives of those around us.
That was certainly true in the life of an old man by the name of Simeon. And in the final days of his life, he experienced what he had waited and prayed for all his days - he beheld the promised Messiah, Savior, and Son of God. Simeon found in the baby, Jesus, what I like to call an old man’s comfort.
You can read about Simeon’s encounter with his Lord in Luke 2:25-38. I hope you’ll do that. There is no writing to compare with God’s written word.
Anyway, let me set the scene for you and walk you through the events of that day when an old and godly man recognized his Lord and Savior. (This will probably take the better part of the week, so expect several posts.)
Jesus is forty days old. As a male child, he was required by the law to be circumcised eight days after his birth and dedicated to the Lord after forty days. And so, Joseph and Mary carry Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem, where, there, they encounter old Simeon.
What do we know about Simeon from this passage? To begin with, we know he is an old man. His God had told him that he would not die before seeing the promised Messiah. And I love what Simeon says after he recognizes Jesus as that promised Messiah - “Now I can die in peace.”
But Simeon was not just an old man; he was a godly man. He is referred to in this passage as just and devout. I want to pause here and say a word about that because the fact is growing older does not always lead to growing godlier.
I’ve seen this truth played out in the lives of Christian leaders, as well as church members. I’ve seen some godly, just, and devout disciples of Jesus, and I’ve seen some cynical, bitter, mean-spirited (can I just call them nasty?) church members, both pastors and people in the pew.
Psalm 37 is one of my favorite passages of Scripture. It was written by David as an old man, and in it, he describes what I like to call a prescription for cynicism. God has used this psalm throughout my life. It has played a large role in protecting me against the cancer of bitterness and unbelief. Take time to read it, slowly and carefully.
Not only was Simeon old and godly, but he was also patient, which is the by-product of godly aging. All his life he waited for the promise of God. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. I love that - the paradox of faith is that it comes not from seeing or feeling but from something much deeper, much more real.
Finally, there’s one more observation I’d like to make about this old, godly, and patient man - he was prepared. “Now your servant can depart in peace,” he says after seeing Jesus. “I’m ready, Lord, beam me up!”
To be prepared is more than knowing our sins are forgiven, and we go to heaven when we die. Frankly, it is this kind of thinking that is hindering a lot of people in the church today. I devote some time to this in my book Philemon: Reflections on Christian Maturity, but for now, let me simply say that the eternal life promised to us through Jesus is every bit as much about quality as it is quantity. And godliness is reflected most clearly in the quality of life we live.
I’m going to stop here today. But I want to leave you with a question -
Does the description of Jesus found in Luke 2:52 describe you?
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
Our hair may turn grey and turn loose. Our eyes may dim, and our backs get stiff. And along life’s journey, we will know both disappointment and pain. But if through it all, we allow God to teach us, shape us, and remake us into the image of His Son, we will know His comfort whatever our age.
In Christ,
Dan
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