Simon was kind of like that back in the days of Jesus. He loved his country and thought he was doing the right thing to defend his country.
Sometimes Simon would go out on the highway, hide behind big rocks, and shoot arrows at Roman soldiers passing by on the road. He wanted to overthrow the power the Romans had over his land.
One day he heard about Jesus. Jesus had just gone to the great Temple in Jerusalem and turned over money tables of men charging the worshippers too much to buy sacrifices.
Simon admired Jesus for having so much courage. He wasn't even kicked out of the Temple for doing what he did.
Later Simon heard that Jesus was healing people. What power! Was there nothing Jesus couldn't do? Simon wanted to meet him.
Jesus said he was going to be the king. Everyone thought he was going to be king of Palestine, the country where they lived, and would overthrow the foreign Romans who ruled their country.
Simon and everyone else did not understand Jesus wanted to be king of their hearts and lives.
One day Simon learned his mother was very sick. He helped his father take her to see Jesus. Jesus healed his mother. Simon had just seen a healing with his own eyes.
That night, Simon went to see Jesus at his home. Jesus said he was going to be king of the whole world. But Jesus didn't have an army.
Jesus explained that he would conquer the world with love. And instead of killing bad people, he would forgive them. He was even willing to forgive Simon for killing people.
Jesus said he would give everyone an entire lifetime to be sorry for their sins and ask forgiveness. But at the end of their life, if they never asked forgivness or tried to be Jesus' friend, Jesus would no longer be their friend.
Simon was curious about someone who actually believed he could conquer the world with love. So he decided to follow Jesus around awhile and watch him.
He never left Jesus. He stayed at his side until Jesus died. But even then he did not desert Jesus. He spent the rest of his life telling people of Jesus who wanted to be king of their heart.
Do you know someone who is bad a lot and who no one likes? Try telling that person that God loves them. Maybe they won't be so bad then and will have some friends.