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Simeon’s Salvation

By Jeremy Myers

1 Comment

In Luke 2:25-35, Simeon states that after a lifetime of waiting, he has seen the Lord’s “salvation” and so can die in peace. He is referring, of course, to Jesus, but what does he mean by “salvation”? Is it “going to heaven when you die” or something else?

In my commentary on this passage, I wrote this:

Throughout biblical history, when people spoke and wrote about salvation, they were referring to physical deliverance from some sort of temporal calamity, such as sickness, premature physical death, enemies, and natural disasters like storms, floods, and famines. In the case of Israelites like Simeon, they most often thought of salvation in the way it is used in prophetical passages like Isaiah 40:5 and 52:10. Salvation is the time when God would deliver Israel from enemy occupation, and restore her to her rightful place among the nations, with the Messiah ruling and reigning over the entire world from Jerusalem (cf. Green 1997:145). This is what Simeon had in mind, as confirmed by what he says in verses 31-32. Forgiveness of sins (national and personal) was definitely a part of this, but only as a prerequisite to the permanent and perpetual deliverance from enemies that Israel hoped and longed for.

In other words, I don’t believe Simeon was thinking, “Finally! Now I can die and know that I will go to heaven!” Instead, he was thinking, “Finally! The one who will deliver Israel from Rome is finally here! I can die in peace knowing that deliverance is coming for my people!”

What do you think?

P.S. I have turned off comments for this post, so if you want to weigh in on what Simeon meant, please do so over at the commentary. You do have to register, but it’s easy and free!

Poor Jesus

By Jeremy Myers

1 Comment

Jesus and His family were poor. In the commentary on Luke 2:21-24, I point out how Joseph and Mary make the redemption offering for poor people. The same was true when Mary went to offer the purification offering for herself (Side note: though poor, she still sacrificed and obeyed God. Being poor was not an excuse for disobedience.)

But why does it matter if Jesus was poor or rich?

In my study today on Luke 4:18 (not yet posted), I looked into how the first mission task of Jesus was “to preach the gospel to the poor.” It should go without saying (but sadly it doesn’t) that “the poor” were poor people; not rich people who were “spiritually poor” (as often preached in many churches.) The word used there refers primarily to beggars.

It is important to recognize that Jesus was physically poor (cf. 2 Cor 8:9), because this means that when He “proclaimed the gospel” to the poor, He was ministering among His own people. He was not some rich person proclaiming spiritual platitudes to “lift the hearts of the poor.” Poor people don’t need their hearts lifted as much as they need their bellies filled.

Jesus ministered among people He could identify with.

I don’t think the point for us is that we all need to become poor. All of us, I’m sure, could be more generous then we are to help meet the needs of others, but that is not the proper trajectory for this idea of Jesus being poor. Instead, the point is that for ministry effectiveness, it helps to minister among those we can identify with. For example, a sports fanatic shouldn’t try to minister to bookworms, and vice versa.

So what are your experiences? Where have you had trials and hardships in life? Are there other people around you who have experienced the same thing? Maybe God wants you to minister to them.

If you have some ministry ideas, post them below in the comments.

Anyone still here?

By Jeremy Myers

2 Comments

Yes, I’m still here. It’s been a month since I posted anything. I’ve been busy. Hopefully, someone is still reading…

My Bible commentary writing is going slow. I spent three hours today on “to preach the gospel to the poor” in Luke 4:18. Talk about a trap-filled verse! My conclusion shocked me a bit. If I ever finish with that section, I tremble a little just thinking about posting it! Maybe I’m wrong in my conclusions, but if so, that’s what the interactive commentary is for. I hope you all weigh in!

Regarding the posts on this blog, I think I need to get it up current with the Grace Commentary blog. I find that most of my “devotional” insights come to me as I study and think about a particular verse. If I get caught up here with what I am studying and posting over there (at gracecommentary.com) then these posts here will maybe be more relevant, thought-provoking, and fresh.

So my goal over the next 2-3 weeks is to get myself “caught up.” Enjoy the ride!

The Light in Death’s Shadow

By Jeremy Myers

8 Comments

These are hopeless days for lots of people. The economy is getting worse. People are losing their jobs. They can’t afford homes. They can’t afford health care. Everybody is scared of the swine flue. We’re selling our country to China. There is no end in sight to the war in Iraq. Terrorism is a constant threat. So is crime.

So we have a lot to be thankful for.

Wait. What?

Look at Zacharias in Luke 1:67-79 to see what I mean. Here’s a man who loses his job (a priest without a voice is not a priest) and can’t explain why to his wife. At least, not with words. And not only that, but as with all Jewish people about 2000 years ago in Israel, they were heavily taxed by the oppressive Roman government. We can’t say for sure, but I have to wonder if Zacharias lost his home (They say John grew up in the wilderness. Why, if he had a home?) And on top of it all, he’s got a son coming. And Zacharias, if he is as old as he says, probably won’t be around long enough to see John reach adulthood.

Yet as we read what Zacharias says, he praises God for what God is about to do in and for Israel through his son, John. Things are not great for Zacharias, but he sees a glimmer of light. In verses 78-79, he talks about the morning light that is about to break upon those who sit in the darkness of the shadow of death. He is talking about himself and all those in Israel who are in similar situations. Also, he is quoting from Psalm 107, which is about how to give thanks to God, even in the midst of misery and despair. Psalm 107 lays out four different groups of people who are facing misery, despair, and even death. When they cried out to God, He intervened, and so they give thanks.

As a nation, and for many of us as individuals, we are at the place where these four groups were at in Psalm 107, and where Zacharias was before the birth of John. But if we cry out to God for rescue, we can expectantly thank Him for the deliverance that will follow. Tough times are not times to despair, but times of opportunity for our faith and thankfulness to grow.

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