Acts 8:9-13

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, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power." They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

 

What a great picture of conversion! The whole city’s conversion is portrayed in the conversion of Simon!

 

Before Philip came, proclaiming that God was going to establish His kingdom, destroying evil and death and restoring all things to righteousness and life through His Christ, Jesus of Nazareth – before Philip came, this whole Samarian city glorified a man named Simon. This man was a magician and sorcerer. He amazed not only the unimportant people of the city; he amazed everyone by his powers! He boasted that he was someone great. And the whole city agreed! When they looked at Simon, these Samarians saw divine power. So when Simon spoke, people paid attention to him.

 

But then Philip came. He glorified God by what he did and said. He told the Samarians that God Himself was coming to rule. He told them that all who claimed to be powerful would be laid low if they did not repent before God. He told them that Jesus was God’s Christ, the coming King they needed to be humble before. And he told them the good news of salvation and restoration in Jesus’ name, so that they could be God’s friends and subjects rather than His enemies. When Philip performed signs and miracles, he glorified God and attributed these impressive actions not to himself, but to God.

 

Men and women alike were in a hurry to join God’s kingdom. They were baptized, demonstrating their repentance and their new allegiance to Jesus the coming King. Even Simon, who had been known as the Great Power, humbled himself before Jesus. He believed and was baptized, counting his own magic powers as nothing compared to the power of God. He was amazed by what he saw Philip doing! The whole city, including Simon, converted from glorifying the magical powers of Simon to glorifying the God who created them and the whole world, the God before whom no magical powers could boast.

 

Father, help us in America, too. Help us to realize that You are GOD! We are so impressed by our machines, by our technology, by our scientific discoveries of medicines and transplants and various ways to manipulate and extend life – but You are God! When You establish Your kingdom, our world will be far better than it is now. Even if You destroy our machines and technologies and the physical things we depend on for health, You will replace them with a much greater power. You will replace them by Your power with a world that is actually perfect, a world that submits to Your commands and produces all the fruits and good things of life simply out of obedience, rather than by machine-driven manipulation. You will replace our weak bodies that rely on scientifically-discovered medicines with glorious bodies of health that live because You have commanded them to do so – bodies that are no longer subject to decay, bodies that no scientific technologies will ever be able to create! Turn us from our pride in our powers to glorifying Your power, from being impressed with ourselves to being impressed with You and fully committed to You! May small and great alike no longer praise the accomplishments of men, but may we all acknowledge and praise Your great power and give You our hearts and lives.