Based on Luke 2:25-35 (New King James Version)
“And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 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. So he came by 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, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: ‘Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.’ And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, ‘Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.’”
Faithfulness is something that everyone values and is necessary in every aspect of our lives. Without faithfulness, it is impossible to have a well-established marriage. Without faithfulness, parents cannot be good to their children. Children cannot reward the effort parents put in raising them if they are not faithful. It is impossible to be a good employee if you are not faithful with your job and those you work for. Friendships cannot be as meaningful without some measure of faithfulness. We as people and as a society; every single person depends on faithfulness.
What would happen if there was no faithfulness in a marriage? If a husband cannot trust his wife, or a wife cannot trust her husband, can such an intimate relationship survive? What if within that marriage there was always the fear of infidelity? What if they couldn’t count on each other, especially during times of need and sadness? What if there was no support from one spouse, and the other was carrying all the weight of the family all alone? Is that even fair? A marriage without faithfulness cannot survive long. Yet, in most marriages that exist today, there is no faithfulness; and sometimes the lack of faithfulness comes from both sides. This is why we have so many broken homes and families (a couple doesn’t have to be divorced to have a broken home). And as a result of these broken families, the cycle seems to continue in the children and so on. Because of this brokenness, many have lost hope in the institution of marriage. And in response, society has created their own forms of family, steering farther and farther away from what God intended for man to follow. And in certain respects, society has trained many individuals to resort to selfishness, disorder, and even revenge; up to a certain point. I have heard many women say, “I’m not going to go through what my mother went through.” And regarding a form of revenge, many operate with the mindset that they are going to turn the tables on the opposite sex, and do what they need to do so they can keep themselves from getting hurt. We do live in a time when sustaining a meaningful relationship is more difficult than ever. A lot of relationships are full of lies, deceit, mistrust, anger, selfishness, etc. It’s not very pretty out there!
Along those same lines, lack of faithfulness to God has brought that much more destruction into the world. Less people are willing to believe in God because of the evil or hypocrisy, and lack of commitment seen in those that profess to believe. Because of that unfaithfulness, as opposed to the world being changed towards God’s ways, it seems like it is speeding towards the opposite direction; faster and faster. Wrong things are considered right now; and vice-versa, what used to be right is wrong now; or at least seen as antiquated or absurd. Most of the principles of God are scoffed at by most of the world. The idea of family is ridiculed. And the sacred institution of marriage has been turned into… …well, where do we even start?
Nonetheless, and now more than ever, faithfulness to God is of vital importance. Whether the world understands or not, God is still the answer to all problems; especially those bearing on the soul of man. What’s even more important is that faithfulness to God will be rewarded. But in order to be faithful to God, it is necessary to believe. Without faith, how can we be faithful? Faithfulness is generated by a strong faith in Christ. And that’s where really great and incredible things can happen. For it is written: “Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, ‘Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’ Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.’ Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Loose him, and let him go.’” John 11:39-44.
If we are faithful to God, He will take care of every aspect of our life; especially the necessary ones. For it is also written: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33. We are further counseled by the Scriptures like this:“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7. And the way that we express our faithfulness to God is by obeying Him (obeying His Word); following Him closely. Simeon (in today’s passage) was faithful to God and he saw great things in his life because of it. This is the true expression of love towards God: Doing what He tell us to do because we want to please Him. And by doing so, we will also be able to help our fellow man. This world needs faithful people to God! Everything God teaches is good. Remember, there is a big difference between what is good and what we want (Want or desire is not an indicator of what is good).
When we are faithful to God, we will be taken care of here; and receive great and eternal rewards after this life is gone as well. For God promises this (one of His many promises) to those that are faithful to Him: “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.” Revelations 3:12. So, are you being faithful with God? Lord bless! John