“1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. 2 However, he kept back part of the proceeds with his wifes knowledge, and brought a portion of it and laid it at the apostles feet.

3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the proceeds from the field? 4 Wasn’t it yours while you possessed it? And after it was sold, wasn’t it at your disposal? Why is it that you planned this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God!” 5 When he heard these words, Ananias dropped dead, and a great fear came on all who heard. 6 The young men got up, wrapped his body, carried him out, and buried him.

7 There was an interval of about three hours; then his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 “Tell me,” Peter asked her, “did you sell the field for this price?”

“Yes,” she said, “for that price.”

9 Then Peter said to her, “Why did you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out!”

10 Instantly she dropped dead at his feet. When the young men came in, they found her dead, carried her out, and buried her beside her husband. 11 Then great fear came on the whole church and on all who heard these things.”

Acts 5:1-11

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The church is in her infancy, and while she is moving in the might and power of God’s Holy Spirit, people are still figuring out what it means to be a Christian. What makes them distinct, separate? What defines the life, heart and attitude of someone who follows Jesus? In just a short time, the Gentiles will be confirmed and invited in to be a part of what is going on, along with the Samaritans. So what happens here, in these first crucial moments, lays the foundation for everything that is to come. Will the followers of The Way be like many of the adherents of Judaism? Is this about ritual, doing the right things in the right time, or is it more than that? Is it more than just sacrifices & good impressions? And indeed it is.

Ananias & Sapphira were in a position to make an offering, to be devoted through sacrifice just like everyone else had been doing. They sold land so they could donate money, that’s good. But they lied about how much they had to give from the sale, in order to make themselves look better, and that’s bad. They lied directly to God, who knows everything, down to the deepest thoughts and attitudes of our hearts. This couple desired the acclaim that they saw others getting for their generosity, but they also wanted to keep a little back for themselves. We don’t know why exactly, could it have been a lack of trust? Greed? Did they have other obligations to meet? Who knows? What matters is that they desired to create a false impression and to build themselves up in the sight of everyone, and they placed themselves above God.

This is where much of the fault lies…

lying to God and placing self above Him.

Again, the church in her infancy, people still figuring things out, listening to and watching the Apostle’s every move to determine what this life would say is acceptable, and what it meant to follow Jesus Christ. And immediately, the hammer comes down on these two because this is in no way acceptable, permissible or can it be encouraged as proper behavior or motivation for followers of Jesus Christ. And so they bear the punishment for their guilt & sin. This couldn’t just be about ritual, walking through the motions. This had to be more, this had to be deeper, and so the motivations of the heart matter intensely.

For us today, this is still true. We cannot lie to God, walk through the motions, and expect to remain in His good graces. This life we live in Jesus isn’t just about looks and appearances, as if it could be so shallow. Instead, we must come to Him, nothing withheld, honest in all we do, raw & open hearted. This isn’t about social contacts, networking or personal fame. This isn’t about looking good in the eyes of others, this is about honor God and bringing Him glory as we walk in the footsteps of Christ. If we are going to GoLove others as Jesus did, then it cannot be about us for even a moment. We cannot hold anything in reserve. We cannot lie to God, or ourselves. For the growth and health of the church, we must lay it all on the line and own only Him.