Simeon ... came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus,... 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.

(Luke 2, 27 -30)

We often speak of a life of fulfilment when someone has reached a good age in health and was granted the privilege of leading his life in such a way that he could be satisfied with it. But is that really all that is important? Does a life of fulfilment concern only the physical side up to the grave? The brief biblical account of Simeon gives us sufficient material to set us thinking.

Simeon had indeed a life of fulfilment. "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart." This is not the language of someone whose death is an inevitable fate, even if he is resigned to it. Only someone who needs nothing more because he has found all can say such a thing. Waiting had been worth while for Simeon. He could depart in peace because he had seen and found God's salvation: Christ.

It had been revealed to Simeon "that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ." That had to do with the expectation of the Messiah (Christ), which had just been fulfilled in the birth of Christ.

A life of true fulfilment must, even today, extend beyond the grave. All that we achieve and experience here is subject to oblivion. Whoever knows Christ, God's salvation, however, has eternal life, the forgiveness of sins and peace with God through faith in Him. Paul wrote: "We have obtained an inheritance" (Ephesians 1,11). Our inheritance is enjoying the presence of God above, the eternal fulfilment of the believer's life.

Good Seed Calendar, November 23, 2006