Luke 2:29Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Where do you find your release? From the struggles of this existence, for its conditions are indeed sorrowful—this life can feel like a prison. Thus, the desire for liberation arises; if someone perceives leaving this reality as a form of punishment, they have yet to reach fullness in their faith. Therefore, it is said, 'Today you let your servant depart in peace, O Lord, according to your word,' for the one who possesses the ability to grant peace to the world has arrived; the Peacemaker who reconciles heaven and earth has come, and he who transforms the earth into heaven through the teachings of the Gospel has come.

This Simeon, guided by the Holy Spirit, entered the temple when the Mother presented the Lord, and, embracing Him, acknowledges Him as God. For when he states, "Now lettest Thou Thy servant go, O Lord," he is affirming that He is the Master of both life and death. Observe how the saints perceive the physical body as a limiting factor. Thus, he expresses, "Thou now lettest Thou go," as if releasing from chains. "According to Thy word" refers to the prophecy he had received, indicating that he would not depart this life until he beheld Christ. "In peace" signifies a state of calm. While a person is alive, they experience distress, as David mentions (Psalms 38:7); yet the deceased are at rest. "In peace" can also be understood as receiving what has been hoped for.

From what place do you release? From the earthly domain, for existence is both salvation and confinement. The One who seeks to bring tranquility has arrived in this world, who joins heaven and earth, transforming the earth into heaven through the proclamation of the Gospel.

Let us therefore disregard death. For if we harbor a fear of it, we will surely perish at the appointed moment established by Divine Wisdom. It is far better to confront it with courage as an inevitable necessity than to succumb to it in a shameful manner. The individual who concludes their life in righteousness does not truly die. In contrast, one who lives solely for themselves, called only by the passage of time, must give an account of their life choices; and if they fail in this, they will hear, ‘You received your good things during your lifetime; now you are in anguish’ (Luke 16:25). Thus, it is essential to endure suffering, as the Apostle instructed (1 Cor. 16:13), to mortify the earthly desires (Col.

"Now You allow Your servant to depart," for he (Simeon) carried the comfort of the people and embraced the legacy of Israel. Another perspective is that, as he beheld the one whose people were the source of that comfort, he proclaimed: "now You allow Your servant to depart in peace" — that is, in a manner akin to the cessation of the law and the priesthood. The phrase "You allow Your servant to depart in peace" indeed refers to Simeon, yet it also signifies the law. Simeon and Moses released it, and it was done in peace; for the law was not renounced out of hostility, but rather through love and peace as they facilitated its fulfillment.

“Now you release your servant,” Simeon proclaims. The righteous individual, as though confined by the weight of earthly struggles, yearns to be liberated from such bonds and to dwell with Christ, for to be set free and to be with Christ is infinitely more blessed (Phil. 1:23). Whoever seeks liberation is invited to approach the temple, to come to Jerusalem, to await Christ the Lord, to receive the Word of God in their arms and cherish it with a faith-filled embrace; in doing so, they will discover freedom, and having encountered life, they shall never experience death (see Luke 2:27-30).

He proclaimed, ‘Today, O Lord, You are fulfilling Your promise to release Your servant. Now You are allowing me to depart from this life, as You've assured me, when I was once troubled by Your coming into the flesh. In this world, I can now rest in peace. For the concerns that once weighed heavily on my mind regarding Your Incarnation have been resolved. In a realm free from fear, I no longer dread death due to my old age. In a state of joy, I am no longer sorrowful about the deliverance of Israel, for I have beheld the Deliverer.

Upon encountering the Savior he had longed to see, Saint Simeon felt a profound sense of fulfillment and wished for life to cease, as all his deepest desires had been realized. With tranquility in his spirit and confident hope of securing eternal bliss through his faith in the Savior who had arrived, he joyfully embraced his earthly departure. Who among us, dear brothers and sisters, would not yearn for such a cherished conclusion? However, a blessed end is the outcome of a life lived righteously, virtuously, and devotedly. To attain this end, one must, like the righteous Simeon, first and foremost desire to behold our Savior—not with physical eyes but with the insightful gaze of the heart.

presenting Him as Deity, a song of praise and prayer, requesting in tranquility to be freed from the flesh ...

The phrase ‘now you are letting go’ is immediately followed by the prayer that the righteous Simeon offered with great reverence upon witnessing the presence of God. This man, recognizing God’s deliverance, implores for the liberation of the spirit from the physical body. Likewise, we ought to seek liberation of the spirit from earthly desires, the snares of the adversary, and the grave afflictions of both soul and body. Moreover, it is not unusual to request freedom from the physical form, so that such release, if it aligns with God’s will, may be bestowed upon us in tranquility and salvation. This reflects the wisdom inherent in our redemption.

Upon witnessing the Redeemer of humanity, it is evident that he, fully infused with the Holy Spirit, ceased to focus on the temporal concerns of this life and was prepared to embrace death with profound joy.

To fulfill the requirements of both the law and the prophets, the Lord was brought to the temple by His parents. At this moment, remarkable events unfolded, revealing to the humble parents the Christ, the Lord. During that period, there was a devout and righteous man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He had been assured by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before encountering the Lord’s Anointed. Thus, the entirety of his inner being was devoted to awaiting the comfort of Israel, that is, the arrival of the promised Messiah. When the Child Jesus was presented in the temple to perform the lawful rite, the Holy Spirit revealed to Simeon that his desire had been answered, and that he would see the Savior in the Child who was before him.

Now permit Thy servant to depart, O Lord. - The emotion that fills the servant of God begins as a trickle, but soon overflows into every corner of the world. Initially, his joy is focused on the lesser things; at first, it is a personal joy, the joy of an elder receiving from his Master the gift of release, for the essence of a servant's life is in service, and death signifies release. The appearance of Christ is seen by Simeon as the precursor to death. "Therefore, O Lord, Thou dost release me," Simeon declares, "from Thy service in this life; my earthly existence is concluded in tranquility, that is, with serene joy. Why?

Once the ritual had been completed for the child, Simeon cradled him in his frail and aged arms, expressing gratitude to God. He then delivered a profound proclamation that has become a cherished hymn in the Christian faith: “Now, said he, Thou dismissest Thy servant, O Lord, according to Thy word, in peace; for my eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all nations, a light for the enlightenment of the nations, and the glory of Thy people Israel.”

Now you permit me to depart: from this very moment, the connection that tied me to existence has been severed. And now, O Lord, who reigns over all creation and commanded death to spare my earthly frame despite its frailty and decline, you allow me to transition from this life to a renewed existence, "in peace," with a peace of mind that I could not have experienced had death encountered me sooner. - "According to Thy word": this is in accordance with the revelation bestowed upon me by Your Holy Spirit (see Lk. 2:26).