MBTI Type: ESFP

Simon is a somewhat headstrong, reckless man who prefers ‘temporary schemes’ to maintaining a daily practice of diligent hard work. When he finds himself in trouble over mounting taxes, Simon goes out to fish in the middle of the night on the Sabbath (forbidden by their temple law and the Roman authorities, since the Romans cannot tax their catch); when the Romans catch him, he convinces them to let him off the hook by turning in fellow Sabbath merchant fisherman. Simon is quick to leap in and protect Andrew, when Andrew has not enough to cover his debts, by insisting he is under the ‘same agreement,’ much to Andrew’s horror. I thought Peter was an ESTP at first, but as the seasons have progressed, his introverted feeling has become more apparent. When things happen in his life, he pulls away from Eden, Jesus, and his friends to process it on his own, often not by talking about how it makes him feel, but by walking endlessly in the streets, going to work, or breaking things due to his temper. Eden’s Fe is a good contrast with his Fi, in the sense that she keeps her miscarriage a secret from him out of a desire not to disrupt his mission; and when he hears about it, Simon makes it about his own inner experience (“how could He do this to Eden? How could He do this to ME?”). Rather than immediately talk to Jesus about it, he withdraws from everyone else. Simon has a warm heart, in how he approaches people, but can also be dismissive of them when he’s upset, burning up inside about his own stormy emotions. He also isn’t afraid to disrupt the emotions of the group by demanding an apology from Matthew about being a tax collector. Simon has a sincere desire to follow Jesus, and believes wholeheartedly in Him even when it’s hard, but it’s also difficult for him to understand Eden’s feelings, figure out what they are, and access them; all he can do is offer apologies on his own behalf. He shows a lot of lower thinking in how blunt, articulate, and productive he can be; when he sees the cistern is broken, he takes it upon himself to fix it. He often organizes the disciples and sees himself as their leader in Jesus’ absences. His Ni is low. He doesn’t think much past the present moment, and does not believe in this ‘new Messiah’ until he witnesses an actual miracle that gets him out of a scrape! He also does not understand why Jesus chooses the disciples he does or see the potential in Matthew (“You don’t want him; you don’t know him…”) that Jesus does.

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Simon is blunt, confrontational, and assumes he needs to be the boss. Even after he has become a follower of Jesus, he is angling for a position of respect and responsibility, by trying to convince Jesus to give him authority over the other followers. He also sees no reason to “keep the peace” about his feelings for and about Matthew, and confronts him on several occasions about what he is doing wrong, and about his resentment for him having been a “traitor” when he served as a tax collector under the Roman authorities. It’s hard for Simon to be sensitive or considerate of others, and Jesus tells him that he could “stand to be a little nicer sometimes. He doesn’t want to take care of his mother-in-law, so he protests against it, insisting he doesn’t have the time, and then when his brothers-in-law criticize him, Simon asks them if they want to ‘take this outside.’ Whenever anyone threatens Jesus, Simon is there, ready to defend him, arms crossed, and asking if there is a “problem. He also has a strong 7 wing. Simon at first shirks his responsibilities, tries to con his way out of paying his taxes, and refuses to take responsibility for any of his actions. When his wife confronts him about fishing on the Sabbath, Simon justifies it as being necessary. When Andrew objects to him considering turning fellow Jews over to the Romans, Simon insists he is doing it for a good cause, to keep his family safe. It’s all part of his inability to admit to his own sinful nature and selfishness, and he is ‘revising’ things in his head, to cast himself in a better light. But when the time comes to betray his fishermen friends, Simon feels a twinge of guilt and cannot do it. He’s ready to face his responsibilities and take the punishment.