Deep Thoughts from Simeon

4/3/2000

Now there was a man named Simeon who lived in Jerusalem. He was a righteous man and very devout. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he eagerly expected the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,

“Lord, now I can die in peace!
As you promised me,
I have seen the Savior
you have given to all people.
He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

Joseph and Mary were amazed at what was being said about Jesus. Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, “This child will be rejected by many in Israel, and it will be their undoing. But he will be the greatest joy to many others. Thus, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul” (Luke 2:25-35).

Have you ever heard of someone being referred to as “a deep thinker?” Maybe Einstein comes to mind, or a poet like Thoreau, or some modern scientist.

But this prophet, Simeon, makes it clear from God’s perspective what He considers the absolute deepest thoughts that a man can have. Even an Einstein, who from the world’s view, was one of the deepest thinkers to ever live, according to the Holy Spirit, was a shallow person if he rejected Jesus. For one class of people that Simeon mentioned the thought to reject the Messiah of God goes deeper than any other possible thought he could have.

Many in this world think that they are “deep” because they help the poor, fight to end abortion, or for women’s rights, or even whale rights, search for the cure for cancer, or a thousand other humanistic ambitions. Regardless of the value placed on those pursuits, if a person rejects the Lord of Glory, their “deepest” thought is revealed. And it will be their undoing. Sad! Such deception.

There is another class that Simeon prophecies concerning (remember, he is speaking by the Holy Spirit). He says that those who choose to believe and follow this Messiah from heaven will have their deepest thoughts revealed as well. Do you realize that all the great aspirations of those who would follow Jesus, i.e., “world evangelism,” building a great church, running inner city soup kitchens, casting out demons, “in Jesus’ Name” of course, all those “thoughts” could be just as humanistic (and many times are) as the unbelievers great thoughts to “do good.” Even pure motives to work hard for Jesus may be okay, but there is a deeper level of thought still that believers need to grasp. “But he will be the greatest joy to many others.” Is He our greatest joy? Will that be revealed to be our deepest thought? Again, the Holy Spirit says that all other thoughts, good and noble as they may be, are more shallow than the thought of Jesus being our GREATEST joy.

Let’s be part of that “many,” saints. Let’s think and do good! But let’s go as deep as our Father will take us, where to contemplate the majesty of His Son is our greatest joy! Then, regardless of what else we accomplish in life, our Father will be pleased with our deepest and innermost thoughts, because they are centered on Jesus. And, “this is my beloved Son, in whom I am WELL pleased.” Let’s be too!

Love, Dave