Looking at God
Looking at God
‘People Like Us’ in Acts – Ananias and Sapphira
The story of Ananias and Sapphira is one of the most challenging incidents in Acts. They sold a piece of property and brought the proceeds to the apostles. However, unlike Barnabas (who did the same thing), Ananias and Sapphira kept back some of the money for themselves. Of course, there was no obligation to give the money to the church, as they were not prohibited from owning property. However, their sin lay in the following key areas:-
Jealously
Ananias and Sapphira appear to be motivated by jealousy, because they craved the same status and adulation as Barnabas. Their actions were not motivated by a genuine sensitivity to the needs of others, but were more about building their own reputation. What part does envy play in our service of others?
Deceit
The seriousness of what Ananias and Sapphira did is also seen in the way they lied to and tested the Holy Spirit. Luke makes a clear allusion to Aachen when he describes the way the couple kept back the money. Aachen also died as a result of taking articles that belonged to God from the city of Jericho (Joshua 7). It is serious because it compromises the distinctiveness of God’s people. How seriously do we deal with dishonesty in our lives?
Hypocrisy
Ananias and Sapphira were also guilty of hypocrisy, pretending to be other than they really were. The Holy Spirit is committed to bringing into the light the things that we want to keep secret. Only if we are honest in all our dealings can we honour the name of God. In what ways could our church be accused of hypocrisy?
God’s judgment was swift and decisive, as Ananias and Sapphira died within 3 hours of each other. Little wonder that ‘great fear seized the whole church’!