Renewal and Redemption
The journey of life is a proclamation from one stage to another, where we transition from light to light, and from day to day, not to grow old but to be renewed in the time of completion. He came to the temple in the Spirit, as recorded in Luke 2:27. The spring led the thirsty one to the spring.
When the parents brought the child Jesus to the temple to perform the customary rituals, he was received in the arms of Simeon.
Simeon carried in his hands the one who holds the entire world, measuring the waters and the heavens with his hand, and all the earth with a span, as described in Isaiah 40:12. It is puzzling how Simeon, who was not a priest, could offer a sacrifice.
The priestly service was allotted to the tribe of Levi alone. Despite not being a priest, Simeon was considered righteous.
Righteousness is often seen as having a higher authority than the priesthood, with righteousness having priesthood under its feet. Simeon was not a Levite, but he was devout.
The devout one has an anointing from himself.
Carrying the child Jesus, Simeon said, 'Now you release your servant, Master, according to your word in peace,' as seen in Luke 2:29-32. The time of release had come, and with it, the redemption of captives and the forgiveness of debts.
A king was born, freeing those in prison, releasing those in bonds, and calling back to life those in death, thereby lightening the burden of the earth. Simeon's statement, 'Now you release your servant, Master,' marks the beginning of a new era. One might wonder how Simeon knew that the time of release had come. Simeon saw the Master clothed in the form of a servant.
The Master would not have taken on the form of a slave if he had not intended to elevate the humble.
How could he release his servant according to God's word in peace? If God brought creation into being by his word, he could certainly free the ruler of creation by his word. The peace of the cross, which beheaded the tyrant and gave peace to those who fight with Christ, is the peace that Simeon spoke of.
Simeon had seen the salvation that God had prepared, which many had desired to see but did not see - God in the flesh, a sun shining in a cloud.
This salvation was God's incarnation, through which he managed the salvation of humans. No human has seen the naked divinity, since no one can see God as he is in essence. Simeon had seen God's salvation, which was made according to the face of all peoples, a light for the revelation of nations and the glory of his people Israel.
The good things that God offers are common and undivided for both Jews and Gentiles. There should be no envy, distress, temptation, or concern among the Jews, Pharisees, scribes, Herod, Annas, and Caiaphas, for God's gifts are generously bestowed.
He who came gives to all and receives from no one, generously and without measure bestowing gifts. Mary wondered how a woman's womb could contain God, how the servant could give birth to the one who frees creation. And she says that this child lies for the fall and resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign being spoken against, as mentioned in Luke 2:34, for the fall of those persisting in unbelief.
Greek
χρηματισμὸς ἀπὸ ζωῆς εἰς ζωὴν μεταβῆναι, ἀπὸ φωτὸς ὁδεῦσαι πρὸς φῶς, ἀπὸ ἡμέρας εἰς ἡμέραν μεταπηδῆσαι, μὴ παλαιωθῆναι, ἀλλ' ἀνακαινισθῆναι, ἐν τῷ 2 καιρῷ τῆς συντελείας τὴν ἀνανέωσιν δέξασθαι. Οὗτος «ἦλθεν ἐν τῷ πνεύματι εἰς τὸ ἱερόν»· ἡ πηγὴ τὸν διψῶντα πρὸς τὴν πηγὴν ἀπήγαγεν. «Καὶ ἐν τῷ εἰσαγαγεῖν τοὺς γονεῖς τὸ παιδίον Ἰησοῦν τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτῷ κατὰ τὸ εἰθισμένον περὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐδέξατο αὐτὸν ἐν ταῖς ἀγκάλαις αὐτοῦ.» Ἔφερεν ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν τὸν ἐν τῇ χειρὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην καὶ τὴν ἀοίκητον ἔχοντα, «τὸν μετρήσαντα τῇ χειρὶ τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν σπιθαμῇ καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν δρακί.» Καὶ πῶς ὁ Συμεὼν θυσίαν τὴν αὐτῷ μὴ προσήκουσαν ἀνήνεγκεν; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν ἱερεύς· οὐ γὰρ τοῦτο εἴρηται, οὐδὲ λευίτης, οὐδὲ νεωκόρος, ἐπειδὴ μόνῃ τῇ φυλῇ τοῦ Λευὶ τὸ λειτουργικὸν κεκλήρωται. Οὐκ ἦν ἱερεύς, ἦν δὲ «δίκαιος»· ἡ δικαιοσύνη δὲ τὴν ἱερωσύνην ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας κέκτηται. Οὐκ ἦν λευίτης, ἀλλ' «εὐλαβής»· ὁ δέ γε εὐλαβὴς ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ τὸ χρῖσμα ἔχει. 6 Καὶ βαστάζων τὸ βρέφος ἔφη· «Νῦν ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦλόν σου, δέσποτα, κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ.» «Νῦν ἀπολύεις»· ἦλθε γὰρ ὁ καιρὸς τῆς ἀφέσεως, ἀπήντησε τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ἡ λύτρωσις, τῶν χρεῶν ἡ συγχώρησις· ἐγεννήθη βασιλεὺς τοὺς ἐν φυλακαῖς ἐλευθερῶν, τοὺς ἐν δεσμοῖς ἀπαλλάττων, τοὺς ἐν θανάτῳ εἰς ζωὴν ἀνακαλούμενος, κουφίζων τὸν φόρτον τῆς γῆς. «Νῦν ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦλόν σου, δέσποτα.» Πῶς οἶδας; Ὁρῶ τὸν δεσπότην, φησίν, σχῆμα δούλου περικείμενον. Οὐκ ἂν δεσπότης ὢν δούλου μορφὴν ἐφόρεσεν, εἰ μὴ τὸν δοῦλον ἐνδῦσαι τοῦ δεσπότου τὴν μορφὴν ἐλογίσατο. Οὐκ ἂν τὴν τάξιν ἐνήλλαξεν, οὐδ' ὑψηλὸς ὢν ἐταπεινώθη, εἰ μὴ τὸ ταπεινὸν εἰς ὕψος ἀνα-γαγεῖν ἠβουλήθη. Ἀλλὰ πῶς αὐτὸν «ἀπολύεις κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ;»· εἰ γὰρ ῥήματι τὴν κτίσιν παρήγαγες, ῥήματι πάντως ἐλευθεροῖς τὸν τῆς κτίσεως ἄρχοντα. «Ἐν εἰρήνῃ»· ποίᾳ; Τῇ τοῦ σταυροῦ· ἐκείνη γὰρ ἡ μάχαιρα τοῦ τυράννου τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀπέτεμε καὶ εἰρήνην τοῖς μετὰ Χριστοῦ στρατευομένοις ἔδωκεν. «Ὅτι εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου τὸ σωτήριόν σου, ὃ ἡτοίμασας.» Εἶδον ἃ πολλοὶ ἐπεθύμησαν ἰδεῖν καὶ οὐκ εἶδον, θεὸν ἐν σαρκί, ἥλιον ἐν νεφέλῃ φωτίζοντα. «Εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου τὸ σωτήριόν σου», τουτέστιν εἶδόν σου τὴν σάρκωσιν, δι' ἧς τὴν σωτηρίαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ᾠκονόμησας· οὐ γὰρ εἶδον γυμνὴν θεότητα, ἐπειδὴ τὸν θεὸν καθώς ἐστιν οὐσίᾳ οὐδεὶς ἀνθρώπων ὄψεται. «Ὅτι εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου τὸ σωτήριόν σου, ὃ ἡτοίμασας κατὰ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν λαῶν, φῶς εἰς ἀποκάλυψιν ἐθνῶν καὶ δόξαν λαοῦ σου Ἰσραήλ.» Κοινὰ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσι τὰ ἀγαθὰ καὶ ἀμέριστα. Μὴ τοίνυν φθονείτω ὁ Ἰουδαῖος, μήτε στενοχωρείσθω ὁ Φαρισαῖος, μήτε πειραζέτω ὁ γραμματεύς, μὴ εὐλαβείσθω περὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ βασιλείας ὁ Ἡρῴδης, μὴ δειλιάτω περὶ τῆς ἱερωσύνης Ἅννας καὶ Καϊάφας· ὁ ἐλθὼν πᾶσι δίδωσι, παρ' οὐδενὸς λαμβάνει· ἀφθόνως φιλοτιμεῖται, χωρὶς μέτρου χαρίζεται. 7 Ἀλλ' ὁ Ἰωσὴφ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ ἀκούσαντες τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Συμεῶνος λαληθέντα ἐθαύμασαν πῶς ὁ Χριστὸς ἀνέχεται υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου γενέσθαι. Ἐθαύμασεν ἡ Μαρία πῶς γαστὴρ γυναικὸς ἐχώρησε θεόν, πῶς ἡ δούλη τὸν ἐλευθεροῦντα τὴν κτίσιν ἐγέννησεν. Καί φησιν· «Οὗτος κεῖται εἰς πτῶσιν καὶ ἀνάστασιν πολλῶν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ εἰς σημεῖον ἀντιλεγόμενον», «εἰς πτῶσιν» τῶν ἐπιμενόντων τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ,
About this text
Hesychius of Jerusalem, Homilia i de Hypapante (Greek).
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 93 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.