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CAR MES YEUX ONT VU TON SAUVER
DENN MEINE AUGEN HABEN DEINEN HEILAND GESEHEN
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La traduction française est en cours de réalisation.
Die französische Übersetzung ist in Arbeit.
The French translation is under construction. |
A man shuffled across the narrow, uneven, cobble-stoned alleyways
of Jerusalem. Outwardly he is old, but his soul has remained young
through hope.
Every now and then he is asked, "Simeon, Simeon listen a moment!
You always seem to give the impression that you are waiting for something
to happen?"
"I am." Simeon answers, "I am waiting. I am waiting
for Israel's coming consolation, I am waiting for the saviour."
Simeon walks the streets of Jerusalem as a living reminder: "Do
not forget God's promise! - Do not forget God's promise!" |
... Car mes yeux ont vu ton salut ...
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Et
voici, il y avait à Jérusalem un homme appelé
Siméon. Cet homme était juste et pieux, il attendait
la consolation d'Israël, et l'Esprit Saint était sur lui.
Il avait été divinement averti par le Saint Esprit qu'il
ne mourrait point avant d'avoir vu le Christ du Seigneur.
Il vint au temple, poussé par l'Esprit. Et, comme les parents
apportaient le petit enfant Jésus pour accomplir à son
égard ce qu'ordonnait la loi,
il le reçut dans ses bras, bénit Dieu, et dit:
Maintenant, Seigneur, tu laisses ton serviteur S'en aller en paix,
selon ta parole.
Car mes yeux ont vu ton salut,
Salut que tu as préparé devant tous les peuples,
Lumière pour éclairer les nations, Et gloire d'Israël,
ton peuple.
Luc 2, 25 - 32
"And why should it be you", he is questioned, "who
is to wait for the Saviour?"
Simeon replies, "As you well know, a man can travel far nowdays,
even as far as to the heathens in Rome.
But I have come to myself, to my own heart: Deep within it is inhabited
by despair, the weariness of life, sins, the fear of failing, jealousy,
an inferiority complex, pride, a yearning for attention and much more.
Suddenly I realised that I need a saviour, a redeemer. And all our
old scriptures speak of he, who is to come.
Even Eve believed she had found the redeemer as she named her first
born son "won". Yet it was this son who became the murderer
of his brother.
As he died Jacob called aloud, "Lord, I await your salvation!"
And what about the prophets? Did they not continually see the arrival
of the Messiah? Do you not know the scriptures?
"Oh, well," they answered, "that may be as it is. Our
ancestors dreamt up some things, but who can say that what they dreamt
of will come true? And can it be true that you will see the saviour?"
Simeon replied, "You can see it is like this: Through the scriptures
we learn that the saviour will come. And through the Holy Spirit we
learn, I learn, that he will come to me.
The prophet Isaiah writes:
Behold the lamb of God, who will carry away
the sins of the world.
And the Holy Spirit says, "Behold the
lamb of God, who will carry away your
sins.
The angel says to the shepherds, ...a saviour
has been born to you.
From the Holy Spirit I learn, ...a saviour
has been born to me.
That is how I know that I will see the saviour."
The question Simeon pondered over is not very popular today.
And yet this text can be frightening. For it could mean that we will
die before we have seen Christ our Lord and saviour.
That would be terrible. To die without having known the one who could
save us from the anger of God, sin, debt and eternal damnation. "Man
is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement." And
all that without a saviour! without a redeemer! without the forgiving
of our sins! Without the hope of life eternal!
Blessed is he who can speak as Simeon does: ...now
dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation!
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PICTURE: REMBRANDT: "Simeon's
Song of Praise" or "Simeon with the Christ Child", unfinished
(1669),
Stockholm, Nationalmuseum
Rembrandts last painting which remained
not quite fully finished. However because of this, Rembrandt gives
us the impression that at the end of his very active life he too
could join Simeon in saying, "now dismiss your servant in peace
as you promised. For my eyes have seen your salvation!"
TEXT: Dependent on: BUSCH, Wilhelm: 365 MAL ER, 2nd December and
following dates, Schriftenmissionsverlag, Gladbeck 1966
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