Simon the Sorcerer

This started as an entry for my private journal, but kind of went more in the direction of a message or blog, so I figure I'm probably landing somewhere in between. Forgive me if it's a little raw :)

Acts 8:9-11

9 A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great. 10 Everyone, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as “the Great One—the Power of God.”11 They listened closely to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic.

So what we know is at some point young Simon got into sorcery and so enjoyed the attention and praise it got him that he went deeper into it (for many years), developed a whole persona (Claiming to be someone great) and identity from it. Stuck out to me reading yesterday "everyone, from the least to the greatest, spoke of him". So that means the rumors of the street rats all the way to the high society, governors and wealthy folks, knew about Simon and thought he was something special. A whole city. He had them at his beck and call, had their attention.

But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. 13 Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed.

This has always intrigued me. "Simon himself believed and was baptized." This is a Biblical record of someone "believing" on Christ and performing the rite of baptism. But from the outset we are meant to doubt the authenticity of his conversion. He is fixated on the influence of Philip that comes from signs and wonders he performed, which astounded even "the Great One." 

18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power. 19 “Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!”

Now here comes the kicker - Simon "sees" that the people receive the Holy Spirit (Probably because they start speaking in tongues). This so amazes him that he can no longer just stand by in awe. He wants the attention that comes from these wonders. He learned all the right religious language ("lay my hands", "receive the Holy Spirit"), but he had the wrong heart. He wasn't in it for God's glory or people's benefit in Him. He was in it for his appetite for attention. 

20 But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought! 21 You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God.22 Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, 23 for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin.”

Peter reacts strongly, because Simon's wrong motives are obvious, even though Simon probably thought everyone would assume he's just like them. He was lost in his dysfunction, which was blinding him from the obvious and clouding his ability to perceive reality, much less receive the truth and power of the Gospel. 

Couple of things here:

1. "Your heart is not right with God" - Peter immediately invalidates Simon's very salvation, despite his "belief" and baptism. 
2. "Repent of your wickedness" - Peter calls on him to repent. Tough love here from an authority figure. He's focused on (1) protecting the purity God's work in Samaria and (2) Simon's soul. 
3. "you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin" - ESV says "you are in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity." Not only does Peter call on Simon to repent of his wickedness (or appeal to him to receive salvation) but he also identifies the issue that is actually perverting his judgment and keeping him from doing so: bitterness and bondage. 

24 “Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon exclaimed, “that these terrible things you’ve said won’t happen to me!”

This response has always bothered me, and rightly so, for it's clear that Simon still doesn't get it. He shows genuine alarm at the effects of his sin, but has no concept of where even to begin to get out of the mess he's in. He's completely lost in his dysfunction.

If satan can't keep people from coming into contact with the gospel, he's going to try to keep them from perceiving its reality. He will "darken the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Cor 4:4). 

We don't understand our apparent lack of effectiveness with certain people or "harvest fields" because we don't understand the weapons of the enemy. Our intel is inferior and as a result we are overmatched. We think it's purely an issue of occupying territory (the information reaching their ears), but don't realize that under the surface there is a well-established web of insurgency that has burrowed down deep into the fabric of people's souls. This is where a cheap, shallow, informational Gospel will simply not do justice. If we truly want to see this glorious gospel in action, we cannot stop at mere proclamation but must press on to see its true power released. The message of the cross is not merely a story upon which if mental assent is given, salvation is in exchange afforded. The work of the cross in its fullness penetrates into our deepest wounds and needs, and breaks the yoke of bondage that the enemy has cast. Jesus suffered in every way we could, so we could be healed in every way we need. 

What Simon didn't realize is that Jesus suffered the solitude and rejection that Simon so feared in his stead. He didn't realize that his value wasn't connected to the attention that sorcery could scrape up for him, but from God's willingness to claim Simon at the price of the blood of his only Son. Simon needed to be healed of his unhealthy, insatiable appetite for attention and dependency upon the praises of people for his sense of self-worth. Instead of receiving the good news of Jesus' love with joy, this dysfunction caused him to see Peter and Philip as competition and threats to his steady supply of the medicine he had been using to stay numb to the pain that he felt of worthlessness in his soul. 

This is a beautiful thing, but to the dependent and wounded it is also horrifying: the gospel robs us of every crutch. How it does humble the proud and exalt the lowly! It said Simon had been drinking in the praises of men for years. He was so addicted to its intoxicating effects that it was literally worth more to him than his very soul. But we're given at least a glimmer of hope for Simon. When Peter confronts his dysfunction with the simple, powerful truth, it does appear to cut through as Simon "exclaimed" his request for prayer. 

We don't hear anything further about Simon after this. It's never told whether he persisted in his dysfunction until his dying breath, or whether he was freed from his bondage and rather drank of Christ to the satisfaction of his soul. Ironically, Luke doesn't afford the same attention to Simon that he so enjoyed from the least to the greatest in Samaria. Instead of focusing on Simon himself, his story in Acts serves to expose the sinful folly behind religious pretension. It shows that God is not after our profession of faith but our purity of heart; not our nominal conversion but our actual transformation; not our behavioral conformity but our very hearts. God's aim in evangelism is not merely apparent conversions substantiated by professed "belief" and baptism, but exposing and combating Satan's grip on the souls of men. I love that God isn't satisfied with our religious commitments, but truly showing us the place of our deepest and most desperate need and meeting us there. He longs to satisfy our thirsty souls and give us His pure and living water in place of the polluted substitutes of the enemy. 

I wonder how many of us have a little Simon somewhere in our souls. I have very recently, by God's mercy, been made aware of and forced to confront a part of me that was addicted to one of the enemy's crafty substitutes. Despite years of right intentions, right environments, the right heart and intense pursuit, I was simply unable to experience and walk with God in the fullness of what He intended for me. I didn't need to pray harder, pay money, read more books, or serve more in church. I needed God to, in His great love and mercy, expose and confront the area of my greatest need. I needed Him to show me the pure water he wanted to give me that would refresh and satisfy my soul like nothing else ever could. I needed to throw away my medicine and allow His water to wash over my wounds to bring true healing instead of numbness. 

I am so grateful that the love of Jesus is not just broad -- that he is not only burdened to reach every tribe and tongue -- but that it is also deep. I'm grateful that he wants to, as the song that happens to play as I write this states, "cause the coldest heart to find true love and everlasting peace." His love is so deep that he will not stop at our professions. He's not satisfied to have our commitment and devotion, because he knows the limits we have. He's only satisfied when his love has healed our every hurt, when we have been weaned off of every other source and are fully made content in Him. Where we are no longer intoxicated by the deceitful substitutes of the enemy, but rather by the sweet fragrance of Jesus. 

He loves me enough that he refuses to allow me to miss out on experiencing the fullness of His love. That's what we mean by a love that is "relentless." He who began a good work in me will carry it out to completion. My devotion, pursuit is good but has its limits; it is HE who carries it out to completion. What love! Humbled as I am by my limits, I can but marvel at His boundlessness as I lift my cup to be filled to overflowing so I can drink again and again of His intoxicating, satisfying love.