Can't Be Bought - Acts 8:9-25

The Big Showdown

Everybody likes a good showdown at the movies. Final showdowns drive great stories. One of the most famous showdowns in recent memory was Iron Man against Thanos. During their big showdown, Tony Stark as Iron Man pays the ultimate sacrifice defeating Thanos and his army. What made it a great showdown was that, if you had been tracking with the Marvel movies, you were anticipating and even wanted a final scene between Iron Man and Thanos. The great stories do this. Good vs. evil, good guy vs bad guy, makes for a great story when there is a final showdown.

We have this in our story line today. In fact, it’s a recreation of another showdown that has already taken place a couple of times in the New Testament. Throughout the history recorded in the Bible, beginning with the garden of Eden, there is an anticipated showdown between God and Satan. Thousands of years pass and you finally get two… one in Satan’s temptation of Jesus… a big showdown in the desert...and then the ultimate… the showdown at the cross, where it looks as though Satan wins.. only to have Jesus rise from the dead and defeat Satan forever.

That doesn’t mean Satan isn’t still fighting. And that shows up in the showdown of our story today, and it intersects with another part of the grand storyline of scripture: money and corruption. Throughout the Bible, people are seen as trying to buy God off… trying to pay for something that is freely given.

The church has had a long history of financial abuse and mismanagement. Wherever there are sinners, there’s going to be someone a little too sticky with the money. But today, at the heart of our story is a money problem that hits all of us in some fashion. When we get to the 8th chapter of the book of Acts, the church leader Stephen has just been stoned to death and persecution breaks out against the church. The church scatters away from Jerusalem to all over Israel, especially to the north.

The Gospel reaches Samaria

Because the Christians are scattering, the Gospel goes with them. Jesus had promised that the Good News about His death and resurrection and His kingdom would spread from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria to the ends of the earth. And here in Acts 8, the church has expanded to Samaria. Here’s what Dr. Luke tells us:

Acts 8:12 When (the Samaritans) believed Philip, as he proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.

Samaria sits north of Jerusalem by about 70 miles. The city of Samaria has a long and complicated history… to the point where Jews of that day did not consider Samaritans to be true Israelites. Samaritans were hated to the extent that when traveling to the sea of Galilee to the north, Jews would take a longer route to bypass Samaria. It is no small detail here in Acts that the Good News of Jesus and all the great benefits that come with His salvation, has come to Samaria. No one is beyond the Good News of Jesus.

The Magic Problem

However, as Philip and the Gospel reach Samaria, we’re introduced to one of the more fascinating characters in all of the Bible. Dr. Luke goes out of his way to give us quite a few details about this character, which means, when he is writing to Theophilus and his church years later, it’s most likely that they know this name and have heard the stories. In Christian history, he’s known as Simon the Sorcerer or Simon the Magician. This comes from Dr. Luke’s description here.

Acts 8:9 A man named Simon had previously practiced sorcery in that city and amazed the Samaritan people, while claiming to be somebody great.

Remember what I said about anticipation. The moment Dr. Luke begins his description of Simon with magic and the gods, you begin to sense that a showdown is coming. From the very beginning of the nation of Israel in the Old Testament, the practice of magic had been taboo, outlawed by God himself. We’re not talking about the magicians that we know today that use illusion and deception to make us think something is happening when it’s not. The levitating young lady isn’t really levitating… it looks like she is, but there are strings and other contraptions bending our perception of reality.

This magic is considered real, even by Dr. Luke. It is power derived from alternative sources, especially the demonic, were always associated with Satan and his quest to defeat God and eliminate his Messiah. Idolatry, the notion of having other gods than the One true God, and witchcraft always went hand in hand.

Obviously, none of that bothered Simon, and in fact, in spite of the taboo, just like any other culture Israel and the Samaritans and other ethnic groups in that region all had their practitioners of magic. Simon is considered the best of the best… he is apparently known throughout the Roman Empire. He is at the top of the A-list of magicians.

Acts 8:10–11 The Samaritans all paid attention to him, from the least of them to the greatest, and they said, “This man is called the Great Power of God.” They were attentive to him because he had amazed them with his sorceries for a long time.

Everyone is amazed at Simon. Every pays attention to him. They go to his concerts, they go to his movies, his shows are standing room only. He’s a star. In fact, the historian Josephus tells us that there was even a large statue of Simon in one of the Samaritan cities. All of this changes a bit when Philip shows up. People believe the Gospel and start listening to Philip.

Acts 8:5–8 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them. The crowds were all paying attention to what Philip said, as they listened and saw the signs he was performing. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed, and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.

How’s that for Simon’s business? People aren’t paying attention to him any more. They are paying attention to Philip. And Simon joins them. Dr. Luke tells us that Simon is among those who believed the gospel. It becomes apparent that his belief is still a bit misguided, but the belief is real.

The money problem

But here’s where the story takes a turn… and becomes the main point of the story. Simon realizes that Philip and the apostles’ power to heal and to give the Holy Spirit is greater than his power and he wants that. And here’s what he does:

Acts 8:18–19 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”

Ruh roh. We’re not going to go down the rabbit hole of the question of the reception of the Holy Spirit here, only to suggest that the way this happens at various points in Acts is specific to Acts itself and not the way it works normally in our salvation. We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit in our baptism, a fact born out by many passages in the New Testament. Baptism and Holy Spirit baptism are one and the same. But I digress.

Simon wants that power. And it’s evident he wants to add that power to the power of his magic. But the worst part of all, the statement that brings out the big response from Peter is the money. Simon thinks he can buy the free gift of God… and if he’s willing to pay for that power, you know full well he plans on charging people to receive the Holy Spirit.

The Gospel isn’t for sale

Simon wants the apostles’ power to convey the Holy Spirit and he offers money to pay for it. Once the money card is played here, the entire story stops dead in its tracks. Here’s the showdown. The showdown between Jesus and magic, Jesus and other gods, Jesus and corrupt use of money all landing in one big showdown… and here’s Peter’s response:

Acts 8:20 Peter told Simon, “May your silver be destroyed with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!”

The word for destroyed there carries with it the idea of eternal damnation. In essence, Peter is saying “to hell with you and your money because you thought you could buy your way in to a free gift.” Peter’s response to Simon almost seems like a snap response. A little overcharged. I mean, it IS shocking. It does seem over the top. “May your money be destroyed with you” is a lot like Jesus showing up at the temple and throwing out the money changers.. and it’s not an accident that the primary issue is the same in both stories: money.

It’s almost as if God finds it totally repulsive the idea that grace can be bought… people trying to purchase with money his act of free forgiveness, free grace, and love and mercy. That money could be at the center of what it means to deal with God. Grace is free. Salvation is free. The Holy Spirit is free. Time and again throughout the Bible, God shows us what an insult it is to him that we think we can buy our way into what He gives us as free.

What we’re saying, what Simon is saying, is that money makes the world go round. We’re conditioned to believe that money buys fame, wealth, and in this instance, power. Money is part of the identity. And our culture reinforces that notion. A pop philosopher in the mid-80s suggested that “money changes everything”. She’s right, So much of our behavior and our good will is conditioned on money.

You can’t buy love. But we sure as anything do try. Yeah.. we do try. One of my favorite baseball players admitted he didn’t spend as much time as he should have with his kids so he made sure to shower them with cars and expensive toys. He was attempting to buy their love.

We do this with God. Oh, it may not be money, but we live our lives trying to buy love from God. Why do we find it so offensive that God gives his grace, mercy and love to us free with no conditions? We bargain with God. “If you do ABC, I promise you, I’ll give and do XYZ”. And if we can buy his love, we can buy God. We own him. We control him. We need him to do for us ABC. This is reinforced by some really bad theology and ideas about the Bible out there.

God is not a vending machine. God never promises to do XYZ, if we’ll just do ABC. And yet we have hundreds, if not thousands, of preachers standing in front of people every Sunday claiming that’s how God operates. If you do this with your money, God will bless you over and over again. The idea that you can give money and God will bless you is simply another version of buying God and buying salvation with money.

And Peter says “no. Take your money to hell with you. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.” Jesus can’t be bought. Salvation isn’t up for sale. Yet we are absolutely ingrained to think it is. One of the most famous songs of all-time involved a deal with the devil… The Devil went down to Georgia. It’s based on centuries of folk tradition about making deals with the devil. In the song, the devil bets a fiddle made of gold against Johnny’s soul based on who can play the fiddle better. In the song, Johnny wins. But has it occurred to anyone just how the notion of a deal with the devil has been popular through the ages? Because it’s a perversion of the Gospel. We want to be able to do something, to pay something for favors with God. There is no deal to be had for the Gospel or God’s favor.

Peter offers forgiveness to Simon and Simon repents. Simon loses the showdown. He is defeated. The Gospel is bigger than Simon, bigger than his magic, bigger than his money. The Gospel and its benefits, including the gift of the Holy Spirit are free for all. Money doesn’t make the world go round, the Gospel does. Forgiveness makes the world go round. So much so that Jesus embedded that idea into the prayer he gave us in Matthew 6:

Matthew 6:12 Forgive us our trespasses, as we also have forgiven those who trespass against us.

Jesus forgives our sins in the Gospel… and then that is lived out when we freely forgive those who have wronged us. That’s real power right now. That’s the power of the Gospel. Saving sinners, forgiving sinners, who forgive others as a result. When we forgive, we give up control. I mean, that’s why it’s so controversial and subversive to the culture. Forgiveness isn’t about power and control. Forgiveness can’t be bought. Forgiveness is the defeat of the devil. Forgiveness undermines everything we’ve been told about life and how it works. It’s free. No strings attached.

That’s how much Jesus loves you and me. And how much he loves our neighbor. One fascinating thing about Acts 8 and our story is how many times Luke mentions that the Gospel was preached and believed. It’s not about the money. Jesus uses money in the proclamation of the Gospel. But money doesn’t buy converts. Love does. Grace does. mercy does. It’s what we need. It’s what our neighbors need. Our neighbors, like us, are used to thinking about religion that orbits around the idea that you must pay up to God. If not with your money, then with your good works. And we have a message that says… none of that is necessary. It’s all free. Grace is free. Jesus is free. Forgiveness is free. That is how our message frees people from the spiral that they in. That’s the healing of the Gospel. Put your money away, put your good works away and just receive from Jesus his free grace, his free Holy Spirit, his free power, his free love and mercy. It’s all free. The Gospel cannot be bought.

Let’s pray.

The Table

This table can’t be bought. What Jesus does here is not magic. This is the anti-magic. This is where the devil is defeated. You want freedom and forgiveness. Receive the free grace, love, mercy, and forgiveness that Jesus gives and provides here at His Table. Again and again.

Benediction

Numbers 6:24–26

May the Lord bless you and protect you;

may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;

may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.