Simon The Christian
Whenever you’re teaching a sermon series, you inevitably find themes that surprise you along the way. The one that’s most surprised me is that I’ve found myself often defending the bad guys in the story.
First, it was the Pharisees, Sadducees, and other Jewish authorities.
Now, it’s this guy, Simon.
Throughout history, he’s been known as Simon the Sorcerer, but I really don’t think that’s fair.
He does start the story as a sorcerer who made quite a name for himself and certainly enjoyed the attention.
But very early on in the story, what happens?
He encounters a power greater than his own.
He discovers something worth more than his own fame and fortune.
He gives his life to Jesus and passes through the waters of baptism (does someone need to be baptized?) which means…
I have died to myself.
My life is hidden in Christ.
I will rise with him.
Based on that description, what should we call Simon? Simon the Christian.
Two thoughts on this.
Let’s be careful what we name people, especially when Jesus has named them something else.
We’re so quick to define people on the basis of their past when Jesus names us on the basis of his past
His past becomes our present and our future.
We don’t get to hold anyone at arm’s distance if Jesus has brought them near. If Jesus calls them beloved, we don’t get to call them anything else.
This includes the names we call ourselves.
Again, when we make someone the villain in a story, we don’t learn anything from their stories.
After all, none of us in this room identify with “Simon the Sorcerer.”
But I have a feeling that “Simon the Christian” might have something to teach us.
What happened?
Phillip preached the Gospel in Samaria, and his preaching was accompanied by power.
As all good, evangelistic preaching should be.
Phase 2b of the commission has begun (as a result, remember, of persecution: they used the opportunity afforded by the ugliness of the world to show the world how beautiful Jesus is).
When the apostles heard what was happening in Samaria, they rushed to catch up.
It’s a wonderful thing when the Church is so busy being the Church that the leaders are struggling to catch up. That’s a different way of thinking about things, isn’t it?
It’s not that the leaders came up with a vision and asked the people to show.
It’s that the people had a vision (of Jesus and his work in the world), and the leaders had to show up.
This is, I think, a primary marker of a healthy community. The leaders blessing and empowering the vision of the people.
When they arrived in Samaria, they found that the new believers there had been baptized in the name of Jesus, but not yet in the Holy Spirit. Wait! What?! What do we do with this?
What this does not mean?
That some Christians have the standard membership but some have been upgraded to the Diamond Club.
I get very nervous when I hear people, often on the basis of this passage, tell Jesus-loving, baptized, forgiven Christians that they have not yet “received” the Holy Spirit.
I know it seems like that’s what this is saying, but remember what my college professor told me about reading the Bible: “The Bible is a long, complicated book. Read the whole thing.”
In other words, we have to approach a passage like this one about the Holy Spirit in light of the other passages about the Holy Spirit. And, when we do, what do we find?
That no one can even confess that Jesus is Lord without the power of the Spirit. That is, it is the Holy Spirit that leads people to Jesus and to the waters of baptism.
That the apostles received the Spirit before the Day of Pentecost.
That every person alive experiences the Holy Spirit every day. If they didn’t, they would cease to exist.
So, if that’s not what this passage is saying, what is it saying? Simply, there is always more.
The point here is that receiving Jesus and being baptized in his name for the forgiveness of our sins is not the “destination” that we thought it was.
It is, instead, the beginning of a journey.
It is the beginning of new life, but we’re going to need power to actually live this new life.
Far too often, we think that receiving Jesus and, through him, the forgiveness of sins means that we have finished, when in fact it means that we’re just getting started.
The Bible says talks about this life not in passive terms but in active terms:
“Press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. “
“Fight a good fight. Finish the course.”
“Run with perseverance the race set before you, fixing your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.”
“Come, follow me.”
So many Christians, just mill about inside the gates of the Kingdom and never make their way into the highlands.
There is always more, more that the Spirit wants to do in us. More of himself that he wants to give us.
And the story of Simon illustrates this beautifully.
Here was a man who had received Jesus and been baptized in his name, but still had significant blind spots.
Even good, baptized, forgiven Christians can get it wrong.
What do we learn from Simon the Christian?
What did Simon do wrong?
He had gotten used to be someone special.
He saw Jesus to be someone special, and bowed to him as Lord, but there we still parts of him that weren’t surrendered.
He still wanted to be significant and meaningful, and when he saw the apostles laying their hands on people and giving the gift of the Holy Spirit, he thought, “That’s exactly what I need.”
In other words, what was his problem? Insecurity and comparison.
He wanted people to think highly of him. He wanted people to like him.
He didn’t feel like he was enough.
He saw someone else who, in his eyes, was better, more, and he wanted what they had.
He tried to buy what they had.
Does any of that sound familiar?
Insecurity as the baseline human experience.
There are plenty of ways insecurity can manifest itself, but it always involves some measure of comparison.
Comparison is the death of the Spirit-life in you.
We try to be someone else and miss who God has made us to be.
What did Simon to right?
We’re not entirely sure how the story ends, but I want to suggest three things that maybe Simon doesn’t get enough credit for:
He recognized in Jesus a power greater than his own.
He was known in community.
He acknowledged his blind spot.