Week 3 December 2025, Devotion Part 1

And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel…And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.  Luke 2:25;36

What is the difference between “waiting for” and “waiting on”? Far from being a trick  question, it hints at a language lesson Luke might have wanted to insert to enhance his exhaustive telling of the Nativity story. So we brace for some New Testament Greek, but ease into it by working up an appetite for moussaka. It is the prized signature dish in every location of the Kairos Mediterranean Restaurant Chain. We order it from the menu, then “wait for” it to be cooked. When the “waiter” picks it up from the kitchen, he comes to  “wait on” us as his customers. While serving the food, he remains attentive to our needs and wants without being intrusive. As a result, he gets such a large tip that it reflects on the Kairos name of the eatery, meaning “supreme moment.”

The tip from the linguist looking over our shoulder is food for thought that upon ruminating becomes digestible for the layperson. “The ancient Greeks had two words for time, and kairos was second. The first was Chronos, still used in words like chronological and anachronism. It refers to clock time – the time that can be measured – minutes, hours, years. Where Chronos is quantitative, kairos is qualitative. It measures moments as ‘in the right moment, the opportune moment, the perfect moment.’” Luke’s chronology of Christ’s incarnation is evident as it begins in verse 1 of chapter 2 and wraps up in verses 19 and 20. Mary has treasured up all these things in her heart, and the shepherds have glorified God and gone back. The narrator’s clock begins to tick again from verse 40 on because the Christ child obviously grew.  By verse 42 the boy is twelve and in Jerusalem, talking theology with the teachers in the temple. Sandwiched in between, verses 21-39 describe the kairos moments with Simeon and Anna, perfectly orchestrated by the Holy Spirit.  Part 1 of 2

Comment:  Forty days after His Resurrection, and shortly before His Ascension, Jesus charged His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  It would birth the Church and spread the Gospel to Jews and Gentiles globally.  What was their immediate response?  “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”  Forty days after His birth, in strict adherence to Jewish Law, Jesus was brought to the temple to be dedicated to God.  Simeon, filled with the Holy Spirit and prompted by Him to go there just then, took the infant into his arms. He thanked God for letting him live long enough to see His salvation – “a Light of revelation to the Gentiles , and the glory of Thy people Israel.”  The sword destined for Him would also pierce Mary’s heart.  If by now we visualize the clock of America’s fate ticking us into distress and distrust, waiting for a “supreme moment” of political salvation, why not wait on God for His consolation as Simeon did?  If we are born again, we are filled with the Holy Spirit.