Growing old while waiting
A teaching for grandparents · Luke 2:25–32
25Now there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27Led by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for Him what was customary under the Law, 28Simeon took Him in his arms and blessed God, saying: 29“Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You now dismiss Your servant in peace. 30For my eyes have seen Your salvation, 31which You have prepared in the sight of all people, 32a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel.”
Context
Forty days after the birth, Mary and Joseph take Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem to fulfill the law (Leviticus 12). There Simeon appears, a righteous man who was waiting for the consolation of Israel, that is, the time when God would come to rescue His people. Luke does not tell us his age, but his request to be dismissed in peace suggests someone near the end of life. He takes the baby in his arms and blesses God.
What the Bible teaches
Simeon spent his life waiting. It was not idle waiting: he was righteous and devout, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. Waiting in faith means going on living faithfully while the promise has not yet arrived. Many older people feel that the time for waiting is over and that all that is left is to remember. Simeon shows something else: old age can be the time of greatest expectation.
When he finally sees the promise, he does not receive an army or a palace. He receives a baby in his arms. God keeps His promise in a humbler way than we imagined. And Simeon recognizes in this child the salvation prepared “in the sight of all people.” His tired eyes see far, beyond the borders of Israel.
He says he can depart “in peace.” Growing old with hope is not denying death; it is looking at it through Jesus. Someone who has seen God's salvation can speak of their own passing with serenity and help the family do the same, without taboo and without dread. That, too, is a gift to the grandchildren.
In practice
Talk with someone you trust about how you want to live the coming years and what you hope for from God in that time, and write down what you talked about.
To talk about
What are we still hoping for from God as a family, and how can we wait without losing heart?
Prayer
Lord, I want to grow old waiting on You, and not just looking back. Keep Your Spirit upon me, give me eyes to recognize Jesus in the small things and peace in the face of the end, because You keep Your word. Amen.
See also: Simeon.