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Acts 8:4-25 You can read the passage here if you haven’t yet:   https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%208%3A4-25&version=NLT

We will hear much more of Saul. But remember how Stephen was one of seven men selected to help the non-Jewish widows who followed Jesus?  Another one of those seven men was Philip.  And he was also devoted to spreading the message of Jesus. 

Philip is one of the many who fled Jerusalem. We are told he found a town in Samaria where he could stay and he spent his time there explaining to anyone who would listen that Jesus was the messiah from the scriptures. We already know he was full of the Holy Spirit and while he was there the Spirit enabled him to cast out demons and heal people who were lame and paralyzed.  People were understandably pretty happy about that and many who heard Philip’s message and saw the miracles believed his teaching. Men and women were baptized as a public symbol that they believed in Jesus. The symbolism of baptism was more than washing away the sin of their lives.  When they went down into the water it was a picture of the death and burial of Jesus that he suffered in their place.  When they came up out of the water it was a symbol of beginning a brand new life beyond that death.  It was a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection which gives every believer hope that one day we also will be resurrected.  Death doesn’t get to win because Jesus destroyed it.  

Inhale that truth!  It’s soooooo good!

Anyways, we meet this apparently impressive magician named Simon. He was clearly very good at his craft because people even thought he was divine.  When Philip started preaching about Jesus and helping people in Jesus’ name he presented quite a contrast to Simon.  Simon was all show and wanted glory, but even he came to believe what Philip was teaching and he followed him everywhere to watch him work miracles.  I guess when you are good at faking stuff, you recognize  when the real thing comes along.  

When two of the apostles come to meet all these new believers in Samaria, they pray that the same gift of the Holy Spirit that they received would also be given to them.  As they pray they lay their hands on those for whom they are praying and the Holy Spirit is given to them as well.  It doesn’t say if they spoke in different languages like they did when the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, but obviously there was an observable difference.  Simon, who loves power and wants to be impressive, instantly identifies a new way to gain status.  And he’s willing to pay for it!

It’s easy to judge Simon for being smarmy and power hungry, but he had been admired and respected his whole career, and he liked it.  Now he saw a way to follow Jesus AND stand out and be admired.  Well, sort of.  We are given some insight into his heart in Peter’s response to him.  He warns Simon that his heart is full of bitterness and jealousy. As a result he is still held captive by sin.  Simon believed that Jesus was the messiah. He believed what Philip had been teaching, but he was still a captive to sin because his heart was jealous and bitter.  He is in such a scary place because he knows the truth, but he isn’t letting it reach his heart. He isn’t willing to make Jesus Lord.  He wants to be the centre of his world and its king.  He thinks can use the truth to his advantage.  If he can give the Holy Spirit to people he will be sought after.  And he can charge by the prayer! Remind you of any televangelists? A few people  spring to my mind, but before I get too judgy, I need to guard my own heart.  It’s possible to behave in kind and godly ways for all the wrong reasons.  If I serve you because I want you to see how much my Jesus loves you, good.  If I do it to earn your approval and make you think well of me, I’m just a less impressive Simon.   

Clearly Peter’s rebuke freaks him out.  He begs them to pray that God will forgive him.  But its hard to know if his heart changed.  It seems like he was just praying that he wouldn’t suffer the consequences of his bitter, jealous heart.  Besides, why ask the apostles to pray for him? Why not get on his own knees before the God who died to offer us forgiveness?  Is he sorry for having a hard heart or just unwilling to face the consequences? 

I don’t know.  I hope he’s in heaven one day and he can tell us how God liberated his captive heart so that he could experience the joy and freedom of putting Jesus first.  

I guess we will have to wait and see.