Simon the Magician

I was also wondering about Simon the Magician. His interaction with Peter. 

I always seem to notice that his actions represented a critique of miracles. 

That being moral was something other than being pure. Jesus once said "It isnt what goes into a man that makes him unclean. Its what comes out of a man."

It would be a mistake to assume that Jesus viewed Rome as his enemy or that he hated Rome as an enemy. Jesus instructed his followers to love their enemies. To love isnt to have affection for ones enemy in order to trick or play an enemy. That would be a form of hatred. What Jesus implied is something deeper and much harder.

Jesus suggested embodying ones enemy and seeing the beauty in your enemies wisdom and virtue while keeping your own beauty and wisdom. That means that you enrich and profit your enemies and yourself in a way that also enriches and profits your friends. 

Lucretius for example was a first century philosopher who severely criticized organized religion. That people should play a part in their own salvation. That nature is knowable and loving. Christianity embodies that Roman ethic. That hurting innocent people to preserve order was wrong. What Christians did was good Roman conscience to account and held Rome to the fire of their own ethic that saved the soul of Rome. 

Simon the Magician mocked the miracles but also held a deep reverence for the divine when Peter had empathy for his bitterness he repented. 

Its a beautiful story. Better than Cain and Abel. 

Bitterness has something to teach people who are willing to listen. 

It was almost like Simon was also a prophet of Rome who spoke for the individual soul of Rome who tested Peter on God and Jesus' behalf. 

The question was "are you just con men there to compete with Rome for political power or do you love your enemies like Jesus taught?" 

A powerful question.

And perhaps when Peter said "may your money perish with you because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money." 

That wit was a gift of God to Rome and Simon accused Peter of doing what he accused Simon of doing. 

That you are who you are and to trust the path of salvation you have.