“Then Simeon
Blessed them.
He said to Mary,
His mother,
‘This child
Is destined
For the falling
And rising
Of many
In Israel.
He will be a sign
That will be opposed.”
καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτοὺς Συμεὼν καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς Μαριὰμ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ Ἰδοὺ οὗτος κεῖται εἰς πτῶσιν καὶ ἀνάστασιν πολλῶν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ εἰς σημεῖον ἀντιλεγόμενον
Luke said that this holy and devout Simeon turned to Mary and her family. Simeon blessed them (καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτοὺς Συμεὼν), presumably Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. Was this a priestly blessing? There was no indication that Simeon was a priest, but only an old devout righteous man, but he could have been a old Levite priest also. Then he said to Mary (καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς Μαριὰμ), the mother of Jesus (τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ) that this child would be destined for the falling and rising of many in Israel (Ἰδοὺ οὗτος κεῖται εἰς πτῶσιν καὶ ἀνάστασιν πολλῶν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ). He would be a sign that would be a contraction, as some would oppose him (καὶ εἰς σημεῖον ἀντιλεγόμενον). Everything would not be smooth sailing for her and this child. However, this was not as bad as what Matthew, chapter 2:13-18, had Joseph suffer. There the intention of King Herod was to destroy all the young children in Bethlehem that led him to flee into Egypt. Luke had none of that here. Instead, Joseph and Mary are law abiding Jewish parents active in the Jerusalem Temple, where a holy man came and told them how wonderful Jesus was. There were no Magi here, just shepherds visiting the baby child. King Herod was not even in the picture here in Luke.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 