When Jesus was but an infant,
his parents took him to the temple
for consecration, as was the Jewish custom
for every firstborn son.
There, long before John’s question about Jesus,
an old prophet, Simeon, recognized Jesus
and he, like the centurion, offered his answer.
Taking the baby in his arms, he sang his prayer:
“Lord, let your servant go in peace.
For Your Word has been fulfilled.”
It is also a prayer for a peaceful death.
The prophet Simeon can now go in peace,
having seen the work of salvation
Yahweh as promised His people.
It’s a lovely prayer–and a fitting one
as we contemplate on the Lord’s self-sacrifice on the cross.
Let this be our final prayer this Good Friday:
a contemplation on the suffering and death of Jesus,
willingly accepted for love of us,
and a prayer for peace.
Peace, as we now know, is not an absence of pain
or troubles. We may be in deep pain like Jesus,
and we may face many troubles like the Lord,
but there is a deeper and longer lasting peace
that comes from doing the right thing,
from following God’s Will.
Our faith tells us that God is eternal–
before Him is not only the present, but also
the past and the future.
If that is the case, then He can hear our prayers today
and respond to it for the past.
If that is the case,
we can truly pray for Jesus in his sufferings
and on the cross.
Let us pray for Jesus in his last hours,
that even if he felt forsaken by the Father,
he would still find that deeper peace:
“God our Father, let Your Servant go in peace.”
Let this music video accompany you in prayer.
Stay as long as you want in conversation with the Lord
before you move on.
Image from obscurecharacters.com