David Bahn – Reflections

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Acts 13:1-12

 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

⁴ So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. ⁵ When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. ⁶ When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. ⁷ He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. ⁸ But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. ⁹ But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him ¹⁰ and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? ¹¹ And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. ¹² Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Jerry opened the door of what I learned was a photographic darkroom. Inviting me to come in and sit down, it started a long-lasting and deep spiritual friendship. Jim and his wife came to visit about the church I was serving. Our conversation was one of many. They became faithful members of the church I served, and Jim and I became good friends – one of my closest. Kent invited me to join him on a mission trip to Russia. The experience was life-changing. He was instrumental in my pursuit of a Doctor of Ministry degree, and my move to Texas.

None of those encounters brought me to faith. But each of them was a springboard to other faith-building relationships. Maybe you can name some of your own. Perhaps you can point to someone who actually brought you to faith. It could be that someone’s influence was removed from your relational orbit (like Elymas’ influence was removed from Sergius Paulus).

I note how Luke names Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, Saul, and John (Mark) in these few verses – not to mention Elymas and Herod. Each of these played a part in the growth of the church. The gospel reach was extended through or in spite of their efforts. 

I believe God’s mission will succeed. I believe God will find his lost ones. I believe there are people we may influence toward Jesus – or sadly, away from him. And if we drop the ball, God will see to it that someone will share the message. But to be clear, it does not go well for those who resist, thwart, or undermine God’s mission. We may fumble, not expressing our faith well, or failing to give the witness we should. That is not good. We need God’s mercy and forgiveness for that. But let us never stand in the way of God’s good will toward all people.

To that end, I think of Manaen, the lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch. Some might have written him off as too enmeshed in Herod’s evil. Herod had ordered John the Baptizer to be beheaded and had presided over one of the trials of Jesus. He was at best curious about Jesus, but no friend of God. Yet Manaen, his lifelong friend, was a leader of the church in Antioch.

All kinds and sorts of people make up the church. We who are part of the church will have occasion to interact with all kinds of folks. We must be ready always to offer grace, mercy, hope, and love to those whom we encounter. We may never know how our lives may be woven into others’ spiritual journey. But we must do all we can to honor Christ whenever we are part of such encounters. 

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Acts 13:1-12

 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

⁴ So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. ⁵ When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. ⁶ When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. ⁷ He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. ⁸ But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. ⁹ But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him ¹⁰ and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? ¹¹ And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. ¹² Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Sometime between 8 & 9 PM each night my phone lights up with one-word texts. “Amen,” comes from 20 or more people – members of various call committees at churches I am working with. These churches are seeking pastors to guide and serve them for the sake of God’s mission. The “amens” are evidence of the prayers of these people of God, and a reminder to one another to do as Jesus commanded. Matthew records Jesus’ command to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38). 

I’ve encouraged calling congregations to covenant together to pray each night at a specific time that God would send a pastor to them. The challenges to this are at least two-fold. First of all, it’s really easy to simply type, “AMEN” and hit send – without actually praying. Second, there is an urgent need today for pastors in our church body (and in most church bodies throughout the United States). That makes the task of finding and calling a pastor more challenging. I strongly suspect that these are not the only ones praying for a new pastor.

Saul and Barnabas will be sent from a worshiping, fasting, and praying congregation. Antioch would be the first sending New Testament congregation. They were intentionally dedicated to a level of urgency that brought them together in prayer. They recognized that God is worthy of our worship. And they were even willing to fast to heighten their awareness of their need for God’s favor. It would surely focus and intensify their prayers.

God promises through the prophet Isaiah, that he will not break off a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick. That speaks of Israel’s weakness and God’s faithfulness. It also applies to us when our faith is weak and we are more in need of his grace than in we are in step with his will. God will certainly listen to the strong and fervent prayers of God’s people for workers in the harvest. Will he also not hear the weak cries of his people who are seeking a new pastor?

There are currently more than 600 congregations in our church body that are calling pastors. That’s about 10% of the churches. We need pastors. Please join me in praying that the Lord would send more laborers into the harvest of souls. And while you’re at it, remember this: Immediately after Jesus commands his disciples to pray for workers to be sent into the harvest, Matthew records that Jesus named his 12 disciples and sent them out. They turned out to be part of God’s answer to their own prayers. There may be a roll for each of us in this need for which we are praying.

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Acts 13:1-12

 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

⁴ So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. ⁵ When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. ⁶ When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. ⁷ He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. ⁸ But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. ⁹ But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him ¹⁰ and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? ¹¹ And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. ¹² Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Maybe you learned it too: Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. It was meant to be a comeback when someone called you a name. I’m not sure it’s used anymore. We’ve become hypersensitive to depecretory epithets. There are certain names you may not use to describe a person. Rather than relying on quippy comebacks, we rely on preemptive prohibitions.

But sometimes names do leak out. Sometimes they hurt. Sometimes they open a door of healing. Sometimes they may also protect us from harm and alert us to danger. We cry, “Thief!” when a purse-snatcher is trying to get away. We may call someone a prophet when she speaks a word of truth in the face of confusion. We might say don’t be a fool when someone is on the verge of making a dangerous turn away from God.

Paul calls Elymas a son of the devil, and enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy. He asked him, “will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?” Sometimes we must call people to account for their rebellious, reckless and wayward ways. 

If a excavator operator accidentally damages part of a building near where he is working he might be called wayward and reckless. But only if he did it intentionally would he be called rebellious. Elymas is all three: reckless, rebellious, and wayward. He is called out as such and will be taught a lesson. We don’t have record of his behavior or faith after his time of blindness.

We do have a record of Sergius Paulus’ turn to faith, after being relieved of Elymas’ dangerous advice. Elymas was called a son of the devil. Peter had been called Satan. Sometimes we must recognize those who would lead us away from Jesus and call them out for what and who they are and thank God for those who turn us toward Jesus rather than away from him.

They are the peacemakers. They are the sons of God. They are those whose feet are beautiful. How beautiful on the mountain are the feet of those who bring good news!

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Acts 13:1-12

 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

⁴ So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. ⁵ When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. ⁶ When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. ⁷ He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. ⁸ But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. ⁹ But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him ¹⁰ and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? ¹¹ And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. ¹² Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

A friend, sister in Christ, and reader commented on yesterday’s post. “The Holy Spirit teaches us the ultimate lesson in ‘Thankfulness.’ His love makes us blush with His movement towards us…he is so gracious to us!” I’ll admit I had to think about that. I had never thought about blushing at the Holy Spirit’s move toward us. Nor had I thought of thankfulness being the ultimate lesson of the Holy Spirit. I’ve not got that quite all worked out yet. But I’m considering the work of the Holy Spirit again today.

One of my first more in depth encounters with the book of Acts was while I was in college. I took a class taught by a local pastor. There I learned that some call the book of Acts The Gospel of the Holy Spirit. In fact, Rev. Fr. Alfred Mcbride wrote a commentary on Acts by that title. The original title of this book was “The Acts of the Apostles,” showing how the Gospel message was carried forward after Jesus’ ascension, and Pentecost. The apostles surely did act. And God used them for his kingdom’s purposes. But all this grew out of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and through the Spirit’s ongoing work in and through the Apostles.

Looking again at this passage, we see that the Apostles were sent out by the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit filled Paul and gave him strong words calling Elymas to repentance. This is Good News. God will confront evil and falsehood, even exposing these for the world to see. God will send out workers into his harvest to bring people into his kingdom. And for all this we give thanks to God.

So the list grows. The Holy Spirit calls us to faith, enlightens us with his gifts, keeps us in the faith, gathers his people, and sanctifies us. And as Martin Luther says, the Holy Spirit “daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.” 

This is the Good News (Gospel) of the Holy Spirit. Glory be to You, O Holy Spirit!

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Acts 13:1-12

 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

⁴ So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. ⁵ When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. ⁶ When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. ⁷ He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. ⁸ But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. ⁹ But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him ¹⁰ and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? ¹¹ And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. ¹² Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

In our Bible Class yesterday, the leader shared a list of the things the Holy Spirit does:

• The Holy Spirit reveals God’s plan and brings us to faith in Christ granting us forgiveness of our sins and eternal life.
• The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, providing aid, comfort, consolation, and assurance thus keeping us in the faith.
• The Holy Spirit is our guide reminding us of Christ’s teachings and granting understanding.
• The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins and brings us to repentance.
• The Holy Spirit established and brings unity to the Church.
• The Holy Spirit creates the bonds of Christian fellowship making all believers to be one body in Christ.
• The Holy Spirit provides spiritual gifts to all believers to be used in serving, witnessing and building up the Church.
• The Holy Spirit guides our prayers and assures us that God hears and answers them.
• The Holy Spirit prays for us when we do not know what to pray for.

It’s a beautiful list that reflects the breadth of God’s grace. I love to say that God is on both sides of the equation when it comes to our salvation. He is the giver of grace, forgiveness and redemption through Jesus. We receive this gift by faith. And God is on that side as well: The Holy Spirit moves us to recognize the treasure of God’s salvation, then moves us to believe and receive the gift. God is the giver of grace and the giver of faith.

But there is a third dimension to this equation of our salvation. For the faith does not come to us apart from the message of the gospel. Someone has to tell you about Jesus. Someone has to be sent to declare the forgiveness of sins and salvation of Jesus. Paul puts it this way:

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? ¹⁵ And how are they to preach unless they are sent? – Romans 10:14-15

This is where the Holy Spirit comes into the picture. We see that here. While the people in Antioch were worshiping and fasting the Holy Spirit calls them to send Saul and Barnabas on a mission to spread the Gospel message to new people in new places. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would be given and that the disciples would be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. We’re seeing that come to pass here.

I’m thankful that the Holy Spirit moved the church in Antioch to send Saul and Barnabas. I’m thankful, too, that the Holy Spirit moved my parents to share the Gospel message with me when I was a little child. I’m thankful that the Holy Spirit keeps me in this faith. I’m thankful that the Holy Spirit continues to send people share the Good News of Jesus and moves people to believe. I’m thankful that the Holy Spirit has moved you to read this. I pray that he works in you to believe that Jesus loves you, forgives your sins, and grants you eternal salvation.

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Luke 2:21-35

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

²² And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” ²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷ And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, ²⁸ he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

²⁹ “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
    according to your word;
³⁰ for my eyes have seen your salvation
³¹     that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and for glory to your people Israel.”

³³ And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed ³⁵ (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

The first step of any recovery program or process is to admit that you have a problem. Whether it’s AA, or Celebrate Recovery, when we admit that we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors, that our lives had become unmanageable, we are able to start down the road to recovery. Martin Luther – long before Bill Wilson or anyone else in modern times – began his 95 theses that signaled the start of the Reformation stated, “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent,’ he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”

Repentance is the essential necessary step to renewal. Long before Martin Luther, Simeon alluded to this when he spoke of Jesus’ impact in the lives of us all. “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed…so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” Mary had sung of this in her hymn of praise, “he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate” (Luke 1:52). Jesus will bring us down so he can lift us up. His call to humility is a call to allow him to exalt us.

Jesus taught this in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). Mary will, herself, experience this as Simeon prophecies, “a sword will pierce through your own soul.”

Hubris will be replaced – either now or later, and either by godly sorrow which leads to repentance, or by worldly sorrow that leads to death. There is a chasm of difference between repentance (contrition and faith), and the faithless regret of comeuppance. 

Sadly there are many who resist their whole lives, and will fall never to rise again. But those who bow the knee today, who repent and believe, who do not suppose they may recommend themselves to God, will be raised up. The fall of which Simeon speaks is not the fall into sin, but falling in humble honor before our Lord Jesus at whose name every knee will bow in heaven and on earth. And one day every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. This little baby will bring all that about, with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

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Luke 2:21-35

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

²² And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” ²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷ And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, ²⁸ he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

²⁹ “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
    according to your word;
³⁰ for my eyes have seen your salvation
³¹     that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and for glory to your people Israel.”

³³ And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed ³⁵ (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing poorly. That might sound like bad advice. And if you took it to the extreme it would be. But it was an admonishment against procrastination. We’ll get started making disciples when we have our act together, can easily become an excuse for not starting at all. And while good is the enemy of great (Jim Collins), perfection is the enemy of action. If we have to have it all together before we begin following Jesus, making disciples, sharing the gospel, inviting people into our homes and lives, we’ll easily perpetually put it off.

Perfectionism, according to my ChatGPT AI assistant, is a relentless pursuit of flawlessness and an unrealistic desire for high standards. Individuals with perfectionistic tendencies often set excessively high goals for themselves, exhibit an intense fear of failure or making mistakes, and may engage in overly critical self-evaluation. Perfectionism can lead to stress, anxiety, and a constant feeling of dissatisfaction, as achieving the unattainable standards set by perfectionists is often challenging or impossible. That seems pretty accurate to me. People who struggle with perfectionism can start a project a thousand times, or never start at all.

Jesus was perfect. But he was not a perfectionist. He calls his people to “be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). But this is not a call to perfectionism. It is a call to mercy, grace, and love (cf. Matthew 5:43-48).

Jesus’ perfect life started at his conception. Born of a virgin, he did not inherit the sinful nature because his conception was of the Holy Spirit. He is the Son of God – without sin. And now, here at the temple, his path of righteousness continues in the obedience of his parents. They offer the requisite sacrifice after Mary’s time of purification. A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons seems like a little thing. But Jesus’ whole life will be one little thing after another – not in a perfectionistic manner, but in a love-borne obedience. 

Jesus will one day challenge the perfectionistic requirements of the ceremonial laws of the Jews. These included laws about what to eat, what to wear, circumcision, how to pray out loud, and even how many sticks you may carry or how far you may walk on the Sabbath. But for now, his conformity to the Old Testament Law is graciously provided by his parents.

It’s never too early to set ourselves or our children on the paths of righteousness. Whether it is bringing a child to be baptized, teaching them Christian songs and hymns, bringing them to church and Sunday school, and modeling a life of faith and love. We will never reach perfection this side of eternity. But we have a Savior who is completely and wholly righteous, perfect in the best sense of the word: complete. He is all we need for life and salvation. It’s never too early to follow him. Nor is it too late.

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today. So too our walk of faithful love.

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Luke 2:21-35

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

²² And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” ²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷ And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, ²⁸ he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

²⁹ “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
    according to your word;
³⁰ for my eyes have seen your salvation
³¹     that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and for glory to your people Israel.”

³³ And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed ³⁵ (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Tree Fungus-2 | Charlottetown, CA | October 2023

Nunc Dimittis is Latin for “Now, dismiss.” I first heard these words when I was in high school and visited a Lutheran Church. They were sung after Holy Communion (Page 29-30 in the 1941 Lutheran Hymnal).

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;
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel. – Luke 2:29-32

It immediately struck a chord with me – literally and figuratively. The tune is plaintive and wistful, yet uplifting and hopeful. This is a powerful combination. For Simeon is thankful to God that he had seen the Christ Child before he died. He also knew that his days were numbered. He would soon depart to be with God.

As I sang it over the years, it became a heartfelt prayer. I was saying to God, let me live in peace. Let me leave my sins at the cross. Let me be in right standing with you, and in my own heart. I didn’t sing it in anticipation of my death. I sang it in hope of a peaceful life. I didn’t want my sin to consume me. I didn’t want shame and guilt to weigh down my heart. Nor did I want to wink at sin. I wasn’t saying, OK, Lord, I’m forgiven now and I can do whatever I please. I was saying, I want to live in peace with God so I could live in peace in my own heart. 

These verses became even more important to me in August of 1985. Our family had piled into our Dodge van to go see my Mom and Dad. He was on his deathbed. He held out all day and was able to see us and our sons before taking his last breath. I prayed this prayer for and with him and the family. He took his last breath just a few moments later. I remember thinking, Now the dying is ended.

When I am privileged to serve Holy Communion I use a blessing that reflects one part of this song. “Depart in peace; the Lord is with you,” I say. When God is with us we may be at peace, for our God is rich in grace and mercy. He forgives our sins. He is with us to save us and give us perfect peace. I just recently started saying, “Live in peace; the Lord is with you.” Departing or living; waking or dying: we have peace with God for Jesus has saved us. We can live and depart in peace. Thanks be to God!