the    sides

This is part of a e-vo series through the New Testament book of Acts. Today is from Acts 5.

One of the worst sermons I’ve ever heard was on this passage of scripture. The point of the speaker was something along the lines that God punishes people who don’t give all of their discretionary money to the church. Not only that but the “Church” (and I’m assuming he meant his particular church) is really the only legitimate place to give your money. Here’s the proof - Ananias and Sapphira.

What happens to Ananias and Sapphira is disturbing enough without the added dramatics of lunatic pastor. The key piece of information actually happens at the end of chapter 4. Joseph, aka Barnabas, sells a piece of property that he owned and gave the money to the apostles to use to help the needy. Was this required of Barnabas? No. Was it required that he gave all of it? No. He saw a need, he was a man of means and he used it.

What got Ananias & Sapphira killed is the object of their worship. Why lie about the amount the money they got for the property? Peter plainly tells them - the field was yours, the money you got from the field is yours. You could have done with it whatever you pleased. By lying about that and putting on a show of their gift, we learn who their real object of worship was - themselves. They wanted others to see them as generous and as pious as Barnabas. It had very little to do with worship or giving or helping the needy. It cost them their lives.

What is REALLY disturbing in all of this is how much I have in common with Ananias & Sapphira. No, I don’t have a stack of money or investments to sell to help the needy. But is this story really about the money? Money just happens to be what Ananias & Sapphira chose to leverage their reputation on. For others it could be lying about how much time they spend in the word or how much they pray or how much they volunteer. All for the point of others to be impressed with who we are and what we are doing “for God.”

I’ll be honest - I want others to think well of me. I want others to notice my good deeds. I want others to be able to say that what I do matters. It’s easy to get caught up in the worship of myself. In that regard - I’m a lot like Ananias.

The bottom line is God didn’t NEED Ananias’ money and He really doesn’t NEED my insight or humanitarian work. He invites to be on the journey with Him. Yes, it helps others but we NEED it more than He does. And I wonder if that is what Ananias and Sapphira ended up forgetting.