Amazed and Then Admonished
In my continued blog about "After Pentecost" there is a curious story about a man who amazed everyone but was severely admonished.
Simon the magician is the story of a man in Acts 8. The story is that this man "amazed" the people of Samaria for a long time (Acts 8:9, 11) with his magic. He amazed others but upon seeing the ministry of Jesus Christ he found himself amazed.
Simon's amazement caused him to be baptized and to follow Philip around as he was amazed at the signs and miracles being done. The Bible tells us that exorcism of unclean spirits and physical healing occurred that surely would amaze anyone.
All is well to this point. But when the apostles from Jerusalem came to Samaria and began to pray and "lay hands" on the people there was an amazing event: The Holy Spirit "fell" on them. This must have been an amazing sight., so much that Simon offered the apostles money for the "power" to bestow The Holy Spirit to "anyone on whom I lay my hands (8:19)."
This request is immediately met with a most serious admonishment and rebuke from Peter. Peter gives no quarter to this kind of thinking and declares that Simon should repent and pray that God, if possible, forgive him. This is a serious and frightening admonishment.
What a statement, "if possible," to a person who has been baptized by one of the 7 deacons, full of The Holy Spirit and wisdom," (Acts 6). Can this failure of heart and motive be true of someone who underwent baptism?
A question that one might ask from this story is whether amazement, by itself, enables one to genuinely repent and have new life in Jesus? Is this a story to show that amazement is not enough to bring the change of heart?
REFLECT: Have I sought amazement or real change in my experience with Jesus?