“Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! —Acts 8: 19 & 20, ESV
Then a former magician named Simon, one who was said to call on the gods for his powerful magic, entered the place. He converted fairly recently, and was baptized not long ago. But the awesome display of power that fled from the apostles' mighty hands... It was so tantalizing! It was excruciating! It was completely overwhelming! He had to have some of that power for his fun—ahem, he took part in darkness no more, he remembered. But he had to have that power!
People were clamoring in raised hands as Simon successfully weaved throughout the hungry crowd waiting for a miracle. All these signs and miracles could be his. What petty tricks were those that would compare to the awesomeness and wonder coming from this man! The world would look at his greatness and give to him the greatest of the world's treasures! People from around the world would follow him —look at those men, who had tens of thousands while they themselves followed that man from Judah!
He rolled up whatever silver he saved up from his magician days, all the loose silver he did not spend, scrounged up from the pockets on his robes. Here is it: the moment of greatness! He heartily greeted the apostles, took one of their palms and tried to give him every last morsel of silver.
"Give me that power, too, so I can lay my hands and people fall down under the power of the Holy Spirit!"
Needless to say, they were not amused.