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Commentary
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The musical Simeon, composed by the well-known Christian song writer
Roger Jones, was finished in 1997 and re-visits the story of the
Nativity as seen through Simeon's eyes. The celebration of the
presentation of Christ in the Temple and the purification of Mary after
childbirth is normally celebrated in many churches in Britain during the
first Sunday in February, often entitled Candlemas. The Greeks called it
Hypapante, meaning 'meeting'. It was a meeting of the old dispensation
and the new and this is graphically illustrated by the meeting of Simeon
with Jesus.
Luke is the only Gospel-writer to record this event: Matthew was
primarily concerned with promoting Christ to the Jewish people; Mark
does not record any of the early events of Christ's life being concerned
primarily with recording the reality of what Jesus did; John does not
record the early events either, and his approach is centred on the
philosophical, theological nature of Jesus. But Luke was concerned with
the universal nature of the Gospel message - for the poor, for women,
for slaves, for children and for gentiles as well as Jews. All four
Gospel-writers, however, do quote from that famous passage in Isaiah 40
when they write about John the Baptist's message: "Prepare the way of
the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God"; but Luke
continues the quotation adding the verse "And all flesh shall see the
salvation of God".
The key word here is "And all flesh shall see the salvation of God"
because Luke's purpose was to convey the unrestricted nature of God's
love to all people. We naturally assume and think of the stress on God's
love for the gentile world, but there is equally a reassurance for those
like Simeon who had been faithful to God under the old system.
In this presentation, we will be using all the music of Roger Jones'
musical Simeon supplemented by a specially-written play based on the
music. The authors are Mike Thomas, Stephen Hunt AND Douglas Brown who
were the founding members of the ecumenical group Revelation. In their
play they have attempted to present the Nativity story from the
viewpoint primarily of Simeon and also Anna.
I find myself thinking that Simeon must have been quoting the scriptures
not only in the Nunc Dimittis with its reference to the light to the
gentiles, but also in his prophesy "Many in Israel will stand or fall
because of him; and so the secret thoughts of many will be laid bare".
Also in Psalm 90, verse 8, "You set our iniquities before you, our
secret sins in the light of your presence". Jeremiah too writes of the
Lord searching the mind and testing the heart, requiting each one for
his conduct and as his deeds deserve. "All who reject the Lord will be
put to shame".
Both Simeon and Anna would have known the scriptures well. They were
more than probably members of the Anawim which translated possibly means
the Quiet in the Land. They had no dreams of violence, of power, of
armies with banners, for they believed in a life of constant prayer and
quiet watchfulness until God should come. All their lives they waited
quietly and patiently upon God. Having known the scriptures, they would
have been comforted with the idea that God's light would shine
eventually. They had nothing to hide and they trusted implicitly that He
would show the way. The light would, they knew, serve both purposes and,
if you cast your mind back to the liturgy used in the Advent services,
you will remember that the main feature was that the concept of Christ
is light showing the way in darkness. There is also reassurance for
those like Anna who have not only been faithful to God under the old
system, but were also not male but female, and furthermore in a slightly
awkward outcast position, for she was widowed at a young age and on her
own since her brother-in-law had not taken responsibility for her as
would normally be the case.
There is also reassurance in the scriptures for those who are not
well-off. The purification as described in the Torah required an
unblemished lamb be given for burnt offering and a young pigeon for the
sin offering, but if the woman could not afford the lamb, the law
allowed her to bring a second pigeon instead, as was the case with Mary
and Joseph. In the words of Simeon, Luke then records the different
types of reaction we might have when Jesus is presented to us. When
confronted with all but loveliness does my heart respond with answering
love, or do I remain coldly unmoved, or even become actively hostile. My
own reactions bring about my own judgement. There can be no neutral
reaction, no middle way or sitting on the fence. Simeon's prophesy tells
that Christ will be the cause for many to fall and the subject of much
opposition which will be painful to Mary, to Joseph and to Jesus himself
and to those who respond to Christ with love.
Jacki Thomas
Revelation Music Co-ordinator
November 1998
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