Men Named Simon
Yesterday I wrote
about one of the most common female name in the New Testament, Mary. One of the most common male names is
Simon. The most prominent Simon, of
course, was the chief apostle. His
actually was known by multiple names which are a little hard to keep
straight. He was called Simon Peter (John
1:40, 2 Peter 1:1), Simon (John 1:41), Cephas (John 1:43), and even Simeon
(Acts 15:14). Simon was his original
name, and then the Savior gave him the name of Cephas: “Thou art Simon the son
of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.” Cephas is an Aramaic name, and Peter is the
Greek name, both of which mean stone. He
was to be a rock to the Church as he led the Saints after the resurrection and
ascension of the Savior. The name Simon
means “listen” and he surely did that—he listened and watched and learned from
the Savior as he followed Him for three years, enabling him to then lead out in
the work of the Master.
Several others in the New
Testament have the name of Simon. One
other apostle was named Simon, called Simon the Canaanite and Simon Zelotes
(Matt. 10:4, Luke 6:15, Acts 1:13). The
Bible Dictionary suggests that “the Canaanite” is not correct but should rather
be “the Cananean” from an Aramaic word.
This Simon, though, doesn’t play a significant role in the stories in
the Gospel. Another Simon is he of
Cyrene who “they compelled to bear his cross” at the crucifixion of the Savior
(Matt. 27:32). It is perhaps not a
coincidence that his name was Simon like the chief apostle’s; perhaps this was
a subtle reminder to Peter that it was he who should have born the cross for
the Savior on the night he denied knowing Him.
Another Simon was the brother of Jesus; we don’t know much about him but
he was mentioned twice: “Is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren,
James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?” (Matt. 13:55) There was also a certain “Simon the leper”
who lived in Bethany and at whose house Mary washed the Savior’s feet, though
we don’t know much about him (Matt. 26:6).
Interestingly, there is another Simon in a very similar story in which Jesus
was at the man’s house and “a woman in the city, which was a sinner” came in
and anointed the Savior by washing his feet (Luke 7:37). So in both stories,
Jesus was at the home of a man named Simon and a woman came with oil to serve
the Savior. In Matthew and Mark this was
Simon the leper, and in Luke this was a Pharisee named Simon. If the chronology of the two stories is correct
then they can’t be the same Simon (since Luke’s event takes place well before
the final days which, in Matthew and Mark’s accounts, included this visit to
the Pharisee). Simon the leper and Simon
the Pharisee both invited Jesus into their home to listen to His words, fulfilling
the meaning of their own name. We
similarly should seek to bring the Savior’s presence into our home and seek His
teaching and blessing to be there.
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