About ten years ago, my husband and I stumbled upon a Christmas shop near Colonial Williamsburg on a hot summer day. A dangerous place for any husband to take their wife.
A surreal Christmassy atmosphere on two floors packed with lights, fake snow, ceiling trains, lit up miniature villages, the-so-called Christmas ugly sweaters… you name it, they got it. It made Santa jealous.
Since we were missionaries on a budget my husband stated clearly “We can’t buy the store.”
You can’t bring a former soviet in Santa’s shop and say you can spend just $20. So, ugly-Christmas-sweater here I come. (With those strong American AC temperatures, it was the most sensible decision so I don’t lose my perfectly straight, yet calcium-deficient teeth from all the chattering. … Good times. )
Just as strange it is to step into a Christmas shop in July, so it is reading Romans 13 as an advent passage. It may not sound Christmassy, but it’s the very message that expresses best how Simeon, and Anna in Luke 2 got ready for the very first Noel. They set my standard of readiness.
SIMEON: non-lazy waiting
“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.” Luke 2:25 NIV
Simeon was a “waiting” man – Waiting “[Prosdéxomai] means to wait actively, expectantly with high level of personal involvement/ interest.” (biblehub.com)
He lived under…
- political oppression (the Romans)
- spiritual darkness (the Sanhedrin)
- contagious diseases (leprosy)
- legalism/ weary rules (the Pharisees)
- poverty (taxed by Caesar)
- discrimination (Can anything good come from Nazareth?)
- racism (Jews vs Romans; Jews vs Egyptians)… kind of like today
Yet, he believed. He believed the words of Isaiah read in the synagogue. He was not bored by them. They were real hope to him. Do we read the Bible “as if it’s the obituary”, as John Piper would say, or is it our source of hope, peace, joy… and excitement?
Simeon did not wait for a change in circumstances. He first believed. Then God blessed.
ANNA: non-stop worship
“…and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” Luke 2:37-38 NIV
Anna was an on-going worshiper, not because her life was problem-free.
She was familiar with pain, loss, loneliness, more than likely poverty, possibly infertility. Yet, she took singleness as a gift to spend her time at the temple. If you’d check her Christmas calendar… it’d say Monday, worship; Tuesday, worship; Wednesday, worship, Thursday, worship… you get it.
She could not get enough of worship. She craved prayer like kids crave pizza.
After watching the movie War Room, I decided to create my own Wall Of Prayer. I don’t have a closet, so I started to stick my prayer requests on the side of my wardrobe. I realized, the more visible my requests are, the more irresistible will be for me to pray.
How should I respond: Up and awake to what God is doing
“But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can’t afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!” Romans 13:11-14 MSG
May our waiting not be lazy. Read the Bible. Believe the Bible. Live the Bible. Give a Bible.
May our worship be non-stop. Crave prayer. Be in prayer.
May we be up and about as God is putting final touches on his salvation plan.