Simon, Simon

The doubling of words almost sounds like people when they stutter. Often people who stutter repeat their words.

I love to hear people who stutter. I do not mean that in a derogatory way, I REALLY ENJOY HEARING PEOPLE TALK WHO STUTTER.

Illus: A really huge muscular guy with a bad stutter goes to a counter in a department store and asks,

• "W-w-w-where’s the m-m-m-men’s dep-p-p-partment?" The clerk behind the counter just looks at him and says nothing.

• The man repeats himself: "W-w-w-where’s the m-m-m-men’s dep-p-p-partment?" Again, the clerk doesn’t answer him.

• The guy asks several more times: "W-w-w-where’s the m-m-m-men’s dep-p-p-partment?"

And the clerk just seems to ignore him. Finally, the guy is angry and storms off.

• The customer who was waiting in line behind the guy asks the clerk, "Why wouldn’t you answer that guy's question?"

• The clerk answers, "D-d-d-do you th-th-th-think I w-w-w-want to get b-b-b-beat up?!!"

Illus: About the worst case of a person who had a problem speaking was a young man who wanted to buy some chicken feed for his pet chicken. He speech was so bad that it was difficult to understand what he was saying.

• He went to the hardware store and said to the clerk, “Mither, do you thell thicken theed?” The clerk said, “Son, I am sorry but I can not understand you.”

• He came back the next day and said, “Mither, do you thell thicken theed?” The clerk said, “Son, I am sorry but I can not understand you.”

• He did the same thing for two weeks and each time the store clerk would send him away.

• After two weeks, he walks in the store with his dead chicken and says, “Mither, you want to buy a dead thicken?”

The Bible is filled with passages where doubling of words are used.

It seems to me that every time we see God or Christ using this repetition in the scripture, there is a sense of urgency to what is being said.

• We find this in Genesis 22:11 when the “Angel of the LORD called ... out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham.” This double call was for the sparing of Isaac.

• In Genesis 46:2, “God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob.” This double call assured him that taking his family to Egypt was the right decision.

• In Exodus 3:4, God called to Moses “Out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses,” and called him to be a deliverer for Israel.

• In 1 Samuel 3:10, “The LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel.” In doing so, God revealed the judgment of the house of Eli.

• In Matthew 23:37, Jesus bemoaned the spiritual desolation of a city and said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem.”

• In Luke 10:41, Jesus was emphasizing the merit of time spent with Him and said, “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things.”

• In Acts 9:4, God got the attention of a lost man and said, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?”

Here in our text, Jesus is urgently warning Simon Peter of the spiritual danger that he is in. “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.”

I want to point out three things from Jesus’ words to Simon in Luke 22:31-32.

I. THIS WAS A FRIGHTENING SITUATION

This is a very disturbing message when we consider THE DESIRE OF SATAN.

Look at the word “Desired”. This is the word “Exaiteomai” (pronounced as Ex-ahee-teh'-om-ahee) which means to demand (for trial).

Some folks may have a policeman pull up in their yard and the policeman will give them a subpoena to appear in court.

Once they receive these orders, they have to appear in court. If they do not, the next time a policeman comes it will be to BRING them to court, even if they have to use force.

God’s Word is telling Simon that Satan has demanded he be tried!

THIS IS A FRIGHTFUL SITUATION!

Illus: The President of the United States is the most powerful man on the face of the earth. He has enormous powers!

• Suppose he disliked you and wanted to do you harm

• Suppose he misused his powers to do you harm

WOULD YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT? You certainly would!

Next to God, Satan is the most powerful force on the face of the earth. And suppose I told you he dislikes you very much and wants to bring as much harm to you as he can. DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT? Yes, you certainly do!

This verse of scripture reminds us of Job 1:8-10, where God said to Satan: “Hast thou considered my servant Job...?” Notice, Satan says he certainly had, but that God had built a fence around him and he could not get to him.