Just a Thought: Selfish people are also self-serving people who make everything about them. Simon, in the New Testament is a perfect example of this. Here he is going around Samaria practicing magic and miracles by sorcery (demonic power). He is doing it for the praise of men. He is not really interested in helping people, he just wants to amaze them so that they will think of him as great. In fact, the people of Samaria called him the great one because he himself boasted he was someone great. There is a great contrast between what Philip (the evangelist) did and what Simon was doing. Simon’s power was done by demonic power. Philip came preaching the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Both men could perform miracles. Philip’s miracles were done by divine power. Simons by demonic power. Simon boasted about himself. Philip proclaimed Christ. People were amazed by Simon. But they were converted to follow Christ by Philip’s preaching. Even Simon was supposedly converted. But he did not quit being the same selfish person he had always been which is displayed in his story. “Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great,… When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them;… Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money” (Acts 8:9,14-16, 17-19) When the Apostles hear the people of Samaria had believed and received the gospel, they come to introduce them to the power and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Simon sees this and he wants in on the action because he sees this as one more thing (even a spiritual thing) that he can do to draw attention to himself. Selfish people are also self-serving people who make everything about them. And they can even use church work and spiritual things to draw attention to themselves. Some people like Simon have to be self-important! They have to noticed, praised and thought of as “The One.” While that in itself is definitely not a good or godly thing. It can really be used to steal the glory of God and have a negative impact on His kingdom work! Was Simon really converted and a true believer? Luke (the author of Acts) doesn’t really go that far as to emphatically say that he was. So, in all reality he probably was not. However, this doesn’t mean true believers cannot get caught in the trap of selfishness because they surely can! So, we must guard ourselves against this. We serve the Lord for the sake of others that will lead to their salvation and spiritual growth. And we do it to give God glory not us. Finally, we serve the Lord to build His kingdom not our ego. Why do you do what you do? Are you serving the Lord today or yourself and your ego? True believers should serve the Lord not themselves. What about you today? Would those who know you say, you are you more like Simon or Philip?
