"Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against." (Luke.2:34)

 "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in  Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against." (Luke.2:34)
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Jesus was born  for the redemption of the whole human race,  not for the fall even of a single human being.

Then why does Simeon say, "this child is set for the fall and rising of many in  Israel.''?

'Rise',  alright,  but why 'fall'?

We can be sure that Jesus won't cause anybody's fall, because He won't act against His own purpose.

  The  purpose of His birth  is the rise of the fallen people, not anybody's fall.

How is He set for the fall of any?

One analogy will help us to understand.

One Village had no school.  So most of the boys were uneducated.

Government started a school there and appointed a talented and dedicated teacher.

One father had two sons and he sent both of them to school.

One son had interest in studies and made use of that opportunity to study well.

But the other son was mischievous and had no interest in studies and looked at the teacher as an enemy.

He thought that the teacher was the cause of his unwanted school life.

One day in his irritation and anger, he threw a stone at the teacher and broke his head.

Result?

The teacher was admitted in the hospital and he was sent to jail.

He was telling the culprits in the jail that the teacher was the cause of his jail life.

But we know that the same teacher was the cause of his brother's education.

Not only that. We also know that,  he was not the cause of the  boy's jail life.

In the same way,    Jesus was not the cause of anybody's fall.

But many people , by their own perverseness, in wilfully refusing to receive and obey Jesus , would take occasion of falling.

Simeon prophesies what would happen in consequence of the wilful blindness and obstinacy of many.

During His public life, multitudes of people followed Jesus wherever He went to listen to His words for their spiritual rise and also to get cured of their physical illness.

Together with these people, the Pharisees,  who envied Jesus for His attracting people towards Him by His teaching, followed Him to find fault with Him and find occasion to kill Him.

So we see that two kinds of people were following Jesus,  one kind as His disciples and the other as His enemies, one kind rising and the other falling.

But Jesus  won't leave the fallen in their fallen state .

He would help them to rise again, because He loves
His enemies.

These enemies brought about
His sufferings and crucifixion.

Before His death on the cross He prayed to His Heavenly Father to forgive all those who murdered Him as they knew not what they did.

This was a real prayer, not a show.

His Father, who is one with  His Son and the Holy Spirit, cannot ignore His prayer.

We can believe that He would have showered on all those who were responsible for His Son's death enough and more grace to move them to contrition.

They would have felt sorry for their sins .

They would have been forgiven.

We have no right to judge anybody.

There is nothing wrong in thinking in their favour.

Coming to our times, we can experience Simeon's 'rise and fall' prophecy coming true.

Those who accept and live Him rise.

Those who reject Him fall.

Let us all rise.

If we happen to fall due to human frailty,  let us rise again with the help of the Sacrament of confession.

Lourdu Selvam.