When Philip preached the Good News in Samaria, many believed and were baptised. However, the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon them in the way the apostles experienced it. So, Peter and John came to lay hands on the new believers to receive the Spirit. Simon, a man previously known for his sorcery, had also believed and been baptised. He watched this powerful demonstration and misunderstood it completely. He saw the apostles imparting the Holy Spirit as another form of power to be acquired, much like magic, and offered them money for it.
Peter's response was sharp and direct: “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart isn’t right before God.” Peter made it unequivocally clear that God’s gift, especially the Holy Spirit, is not a commodity that can be bought, earned, or sold. His stern warning highlights the grave error of treating God's grace as a commercial transaction. Simon’s heart was not right because he viewed spiritual power through worldly, transactional eyes.
This ancient story speaks powerfully to us today in Kampala. In our earnest pursuit of God's blessings—whether it's healing, a financial breakthrough, or a promotion—it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking we can somehow ‘buy’ them. We might be tempted by the idea of 'sowing money seeds' to guarantee a harvest from God, or buying 'anointed items' to receive a miracle. But just like Simon, this reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of God's nature and His economy. God’s grace is freely given, a result of Christ’s finished work on the cross, not a reward for our financial transactions.
The Holy Spirit, salvation, and all true blessings from God are gifts. They are expressions of His undeserved favour and love, not something we can purchase. When we attempt to buy these gifts, we subtly imply that Christ's sacrifice on the cross was somehow insufficient, and that we need to add our own payment to it. This cheapens the immeasurable value of the cross. Let us receive God’s gifts with gratitude and a right heart, trusting in His boundless generosity alone, rather than approaching Him with a calculator in hand.