But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great…
Acts 8:9
This verse is the first of sixteen verses about a man in Samaria named Simon. His story is a sober warning to those who would seek spiritual gifts and prominence with the wrong motives. Simon saw God doing great things through the hands of the Apostles, and wanted to be able to do great things himself. His desire was not for the glory of God, but for self promotion. In the end (v.20-23), Peter sharply rebuked Simon. I’d like to point out a few noteworthy issues in this account and in the next blog post.
In this opening verse (v.9) we are already tipped off that Simon sought to be “someone great.” Many people are more than happy to occupy positions in the background, preferring not to be seen, or even noticed. Some long for the limelight. Many others are somewhere between these two extremes.
When a person naturally loves recognition and the applause of people, interest in spiritual things often is yet a new arena in which to be a star. Having been involved in theater since the age of eleven, I loved the stage. When I got saved at age nineteen, I began teaching the Bible rather quickly. There were two reasons for this:
(1) Having been raised in the church, I knew the Bible quite well, even before I was saved. Once I was saved, I finally understood the scriptures because I finally knew the Master!
(2) I had always had what some would call a “leader-type” personality.
Once I began teaching the Bible I was in the spiritual limelight. I wish I could say it never went to my head, but it did. People told me they enjoyed my teaching, and I had to wrestle with the difference between performing on stage and being a teacher, serving the Lord. The Lord knew just how to work in me. He saw that I did not get every opportunity I wanted. He placed me on the shelf for a time, allowing me to learn just how unimportant, and even unneeded I was. It was through a few bitter disappointments that the Lord began to make me usable.
The Lord brought me to Jeremiah 45:5 “Do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them…” Let all who seek great things for themselves beware. Ministry is not about seeking great things for ourselves. It is about wanting to glorify God and serve His people.