"And Jesus answered and said to him, 'Simon, I have something to say to you.' . . . "
While reading this phrase, it dawned on me that I am not sure there is another reference in the Gospel accounts where the Lord Jesus ad-
dresses (an apparent) unbeliever by name. On top of that, the King of Glory says that He has "something to say" to this guy.
Do not forget that the Lord Jesus Christ knows all things; and He knows the names--not only of all the members of His redeemed church--but of everyone else, too. Simon should have been honored that the Messiah confronted him by name; and that He cared enough to speak the gospel to him. (Hopefully, Simon became a follower of Christ.) May we be sure to love Jesus well today.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Let God have His will by [our] being holy, and [we] shall have [our] will by being happy." --Thomas Watson, in
"The Beatitudes"]
