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Adult Bible Study December 30, 2007 |
Lesson Text: Luke 2:22-35
By George Epp
E-mail: g.epp@sasktel.netThen Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel” (Luke 2:34TNIV).
As Christians, we follow a revolutionary leader, something we may not be that conscious about as we celebrate the birth of Jesus some two thousand years ago.
World-changing leaders and innovators get to be what they are in various ways: Nelson Mandela was an heir of the Thembu royal dynasty of what became Capetown Province, South Africa, and as a consequence, grew up with an expectation of leadership. His great-grandfather was the king of the Thembu people until British colonialism quashed all of their traditional structures. Nevertheless, Nelson Mandela’s birthright undoubtedly placed him in a somewhat comparable position to Jesus as a “child of royalty,” the son of David in Jesus’ case.
Stephen Lewis, until recently the UN special envoy for AIDS in Africa, has been named one of the ten most influential people in the world. His eloquence and passion on behalf of the poor and bereft victims of the AIDS epidemic in Africa have become legendary. Lewis is the son of David Lewis, former leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada. He grew up in a household where advocacy for the disenfranchised working and lower classes was a given; the example and education of his parents shaped him for his future role.
In the Adult Bible Study lesson for today, we meet Simeon, who is present during the rituals of the presentation of the firstborn and the circumcision of Jesus. He was moved by the Holy Spirit to recognize the baby in Mary’s arms as the fulfillment of God’s promise; to see the “consolation of Israel” (25) before he dies. Simeon asks to hold the child, and then pronounces his familiar song of praise: “. . . for my eyes have seen your salvation . . . ” (30).
We want our children to engage in the struggle with Christ, our leader, to change the world. To help them along the way, we remind them of their “royal” heritage as heirs of salvation, and we educate them in the essentials of the kingdom gospel. Like Mary and Joseph, we deliver them to the temple. Like Simeon, we recognize and celebrate their potential.