Luke 2:25,36 — And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanel, of the tribe of Asher: she was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;

Myra and I watched one of those soppy Christmas movies last night. It’s a secret weakness … We’re both suckers for them. No sex, no violence, strong message and happy endings!
Last nights movie had the Holy Family’s encounter with Simeon as one motif. It made me think about the focus on children in the modern Christmas, and somehow that led to these thoughts.
We think about Christmas, usually, very much as it affects children. There’s a lot of talk of the baby Jesus, cribs, swaddling clothes and the like. But what about the older people (like me!)?
There’s a couple of older people in the Christmas story that add another strand of gold to the beautiful tapestry.
The first that comes to mind is Elisabeth, the wife of Zechariah, who became the mother of John the Baptist. Now Zechariah and Elisabeth “were now well stricken in years.” That is, they were old …and who did Mary go to when she needed to get away from it all? “And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah; and entered into the house of Zechariah, and saluted Elisabeth.”
Then there’s Simeon. Who was there to give Jesus a blessing when Joseph and Mary took the baby, according to the law of Moses and brought him to Jerusalem to present him to The Lord? The old man Simeon.
And then there was Anna. She was a widow of about fourscore and four years, “which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.” She, seeing the baby instantly “gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” So often it is older people who possess the insight and wisdom to see what might be missed by others.
So many unexpected threads in this years Christmas tapestry! I’d never expected to see older people come to the fore as I thought about Christmas this year. But there it is … A reminder that comfort, blessing and insight can be found with the old … And they hold the secret of many of the joys of Christmas too!