Dr Calvin Chong
The Gospel of Luke is filled with accounts of the overlooked and underestimated in society—marginalised women (1:39–56; 7:36–50; 8:1–3), the poor and economically burdened (1:52–53; 4:18; 6:20–21), social outsiders (2:8–20; 5:12–16; 10:25–37; 17:11–19), moral failures and “sinners” (5:27–32; 7:36–50; 19:1–10), and those weighed down by sickness or spiritual oppression (4:31–41; 5:17–26; 8:26–39).
Alongside others pushed to the margins of society, Luke began his Gospel by drawing attention to another often-overlooked group: vulnerable seniors. He highlighted Zechariah, Elizabeth, Simeon, and Anna—four aged believers who appeared in the birth narratives and who, despite their advanced years, contributed in remarkable and deeply faithful ways to God’s kingdom story.
Zechariah and Elizabeth hailed from the hill country of Judah and are featured in Luke 1:5–79. Simeon and Anna, on the other hand, lived in Jerusalem and are featured in a pair of brief scenes in Luke 2:22–38. Together, these four seniors form a remarkable quartet that exemplifies ageing faith.
Luke’s descriptions of these seniors highlight three significant points that are instructive for older readers.
(1) They were advanced in age yet remained righteous and devoted to God.
In Luke’s introduction, all four were presented as seniors at the eleventh hour of their lives. Zechariah was a priest, and both he and his wife Elizabeth were described as “advanced in years” (1:5–7, 18). Simeon appeared as an old man who, after a lifetime of waiting for God’s promise, was ready to depart from this world (2:26, 29). Anna, likewise, was described as a prophetess “advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four” (2:36–37a).
But besides being introduced as seniors at the eleventh hour of their lives, they were also described as righteous men and women. Of Zechariah and Elizabeth, Luke wrote, “And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord” (1:6). Of Simeon, we read, “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout” (2:25a). And even though the specific phrase “righteous woman” was not used to describe Anna, her words, actions, and introduction as a prophetess of God all point in that direction.
The descriptions of these four seniors who were advanced in age but righteous stand out as deeply affirming, especially when contrasted with the more negative portrayals of ageing and ageing seniors today. Paul Stevens draws attention to the vices of ageing accentuated over time with a quote from the late 16th-century French writer and philosopher Michel de Montaigne:
We do not so much forsake vices as we change them, and, in my opinion, for worse. Besides foolish and feeble pride, an impertinent prating, forward and unsociable humors, superstition, and a ridiculous desire of riches when we have lost the use of them, I find there more envy, injustice, and malice. Age imprints more wrinkles in the mind than it does on the face; and souls are never, or even rarely seen, that in growing old do not smell sour and musty. [1]
Seniors, unfortunately, have shown ourselves to be deeply racist, pigheaded, entitled, abusive, divisiveness, self-serving, and self-promoting. That behaviour has been demonstrated in homes, churches, and workplaces. How refreshing, therefore, to have seniors featured and introduced by Luke as advanced in years but righteous and devoted to God. On the one hand, that is how we would like to be described; on the other hand, it is an ideal we should work toward.
(2) Their preoccupations were marked by a consistent focus on the kingdom of God.
A constant mental plague for Zechariah and Elizabeth would have been the stigma of their childlessness. Luke 1:7 records that “they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.”
Childlessness in the culture of the day carried with it much shame and sorrow. Passages from the Old Testament give us a sense of the social-emotional impact of not having children on womenfolk. For Rachel, childlessness was intolerable, even worse than death (Genesis 30:1). For Hannah, it led to provocation and mockery (1 Samuel 1:6–8). Elizabeth and Zechariah had to endure the stigma of childlessness for the greater part of their married life!
If, however, the mental stress of childlessness had been a preoccupation for this aged couple, we find the Lord God answering their prayer for a son and introducing an assignment which would become their new preoccupation. The assignment was to raise a son who would prepare the hearts of the people for the coming of Jesus (1:15–17).
We are told later that this son would grow up to be John the Baptist. John would be great and, by his fiery, courageous preaching, turn hearts back to God and prepare a people ready for the Lord (3:1–20). On their part, as aged parents, they would need to raise John for that role. This they would do by modelling upright living, love for the Scriptures, a commitment to justice, and a deep longing for the hoped-for Messiah!
Simeon’s preoccupation, on the other hand, was “waiting for the consolation of Israel” and anticipating a promised encounter with the Messiah Christ before his passing (2:25b–26). The term “consolation of Israel” was another way of saying “coming of the Messiah” or “coming of the messianic age.” Since the Jewish people living in Israel then were ruled by the oppressive Romans, many righteous Jews—like Simeon—were longing for the appearance of a Jewish messianic king who would rise up and overthrow the Romans.
Who the true Jewish Messiah Christ would be remained a mystery. The Holy Spirit, however, had revealed to Simeon that he would see the Jewish Messiah Christ before he passed (2:26). Consequently, Simeon was waiting for that day, longing for that hour, and yearning for that minute of encounter!
The prophetess Anna was also waiting for the coming of the Messiah, although she expressed her preoccupation differently. Anna devoted much of her time at the temple “worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day” (2:37b). Anna’s lifetime of temple devotion reflects the deep longing to be in God’s presence that the psalmists expressed in Psalm 27:4 and Psalm 84:1–2. Having discovered the joy of communion with God, Anna narrowed her life pursuits and focused on what she deemed important: worship, fasting, and prayer.
Luke’s presentation of these four aged seniors thus finds them not focused on personal needs or distracted by worldly pursuits. Instead, they were filled with longing for God and animated by the hope of what He was going to do to usher in His kingdom. This shared and consistent preoccupation with the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth, just as it is in heaven, was what characterised them.
(3) God blessed and affirmed them for their faithfulness.
For Zechariah and Elizabeth, God’s blessing and affirmation came in the form of an unexpected adventure, which included divine encounters for each spouse.
Zechariah’s encounter with the angel Gabriel happened while he was performing his temple duty as a priest (1:11–13, 19). The angel came with very good news about the removal of childlessness and the promise of an heir.
Elizabeth’s divine encounter came six months after Zechariah’s, and it was of a different nature. It happened when young Mary, newly pregnant with Jesus, travelled from Nazareth to the hill country of Judah to visit her. Elizabeth was already six months pregnant then. Upon Mary’s greeting, “the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit” (1:39–44).
Zechariah’s and Elizabeth’s respective divine encounters came with much joy and, more importantly, brought home to them the reality and the power of God in a very personal way. God wasn’t just an abstract, faraway concept. For them, God was real, near, and present. Consequently, they were determined, for whatever years they had left, to remain faithful to the Lord and to faithfully raise John to fulfil his destiny as the forerunner of Jesus.
As for Simeon, God blessed and affirmed him by granting him the satisfaction of seeing and holding the Christ child (2:27–28). Simeon responded to this brief yet magnificent sunset moment with these words: “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” (2:29–32).
Anna’s blessing and affirmation was in becoming the first evangelist to speak about the Christ to others (2:38). Contrary to what is often said at Easter—that Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James and some other women were the first evangelists (24:1–10)—it was actually Anna the prophetess who should be listed as the rightful first evangelist.
Anna walked so closely with God that she could discern the significance of the child and of the moment. Only one so formed by devotion could have spoken words of such prophetic weight. That was Anna’s affirmation from God—the blessed privilege of being the first evangelist, the first one to speak publicly of the coming Messiah Christ!
[1] R. Paul Stevens, Aging Matters: Finding Your Calling for the Rest of Your Life (Eerdmans, 2016), 84.
About the Author
Dr Calvin Chong is Professor of Practical Theology at Singapore Bible College. A key part of his work at SBC focuses on how the College can serve churches and Christian organisations better in the face of a rapidly ageing population. He also provides active leadership for community music initiatives for seniors at the Methodist School of Music. Dr Calvin worships at the Covenant Community Methodist Church with his wife.
Photo by Alda González-Cuevas on Unsplash