Scripture: Acts of the Apostles 8:11 – “And they listened eagerly to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.” (NRSVue)
Today I want to talk about a bible character who increasingly no one remembers – Simon Magus. Simon dazzled the people of Samaria with magic he wielded through “the God that is called Great.” But when Philip the Evangelist (not the same person as Jesus’ disciple Philip) came to town, the people could quickly tell the difference between Simon’s magic and the truth of the Holy Spirit. Simon could, too, and asked to be baptized and to join the new church. For someone who seemed so full on himself, Simon is remarkably humble. He seeks power, but I think he also seeks truth.
This is an important thing for us to remember. We do not live in a world with real magic, but we are still prone to magical thinking. If we do a certain thing or believe a certain thing or hope strongly enough for a certain thing, something we want will happen. This is true for things like new age spellcasting to wishing on 11:11 to blowing on an NES cartridge to certain kinds of devotional acts. People are desperate for magical solutions because, even though it is contrary to experience, it seems like a guarantee, especially if someone charismatic enough claims that it is. Magic is the expectation of the breaking of the normal rules of physics or causality, but that is not what the Spirit is.
The Holy Spirit within us accomplishes many miraculous things, but this is more through changing the heart than through changing the laws of nature. Our prayers in the Spirit draw us closer together and remind us that we are not alone. Many times, this jump starts medical recoveries in ways beyond what current science can measure. Prayer is not magic, it is becoming part of a community of God’s people, which is more powerful and enduring than people may initially thing.
Simon joins the church, but he quickly stumbles again. Because Philip was not an apostle, his baptisms did not join people to the Holy Spirit. Only apostles like Peter and John had that power. And when Simon saw this power, he promises to pay a huge sum of money to get it for himself. Peter is outraged and Simon is castigated, but still seems willing to change.
As much as Simon wanted to be close to the truth, he was still thinking in terms of worldly power. If he did not have the magic to connect others with the Holy Spirit, maybe he could buy that power. But just as God does not obey magical thinking, God does not follow money. Giving extra money to God through a church helps in its ministry and makes the world a better place, but it does not grant you special privileges or powers as some prosperity gospel charlatans claim.
(This idea of “buying” spiritual offices, which was a scandalous practice back in the Middle Ages, was called “simony” after our boy Simon. That is your vocabulary word of the day.)
Simon is often seen as a villain. He stumbles in the Acts of the Apostles, but in apocryphal works he becomes a supervillain foe to Peter, dueling him by flying above Rome in front of Emperor Nero. (A lot of the apocryphal stuff isn’t very historically accurate, no matter what Dan Brown might claim). But I think that Simon works best when he is seen as an imperfect sinner that longs for the truth, just as we do. We may not have magic powers or the wealthy to buy such power from others, but we should be willing to see how our own advantages in life might pull us away from God. Simon ultimately learns this lesson. And, of course, Simon teaches us that just because someone is flashy or rich does not mean that they have been given special powers from God or even that they have things figured out. Through Simon, we are asked to seek the spiritual reality that is often hidden behind a lot of flim-flam. For the true power of the Spirit does not need magic or money, but a prayerful and loving heart that can be found in anyone.
Prayer: God, make me humbler even as a recognize your glorious power in my life. Amen.
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