Shroro

The Syriac Orthodox Christian Digest - February, 2005

My Eyes Have Seen Your Salvation. St. Luke 2:30

by Jose Kurian Puliyeril

The above verse has been taken from the Gospel reading for Mayaltho (Entrance of our Lord to the Jerusalem temple). Our Holy Church observes Mayaltho on 1st Feb every year and we commemorate the blessed memory of two saints, the representatives of thousands of faithful who had longed for years together to have an audience with the savior of mankind. The long expectation and waiting for the savior were there among the Israelites, the chosen people of God Almighty. It actually started from the very first chapter of human history on earth. Many Prophets, Kings, Priests etc had been instrumental in course of time, for the long expectation and waiting. The Church Fathers have recorded that virgins of all ages and generations had expected and longed to give birth to the savior. In short we could say that the Old Testament is the record of the long expectation and waiting for the savior of the mankind and the entire world. It is said that even during the public mission of our Lord, there were so many waiting with hope for the savior. Thousands remained under the tall tree shades of the Jerusalem Temple's compound. Among them as their representatives, we honor and respect St. Simeon and St. Hanna.

The answer to the question ‘whose eyes have seen the salvation’, the answer is very simple. The Holy Gospel introduces him as a just and devout, whose name was Simeon He was waiting for the consolation of Israel. (Verse 25) The Holy Spirit was upon him. And the same Holy Spirit only revealed to Simeon that he would not see death, before he might see the Savior. Simeon only said “my eyes have you’re your salvation. The equivalent word for salvation in the original text language is ‘soteria’, which literally means ‘deliverance, preservation or salvation’. The term salvation itself is used in the New Testament in different contexts. a) Of Material and temporal deliverance from danger and apprehension. 1) National: e.g. St. Luke 1:69-70, Acts 7:25. 2) Personal: e.g. Acts 27:34, Philippians: 1:19, Hebrews 11:7 b) of the spiritual and eternal deliverance granted immediately by God to those who accept His conditions of repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus in whom alone it is to be obtained. e.g. Acts 4:12, Romans 10:10, Romans 1:16 and Ephesians 1:13 . c) Of the present experience of God’s power to deliver from the bondage of sin. e.g. Philippians 2:12, I Peter 1:9, 2 Timothy 3:15, Hebrews 2;3. d) Of future deliverance of believers, which is the object of their confident hope. e.g. Romans 13:11, I Thessalonians 5:8, I Thessa.1:10, 2 Thessa 2:13, Hebrews 1:14, I Peter 1:5, 2 Peter 3:15.

For us Christians, salvation means freedom from the bondage of sins and to be in our Lord Christ. Our God wants us to remain in Him and He wants to remain in us. That is why our Lord said, “partake my flesh and blood, and if you do I will stay in you and you could stay in me ”That is why our Lord has established the sacrament of Holy Eucharist. By leading a sacramental life, we all could inherit the eternal salvation and abideness wth our Lord God. May God bless us all.