There is a difference between expecting God to act and pre‑empting how God will act. The first is faith, the second is folly. The Jews were expecting their Messiah to come, but they made the mistake of pre-empting what that coming would look like. They therefore missed it completely. The Jews didn’t expect their king to be born in a stable and be heralded by shepherds. They did not expect that he would be the son of parents so poor that they could only bring a pair of birds as an offering (cf. 2:24 with Leviticus 12:18). They didn’t expect him to be a poor carpenter’s son. He came in a completely different way to what they expected. So, many people missed him. But there were some who saw him and it was their open expectancy that caused them to be in the right place at the right time to see God’s promise fulfilled. Anna and Simeon were looking for the coming of the Messiah and they did not tire of praying and seeking after God, even though they lived in a time of spiritual barrenness. Both Anna and Simeon were very old, and they had sought God all their lives. So, when the infant Jesus was brought into the temple by Joseph and Mary, amongst the crowds of people, they were in tune enough with God to catch the moment and not let it pass them by. The Messiah, the Son of God, was there amid the crowds, but only two people recognised him. God comes to us in unusual ways. But those who persistently seek God will encounter him when he acts.
Is God trying to speak to you through your circumstances? Are you missing what he is saying and doing?
Read Luke 2:22-52
