Going Through the Motions
Don’t the days just blend together sometimes? We run our classrooms, send emails to parents, grade papers, and then go to sleep – just to wake up and do it again. Routine becomes the familiar. Sometimes, this complacency causes us to miss profound blessings from Jesus.
Ellen White tells us something amazing that occurred on the day of Jesus’s dedication as a baby. She states:
“The priest went through the ceremony of his official work. He took the child in his arms, and held it up before the altar. After handing it back to its mother, he inscribed the name “Jesus” on the roll of the first-born. Little did he think, as the babe lay in his arms, that it was the Majesty of heaven, the King of glory.”
However, Simeon, who encountered Jesus after his parents were finished with the priest, had a different reaction. Simeon knew that this was no ordinary moment. He takes the babe into his arms and blesses him, saying:
““Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”
Mary and Joseph didn’t even know what was going on in this moment, and Scripture tells us that they “marveled” at what Simeon spoke.
Jesus labors side by side with us each and every day. He works through our students, parents, and fellow education. Do we see him? As we go about our busy week, are we “going through the motions” or do we have the spiritual insight that Simeon had?
As we go about our daily duties, let us pray that we can see God in our daily interactions with one another and that his Spirit shines brighter than our repetitive agenda.