Luke 2:25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
The great task of Simeon's life was to wait. He probably did a lot of other things in his life, but waiting is the only thing he did that God wanted us to know about. His job was to show us how.
So the first thing I notice is that Simeon was righteous and devout. That makes me think of all the people I know who want to sow their wild oats, or who plan to settle down some day. Their reasoning seems to be that there's enough time for righteous living later on; after all, as long as you make your peace with God on your deathbed you'll be OK, right?
But Simeon's example suggests that part of waiting is living faithfully to the thing you're waiting for. It's the same idea as waiting for marriage, instead of saying you'll be good once you're married. Simeon waited his whole life, which he lived as though he was in the presence of the Messiah the whole time.
The second thing I notice is what Simeon was actually waiting for: The consolation of Israel. Unlike those who wanted the Messiah to come and restore political power to the religious elite by booting out the Romans, Simeon wanted relief for the anguish of the people. Simeon isn't looking for power and a palace. Simeon is waiting for the One who would heal the relationship between God's chosen people and God.
Finally, notice that Simeon waits in complete confidence. He knows he'll see the Messiah; God said so.
That's my model as I wait for Jesus: Live faithfully to Him even before he gets here. Want Him to come for the same reasons He wants to come. And wait without doubt. That's not the passive waiting we're used to; no playing Angry Birds just to kill time. There's a lot of work in waiting.
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