Simeon
It was just another ordinary day, at least it began that way. I awoke to the normal aches and pains of a man my age. I had seen 80 summers and winters come and go, each one a little faster than the one before. Though time seemed to go quicker, I seemed to be getting slower and slower, and each day it seemed to take longer and longer to get going. Looking down at my hands I could see the passage of time etched into the wrinkles and brown spots. I used to be so proud of my hands and my iron hard grip. "Simeon," they said, "could make a man cry by shaking hands alone." I loved it when they didn’t believe me and I got a chance to prove it.
Those days are gone, now I find it even hard to close my hand, arthritis it seems has humbled even the mighty Simeon. Now what flesh I have left, barely covers my bones, and seems to taunt me saying, "see if we’ll help you old man.." Youth is wasted on the young, I thought, youth is wasted on the young.
One thing I enjoyed about my advanced years is that I didn’t seem to be pulled on so much by the passions of the flesh. Like David’s friend Barzillai, whom David wanted to reward for his kindness, and who turned it down I can say, "I am this day fourscore years old: and can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?" I never thought I’d live to such a day, but such is life. Being thus freed from the demands of the flesh, I turned myself with great passion to the Lord my God, which I should have done years earlier. Regret young people, is a terrible thing to live with. I should have served my Lord better, when I was younger, I should have listened to the advice of Solomon who said, "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them;" (Ec 12:1)
God had greatly burdened me for my nation. The politicians were crooks, liars, and thieves, the preachers were a bunch of money grubbers, and the young people were more rebellious than any group of young people I had ever seen. I understand things now are still the same, oy evay! such is life!
In spite of all this I also saw some very encouraging signs, there was a remnant of God’s people who had a zeal and passion to follow and know the law of God. They even called themselves zealots. There were some wonderful teachers of God’s word, Rabbi Hillel, Rabbi Shammai, these men truly taught the law and justice of God. They called the people to holiness, and with one voice they seemed to be saying, "The Messiah is coming soon."
Often when I’d hear them teach I’d be reminded of something that happened many years ago. I was in prayer at the temple, seeing the money changers desecrate that "holy Place," I cried out to God, and repented of our wickedness and pleaded that he would send the Messiah. I was bowed on my knees with my face to the floor, my eyes were closed and I was rocking as I prayed.
All of a sudden I felt a fire all around me, that also filled my being, and I knew the "Holy One," was near. I bowed as low to the ground as I possible could, and cried out,
"I am not worthy,
I am not worthy, that Thou shouldst come near to me."
Then the most beautiful voice I have ever heard, spoke to me and said, "Simeon Ben Simeon, thy prayers for thy people have been heard, thou shalt not see death, till thou hast seen the Lord’s Christ."
I remember breaking down and crying, and saying, "Blessed art Thou, Lord God of the Universe, for Thou has not forsaken Thy people Israel, Thou hast not forgotten Thy covenant with Thy servant David, and Thou hast not cast us off. I think that in that day, He allowed me to feel His compassion and love for the Israel of God, and I knew that He would not abandon us forever. I knew that He would come, just as He said He would.
But that was long ago, and I have thought at least a thousand times that God should have fulfilled His promise by then, yet He had not. I am old now, I was young when I first heard that promise. Though I knew my days won’t be long upon this earth and because of that their should be greater faith that His coming is soon, I strangely found myself battling to keep believing.
I know what I experienced, I know what I heard, but time has a way of mocking that which we have heard and felt. Sometimes I hear this voice saying to me, "where is the promise of His coming?" Sometimes the questions and the mockery of the promise is so great I cannot answer all the doubts the devil can throw at me, yet in the deepest part of my being, something has been written like as a pen of iron on a tablet of stone, there reverbrates this truth that is stronger than all the lies hell can throw at me, "What He hath promised, He will perform. What He hath promised He will perform!"
As I began my story earlier...
It was just another ordinary day, and I began it in my usual way with my prayers. I prayed for my children, my village, and my nation. I always ended my prayers with the blessing. I would extend my hands in prayer toward the nation and say,
The Lord Bless thee and keep thee,
the Lord make His face to shine upon thee,
and be gracious to you.
The Lord lift His countenance upon you...
And before I could finish, God broke in right as I had said, "the Lord lift His countenance upon you...
I again felt the fire of his presence, and as I was falling on my face before Him, He spoke to me again and said,
"Simeon ben Simeon, go to the temple."
As I remained on my face before the Lord, He spoke the second time:
"Now!"
"Now?" (questioning voice)
"Now" nodding head in the affirmative.
As I rose to my feet I felt like a 20 year old again in my spirit, but my body told me otherwise, so I grabbed my cloak to keep warm as I headed out the door. Seems the older I got, the colder I got, you know what I mean?
Standing in the street in front of my home, I looked over Jerusalem and saw the city as I had never seen it before, I saw it with hope in my heart. And for the last time in my earthly life, I stretched forth my hands towards the city and finished the blessing, I almost shouted as I said it with gusto,
"The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee and give thee peace.
My pesky neighbor Moshe, the one who always kept me up at night with his loud singing was outside that day, fixing a chair or something. He was surprised by my actions and turned to me and said, "You ok old man?"
"I’m fine, I’m fine, I haven’t felt this good in years.
Then I ran to the temple.
Now, now Simeon Ben Simeon, that’s not exactly what happened.
"You be quiet Anna, you’ll get your turn to tell them your story next."
"As I was saying, I jogged to the temple."
Simeon, tell them exactly what happened.
Picky, picky, picky, just like my wife, Rebecca, God rest her soul, ok woman I’ll tell them exactly how it happened. I did the 2 step shuffle all the way to the temple. Now be quiet woman, while I finish my story.
(I have a one person monologue on this site in the drama section entitled: "Anna’s story," that is a compliment to this drama)
Well anyway I got to the temple all excited.
I walked quickly around its portico and at each man I saw in my heart I cried out to the LORD, "Is this the one, Is this the one." But there was nothing but silence. I saw a tall handsome young man, with fire in his eyes and a smile as wide as Jerusalem itself, I thought to myself, "Surely this is the LORD’s anointed,", I no sooner said the words in my mind when I was reminded of what the LORD had told Samuel when he wrongly thought David’s older brother was to be anointed king, "He is not the one, The Lord does not look on the outside as man does, but the Lord sees the heart."
For an hour or more longer I searched and searched but all there was, was silence from heaven. I began to be ashamed, and began to think within myself that I had not heard the Lord speak to me that day, perhaps it was just the musings and wishful thinking of an old old man. As the day wore on and no Messiah was to be found I began to be greatly discouraged and found a place to sit down and rest these tired old legs. I felt older than I had ever felt in my life before.
I had been sitting down for no more than five minutes when the High Priest an old friend came over to me and said, "Simeon, what are you doing here today, it is not your families turn to serve in the temple?" I simply responded with a question, "perhaps I am here to see if Messiah will come today?"
"Well Simeon we are all looking for Messiah," he said, then continued, "Zecharias family is serving today, and he has been swamped with baby dedications, I don’t believe I have ever seen so many children in one day, since you are here why don’t you give him a hand with the baby dedications?"
"Yes, Rabbi," was my submissive reply. I thought that since I would be doing baby dedications there was no hope of seeing the Messiah. Reluctantly, but obediently I went to help with the child dedications.
Rachael,
Elijah,
Judah,
Abigail,
Hannah Grace,
I was almost wore out from exhaustion and I spoke to the couples waiting in line for me to do the dedication, "Only one more please, I have only the strength to do one more." Up stepped a very young maiden and her husband, for an offering they brought 2 turtle doves. I spoke to them and said, with a tinge of anger in my voice, "Is this all you bring to honor the LORD for the wonderful gift he has given you?, You should have brought a lamb as the law prescribes." The man looked down towards the ground and in a hushed embarrased tone said, "I know rabbi, but it is all we could afford." I don’t know why I said what I had said, perhaps it was the fatigue, perhaps my feeling of being let down about the Messiah’s appearing, I don’t know but of all the things I ever did wrong in my life that is the one I am most ashamed of, for as soon as I had said those words, "He" spoke to me again and said, "this is He Simeon, of whom thou hast long prayed would come."
I was so ashamed that I had spoken so harshly to the parents of my Lord, and at the very same time I was so excited that this was the Messiah at last. The hair stood up on the back of my neck and I felt the Holy Goose bumps all over my body, I picked the child up in my arms and said, " Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." The child’s parents were quite taken off guard by what I had said and they marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
I then blessed them, and the spirit of prophesy came over me and I said unto Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."
As quickly as the moment came it left. The parents took their child and turned to home. I prayed for a few minutes, giving God thanks for all I had been privileged to see that day, and I repented for the way I spoke to the child’s parents, I never expected the Messiah to be born into a poor family. I arose and began my journey home, as soon as I got outside the temple proper I felt a pain in my chest and slumped forward, and as I did I felt the 2 strongest pair of arms I had ever felt hold me up. Suddenly I felt very strong myself. I looked at the faces of those holding me up and new immediately they were the Lord’s angels. "Simeon ben Simeon they said, we have come to take you home to your reward." I looked down at my hands, and the pain and the wrinkles, and the arthritis, and the brown spots were completely gone. With a twinkle in my eye I turned to one of the angels and said, "Let’s me and you shake hands", he smiled a great big smile, and said "I have been with you all your life Simeon ben Simeon, and I know better than falling for that old trick, besides we must be going you have an appointment with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. When he spoke of the King, I felt them Holy Goose bumps again and let out a Hallelujah, praise God!
We turned to go, and I stopped and said, "wait, can I bless the city one last time?" They smiled and nodded their heads as if to say its always good to take the time to bless others. I turned and looked back at the city, and saw it more beautiful than I had ever seen it before. Myriad’s of angels hovered about and were coming and going, I also saw some dark shadowy figures, but they were greatly outnumbered and their strength paled in comparison to the Lord’s servants. I saw the most wonderful, and brilliant light I had ever seen, and it was not shining from heaven on to the earth it was coming directly from the innermost being of the Christ Child. I stretched forth my hands towards heaven and said for the first time in glory, "The Lord Bless thee and keep thee, the Lord make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious to you. The Lord lift His countenance upon thee and give thee peace." The angels said, "Amen," then we turned and left for Abraham’s bosom.
Now to you I say, pray and bless your city, as I did mine, and do not forget Jerusalem, for did He not say, "Ye that make mention of the Lord, give Him no rest till He make Jerusalem a praise in all the earth".
My time on earth is over, I have entered my reward. Your time is now. Work while it is day, for the night cometh when no man can work.
© Copyright Maurice McCarthy 1996. All rights reserved. Commercial reproduction in any form strictly prohibited. Permission granted for non-commercial uses only. No fee of any kind may be charged in association with this work. This literary work may not be used for the enhancement of any other product that is sold or licensed. It may not be altered or edited in any way. It may be reproduced only in its entirety for circulation as "freeware," without charge. All reproductions of this data file must contain the copyright notice (i.e., "Copyright ©1996 by Maurice McCarthy, Geneva, New York.)
