Simeon blesses (speaks well of) God before he blesses the young family. This blessing is all inclusive salvation, light and glory (30-32).
Then he blesses the family and especially Mary but now his words are mixed: there is resurrection but also falling, there is a sign but there is also opposition, there is revelation but it seems to come at the cost of a sword through the soul (34-35).
Reading the two blessings together I wonder whether the ‘light for revelation of the Gentiles’ is similar to ‘the revelation of the reasons of many hearts’. What will this light reveal?
I wonder whether glory only comes when you rise after you have fallen. I wonder whether the salvation that is being prepared is a sign that will be opposed. The sign of salvation that we are given is a cross: a torture tool. Even for the devout (Mary or you?) this might be a bit much: is it a sword in the soul or do we gainsay (oppose) it with Peter?
This salvation, this light and this glory that Simeon speaks of holds within itself the judgement that the reading from Malachi (3:1-5) speaks of: the way of the cross.
31 January 2016
Lk. 2: 22-40
This weekly blog on one of the lectionary readings is by Anne Claar Thomasson-Rosingh, Programme Leader for Lifelong Learning at Sarum College.
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