Faith that Waits - The Faith of Simeon
Luke 2:25–27
“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.”
To understand Simeon, we need to understand the times in which he lived. Israel had not heard a prophetic voice from the Lord for over 400 years. God’s people had endured long centuries of foreign domination—Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and now Roman rule. Herod sat on the throne as a corrupt, client king of Rome, and the much of the religious leadership of Israel had largely become political rather than spiritual. Given these circumstances, it would have been easy—reasonable even—for a faithful Jew to grow skeptical and ask, “Where are the promises of God?”
But this was not Simeon.
Luke describes him with two words that reflect a lifetime of faithful obedience: righteous and devout. Simeon’s righteousness was not performative. He was not religious for show. His faith & obedience was quiet, consistent, and sincere—faithful when no one was watching. To be devout meant that Simeon was intentional and reverent about his spiritual life. He did not drift spiritually or treat God casually. No one drifts casually toward spiritual maturity and no one accidentally becomes righteous and devout. Simeon had spent decades cultivating a faithful walk with God.
Luke also tells us that Simeon was waiting for something. He was “waiting for the consolation of Israel.” The word translated waiting does not mean passive resignation. It carries the sense of looking intently for, searching, expecting. Simeon lived with a sense of anticipation. He believed deeply that God would do what He promised—even if it took longer than expected.
The word consolation comes from a term meaning comforter, one who comes alongside. Simeon needed comfort, not unlike the rest of Israel, battered by injustice, disappointment, and national sorrow. But Simeon understood something crucial: God’s comfort would not come primarily through political liberation or economic prosperity. The prophets, especially Isaiah, had already made this clear:
“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God…
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned.” (Isaiah 40:1–2)
God’s deepest comfort would be the forgiveness of sin. The true consolation of Israel would be a Savior.
Simeon’s faith was anchored in this conviction. He trusted the promises of God even when history seemed to contradict them. And remarkably, Luke tells us that the Holy Spirit was upon him. Before Simeon ever held the Messiah, God had already given him a foretaste of consolation—the Holy Spirit (also referred to as the comforter, John 14:26).
Three times Luke emphasizes Simeon’s relationship with the Spirit:
- The Spirit was upon him
- The Spirit revealed truth to him
- The Spirit led him
Simeon lived attentively, responsive to the Spirit’s presence and direction. He was not spiritually numb. He was fully awake.
The measure of faith is often revealed in the ability to wait. Simeon waited—not with despair, but with hope. And in God’s perfect timing, the Spirit led him to the temple on an otherwise ordinary day. What Simeon saw did not look extraordinary at all, in fact it looked very ordinary: a young couple, a newborn baby, coming to the temple to fulfill the law’s requirements.
But the Spirit whispered, “This is the one.”
Simeon’s faith reminds us that the people of God, people of hope, live expectantly. Like Simeon, we too live between promise and fulfillment—waiting for Christ’s return. And the question Jesus asked still lingers: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)
Prayer
God of promise and fulfillment,
give us the kind of faith that endures long seasons of waiting.
Guard our hearts from cynicism when answers seem delayed
and help us trust that you are still at work.
Teach us to live attentively—awake to your Spirit,
expectant of your presence,
and hopeful in your promises.
May we be found faithful when you act,
and patient while we wait.
Amen.
Reflection Questions
- Where do you feel most tempted toward discouragement or cynicism as you wait on God?
- What would it look like for you to wait expectantly rather than passively in this season?
- How might attentiveness to the Holy Spirit reshape the way you live between promise and fulfillment?