Christ fulfills the law without opening the virgin's womb; Simeon's wealth of virtues

But Christ, as we have said, fulfilled his own law as lawgiver above the law. For he did not open the gate of the virgin, but left it closed. He did not break the seal of nature, nor did he harm the one who bore him; he left intact for her the form of virginity. If you do not believe this, learn from Ezekiel: "And he turned me back along the way of the gate of the sanctuary of the outer court, the one facing east, and it was closed. And the Lord said to me: This gate shall remain closed; it shall not be opened, and no one shall pass through it, for the Lord, the God of Israel, shall enter and go out through it, and it shall remain closed" (Ezekiel 44:1-2). "Every male opening the womb shall be called holy to the Lord" (Luke 2:23). But this one is not only holy. As much as he surpasses in sanctification, so much does he also excel in birth and rise above the commandment of the law. Nevertheless, it says, "to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons" (Luke 2:24). Luke left the law incomplete, not seized by ignorance but guided by wisdom. The law said "a lamb and a young pigeon," but if the one offering could not afford it, it commanded "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons and fine flour." Luke, however, omitted the offering of the wealthy, for he remembered the poor one who willingly became poor for our sake. He had no lodging, it says; how could he have acquired a lamb? Wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger, how could he offer a sheep? Rather, he had no need of a lamb, for he himself was "the lamb of God" (John 1:29), the true sheep. He offered himself for the world. For this reason Luke declared what the law commanded, and signified what Christ was accomplishing.

Then next it says: "And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ" (Luke 2:25-26). Great is Simeon's wealth, varied are the commander's weapons, the plant is laden with fruits, the vine is laden with grapes. He was not only "a man," but he was also named Simeon. In addition, he was not only "righteous," but also "devout"; and he sought consolation for Israel; and "the Holy Spirit was upon him"; and he had received a revelation that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. "Behold, a man"—where? "In Jerusalem." The word carries astonishment; the phrase is full of wonder. A man in Jerusalem, about which the prophet Zephaniah introduced God himself saying: "I will search Jerusalem with a lamp and will not find a man" (Zephaniah 1:12). Does the light need a lamp? No, he says, but he calls the law a lamp. "And behold, a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon." And what is the interpretation of the name that is given? "Hearing of God." So he acquired a name befitting his way of life through the Spirit's dispensation. For where there is "hearing of God," there is certainly obedience to the law, keeping of commandments, the course of a good life, the goal of salvation drawing near to its end. In these things the true man is characterized, about whom these words were fittingly added.

"And this man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel" (Luke 2:25). This is the goal of a righteous man: not to seek his own good, but that of another and of the many, to become a partaker of the common salvation, not of his own enjoyment. "And the Holy Spirit," it says, "was upon him." Simeon was a vehicle of the Lord, a throne of God, and for this reason he received in his hands the King of the ages.