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NOTE: This week i am posting the last of my four stories for the season of Advent about the incarnational birth of Jesus. My hope is that the stories become a part of your Advent tradition as you remember and celebrate the Good News of the advent of our Lord and Savior.
Each of the four stories is an adolescent’s eyewitness account of the circumstances surrounding the advent of Jesus. The last three eyewitnesses are fictional and represent the many who would have been present at the advent of Jesus, but are not named in Scripture. Though some of the characters and details contained in each story are fictional, you will find that the truth they reveal is very REAL!
To that end, this week we will hear from Ashriel, the great-grandson of Simeon.
Part 1 as told by Isaac, the son of Abraham (November 29th)
Part 2 as told by Salome, the friend of Mary (December 6th)
Part 3 as told by Yanzu, the servant of Balthazar (December 13th)
Part 4 as told by Ashriel, the great-grandson of Simeon (This week - December 20th)
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My name is Ashriel and I am ten years old. But in just a few weeks, my birthday will take place and I will be eleven! I live in the city of Jerusalem. Have you ever heard of Hanukkah? It is a special time when Jewish people like me celebrate our past.
A long time ago, a brave priest named Judas told our people not to obey our evil ruler. Our ruler did not want us to believe in God. He did evil things in the temple where we prayed. Our people revolted against him and defeated him. For the first time in many, many years, our people were not being told what to do by a ruler from another country.
Judas made our temple like new again. There were special lamps in the temple that used oil to make light. But not just any oil could be used. The oil had to be pure and it took eight days to make.
When the lamps were lit the first time, there was just enough oil for them to burn for only one day. But somehow these lamps stayed lit for eight days until the new oil was ready! My people believe God made this happen. So, every year we remember those eight days with a holiday called Hanukkah.
My great-grandfather Simeon is a priest. I call him Papa. He is one hundred thirteen years old! Every day he goes to the temple. God gave him a promise a long time ago – and he knows God always keeps His promises!
When he was sixteen years old, Papa was at the temple praying during Hanukkah. By that time, my people were again no longer free – the Roman emperor was telling us what to do. Papa prayed and asked God to help us be free again so we could pray and honor Him.
As Papa prayed, he heard a voice tell him, “Simeon, you will not die until you have seen My Son. Watch for Him and wait for Him!”
Every day since then, for many years, Papa has gone to the temple to watch for the Son of God. I now go to the temple with Papa to help him walk because he is so old and needs my help. Papa says that God chose for me to be born during Hanukkah for a special reason. God was reminding Papa that He would keep the promise He had made during Hanukkah a long time ago. That’s why Papa asked my parents to name me Ashriel. My name means “God’s promise.”
Most every day he tells me, “Today could be the day we see Him!” Even though it has been almost one hundred years since God gave him that promise, Papa believes it as much today as he did when he was sixteen.
This morning, soon after we arrived at the temple, Papa saw a young man and woman with an infant. The man was gently taking care of the young mother and the baby in her arms. We watched the man buy two birds called doves from a shop near the temple. He then gave the doves and some money to the priest as an offering.
Papa told me the baby must be a boy. He could tell from the offering the man gave that the baby was forty days old and was a firstborn son. Over the years, Papa had seen many parents with baby boys give a gift just like this one. And every time he thought it might be God’s Son.
But this time was different. Papa seemed to be really happy. He told me to help him walk over to the baby. He said his heart was beating extra fast!
Papa asked the parents if he could see their child. They kindly turned their young Son so Papa could look into His eyes. Tears began to stream down my great-grandfather’s cheeks.
He turned to the baby’s mother and said, “This Child of yours will cause many people in Israel to fall and others to stand. The Child will be like a warning sign. Many people will reject Him, and you, young mother, will suffer as though you had been stabbed by a dagger. But all this will show what is really in the hearts of the people.”(1)
She didn’t say a word but simply nodded at Papa. She was so kind I could see why God chose her to be the mother of His Son. When Papa reached to pick up the baby, she willingly handed the tiny boy to him.
The baby didn’t make a sound as Papa held Him. My great-grandfather looked up at heaven and said, “Lord, I am Your servant, and now I can die in peace, because You have kept Your promise to me. With my own eyes I have seen what You have done to save Your people.”(2)
Papa gave the baby back to His mother and thanked God for her and the father. We stood there watching as the mother and father walked away with their child.
“These people have no idea what just happened,” Papa said, as he pointed to the other people in the temple. “They don’t know they have been in the same room with the Son of God. They came here to worship God and He has been right here with them, but they did not see Him. And sadly, when He appears before them again, more than likely they still will not recognize Him.”
I quietly thanked God for keeping His promise to my great-grandfather. Then I thanked Him for keeping His promise to all of us. His promised Son had come, and He had allowed me to see Him, too. And I knew this wouldn’t be the last time I would see Him.
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About Ashriel
Ashriel is not in the Bible but Simeon is.(3) Simeon was old, though we do not know his exact age. But he probably needed someone to help him walk around the temple. That person would likely have been a young family member. So, that person would have heard Simeon’s prayer of praise over Jesus.
You can read about Simeon in Luke 2:25-35 in the Bible.
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This story is taken from Not Too Little To Know, a collection of ten illustrated short stories written for ages 8 and up for the Advent season. The book is available through Amazon in hard cover, paperback, and for Kindle or Kindle app. It is also available as an audiobook. Click HERE for more information on how you can obtain a copy.
Copyright © 2023 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.
Photo by LUMO-The Gospels for the visual age on Lightstock
(1) Luke 2:34-35 (CEV-paraphrase)
(2) Luke 2:29-30 (CEV)
(3) Luke 2:25-35