Week 33 Luke 2
Simeon approached Mary & Joseph & the baby Jesus. He told Mary: this child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and as a sign to be opposed…to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.
The phrase about Jesus being a sign to be opposed made me wonder. Other versions agreed that Jesus would be opposed. He’d be:
spoken against
contradicted
not accepted
rejected.
But why did Simeon use the expression a sign to be opposed? Why not just say ‘this boy will meet opposition’. That would be simpler and clearer. If there’s some technical reason for saying Jesus would be a sign to be opposed instead of ‘Jesus will be opposed’ I don’t know what it is.
Anyway my bigger interest was that Jesus would not just be opposed but that the opposition would reveal something about opponents. Opposition against Jesus would be to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed. So opposition showed two things. There would be the actual and obvious animosity & hostility. But opposition was the outgrowth of what was going on inside an opponent’s head. Simeon seemed to be saying that opposing Jesus was an external demonstration that verified what was going on inside a person. Jesus would be a lightning rod for a person’s private & (usually) hidden convictions.
Note: quotes from Luke 2:34-35 (NASB and KJV21 DRA ICB NET)