Stories of Riches by Luke

I believe that Luke meant for the stories of Acts 3:1-11 and Acts 8:13-24 to be contrasted. In the first, Peter and John passed a lame man at the temple who sought alms of them. The man looked at them, “expecting to receive something of them” and Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” The man was indeed miraculously healed and “immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.” Peter and John had no money, but that was not important—they had the power of Jesus Christ and through that this man was healed. In the second story a man named Simon was baptized and he saw that Peter and John were giving the Holy Ghost to those newly baptized through the laying on of hands. Luke recorded, “And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.” Peter responded with this strong rebuke: “Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.” The priesthood of God cannot be purchased with money. Money is never a prerequisite for obtaining the power of the Lord—that is only given through the principles of faith and righteousness as a gift from Him. I think that Luke wanted us to see the difference in these stories and understand that Peter and John were full of the power of God not because of any material possessions but because of their faith in Jesus Christ.

                In the gospel of Luke there are several other stories about money, all showing that wealth is not a prerequisite—but is sometimes a stumbling block—for obtaining the kingdom of God. When the twelve disciples were called, the Savior told them as He sent them forth to preach the gospel, “Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece” (Luke 9:3). Money was not necessary for them to perform their missionary labors. Luke also recorded the parable of the rich man whose ground brought forth plentifully and said, “What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.” But then God said to the man, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” Jesus then commented, “So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:16-21). Our riches will not go with us into the next life, and we are fools if we seek only to lay up treasures for ourselves in this life. He told the parable of Lazarus and the rich man with a similar message: “There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores” (Luke 16:19-21). Both the rich man and Lazarus died and then their fates were reversed, with the rich man begging for relief from his punishment while Lazarus was carried to the bosom of Abraham. The love of riches had prevented this man from obtaining salvation while the poor beggar was saved without silver or gold. The message of the Savior to the rich young ruler was similar: “Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.” When the young man was sorrowful at this counsel, the Savior said, “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:22-25). If we are not ready to give up our riches for the Lord, they will be a stumbling block to enter His kingdom. Finally, Luke also told us the story of the widow with her mite. After watching “rich men casting their gifts into the treasury,” the Savior “saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had” (Luke 21:2-4). All of these stories highlight a message that Luke wanted us to understand: “Man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15). We must seek to be “rich toward God”—not in the eyes of man—if we are to obtain eternal life.