A family during prayers. Net PHOTOS.
“God is great enough to rule this mighty universe, but small enough to live within my heart”. This line from the song How Big is God by (Stuart Hamblen), occurred to me as I was pondering the enduring message from the Christian feast of the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple, 40 days after His birth. The feast is rooted in the Mosaic Law instructing the consecration to God of every first-born male among the Israelites (Exodus 13:2). So, Joseph and Mary, being devout Jews did the same to Jesus.
The act of Prophet Simeon holding the Child in his arms is very captivating. The Bible text states that inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit, he understood that in the fullness of time, God had sent forth His Son, Jesus Christ. He understood that his eyes were beholding the salvation of God.
God is a Tri-personal being, and His revelation. In Genesis 1:26–27 God tells us that He made Adam and Eve in his image to be revelations of himself. He is, therefore, not a mere supreme being high above us, but dwells in us. He is not only a creator, but also a provider and redeemer. He is concerned with the lives of people, working by miracles and answering their prayers.
The highest and deepest divine revelation is the incarnate Lord Jesus Christ. The Almighty God, did not only to take on the lowliness of our sinful humanity, but more so, in a humble and vulnerable form, to save us. The very existence of moral values, residing in persons, and not in inanimate things, indicates the presence of God, who is the sole source of moral values, by issuing the Ten Commands and others to us.
Profession does not mean possession. Confessing salvation does not mean having salvation. Simple knowledge about God without personal knowledge of Jesus and allowing Him to become the centre of one’s life falls, short of salvation. Though we may be endeavouring to serve God, Jesus makes us aware that active service is not the final measurement of a person able to say “My God, my Saviour” (Matthew 7:21-23).
This means we do not earn God’s favour, but receive it by God’s grace. We cannot earn salvation by service, but genuine service always flows from salvation by a personal God. Simeon lived in Jerusalem and had wonderful spiritual qualities. He had received a revelation from God, and had faith that God would fulfill that revelation in his lifetime.
Knowing God personally is very important, because we become unified with Him. The more we know Him, the stronger that unity becomes, and oneness with Him becomes automatic. We are called to eternal life because we become one with the Eternal One. This is a reflection on Isaiah 43:3: "I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Saviour.”
It is imperative to meditate on God’s real presence in our lives, by allow Scripture to fill us with that desire and faith to encounter Him daily. We need to take a minute to quiet our heart and mind, and ask the Holy Spirit to help us to be in the presence of the God who already dwells within us. This is what Simeon used to do.
The prophet Elijah had discovered this when he heard God in the sound of sheer silence on the mountain. Once he let go of the folly of the earthquake, fire and storm Elijah understood God was to be encountered in the silence. In silence he experienced something beyond words; the presence of the living and Almighty God.
Deep within every true Christian is a longing to be more like Christ. We are not content as we are; we want to be changed. This longing comes from the Holy Spirit. We become like Jesus as we worship Jesus. Christians have the opportunity to behold His real presence when they perpetuate His sacrifice of the cross, during Mass, and receive His Body (consecrated bread) and Blood (consecrated wine) in Holy Communion (1 Corinthians 11:24-25).
