“God’s gifts—for sale?”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Wednesday, July 5, 2023
Acts 8:14-25 (Forward, p. 68) CEV p. 1143
This rather ‘interesting’, and rather obscure, passage is scarcely noticed today, much less given much attention, which is too bad, given that it raises several issues of importance and great consequence.
The attempt by Simon Magus, Simon the magician, to somehow ‘buy’ the ability to bestow the Holy Spirit upon people gave rise to what came to be called ‘simony’, namely the practice of buying church offices or roles or privileges. Because of this rather widespread abuse in the medieval church, it became outlawed. And, even as recent as my own ordination, there was still an oath by which the candidate swore that he or she had not ‘purchased’ the right to ordination, which was a mere prospect that some of my colleagues scoffed at. One of them, for instance, was heard to say, “Why, for heaven’s sake, would anyone pay to have this ‘thankless job’?”
However, in pondering this question since then, I am not quite so ready to scoff, as financial ability does enter into the picture when it comes to ordination. Not everyone has the financial means to head off to seminary, whether it be in terms of tuition and books, or it be in the lack of one salary, or just the move and relocation itself. And so, there is, indirectly, a very real financial aspect, a sense that one does pay for one’s ordination!
Then, there is another question: obviously, Simon Magus noticed that the ‘laying on of hands’ by the apostles made some kind of difference in the recipients’ lives. Somehow something very noticeable and obvious had happened during this prayer for the Holy Spirit, such that Simon wanted this ability for himself. Pentecostals would argue that this initial evidence was the gift of tongues, and indications elsewhere in the Acts of the Apostles would certainly give some credence to that notion. But whether this is true or not in this particular case, the infilling of the Holy Spirit was something so definite, so objectively noticeable, that no one could doubt it. They did not need to just rely on faith that it had happened: rather, they knew it in a very definite and unarguable way.
Underlying all this, at its very root, is the idea that both salvation and the myriad gifts of God can somehow be ‘earned’, whether by our own good
works or by our learning. How often I have heard, “Oh, he’s such a good person”, as if that really counts for anything when it comes to salvation. No, salvation, and indeed, all of the gifts of God, are just that: gifts, gifts from a loving and gracious God, who freely bestows them whether we ‘deserve’ them or have earned them or not. It is something that we need to remember at all times, and which this passage puts us in mind of. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Forward notes: “But Peter said to [Simon], ‘May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s gift with money!’” (verse 20)
“Money cannot buy everything. Sadly, COVID-19 taught us a lot about that lesson. Despite having access to resources and the best medical attention, many wealthy people died because of the virus. Money doesn’t buy happiness or love or health. Peter makes this clear when Simon, a magician, attempts to purchase the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
“Jesus offers himself as a sacrifice to save all humankind without charging one cent. It is an act of infinite love, and the only way to pay this gift back is through love, by treating our neighbour with holiness and justice. As Christian clergy and laity, we must reject greed and privilege and seek instead to be righteous and kind before God, thus deserving every good thing the Lord offers to us.”
Moving Forward: “List three things that have no monetary value, yet they always make you happy. Say a prayer of thanksgiving!