Thoughts Revealed

Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.” Luke 2:33-35

NEVER HAS A CHILD RECEIVED a more celebratory welcome than the one the baby Jesus received when Mary and Joseph took him to the Temple and placed him in the arms of the aging Simeon. The Lord had revealed to Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah with his own eyes. And this was that day. The baby he was holding was the Savior. But just as God revealed to Simeon that this child would bring salvation to people from every nation, God also revealed to him that this child would be opposed and rejected by many in Israel. Because of this, one day Mary would feel the blunt force of that hatred in her own soul. Surely Mary thought of Simeon’s words when she wept at the foot of the cross. Surely she thought the sword that pierced her soul then was cutting her heart into pieces.

Simeon was right. Many opposed Jesus. “He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn —not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God” (John 1:10-13).

This sword cuts through our own lives, and perhaps even through our families, separating those to whom Jesus is a joy from those who ignore, reject, and oppose him. This sword that will one day separate the sheep from the goats pierces our very souls too.

Sovereign Lord, I know that my future and ________’s future are bound up in our response to the Savior you sent into the world, Jesus Christ. Your Word is a two-edged sword that goes deep into every one of us, revealing our deepest thoughts and motives. I ask, Lord, that the sword of your Word, wielded by your Spirit, would work to cut away anything and everything that would keep ________ from recognizing you as the true and only Savior.