Deception for Our Reputation's Sake...

This week, we are looking at a troubling and disconcerting story that is recorded for us in the Book of Acts. Yesterday we discovered that just like Barnabas, as followers of Jesus, God’s grace, God’s transformational activity in our lives is most evident as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live a life that reveals and reflects Christ in our heads, our hearts, and our hands. When we are investing our time in a community group listening and learning the message and teaching of the Bible; when we are investing our talents serving God by serving others in a ministry, and when we are investing our treasure through regular and proportional giving that reflects the generosity of Jesus, the Holy Spirit transformationally moves in and through those environments in a way that results in us revealing and reflecting Christ.

After painting us the backdrop of the state of the early church to provide the context for this story, Luke then brings us into the center of this troubling story in Acts 5:1:

But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife's full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles' feet.

Luke contrasts the generosity of Barnabas, who sold his property and brought the entire price to the apostles to be distributed to those who were in need, with a couple named Ananias and Sapphira. Luke explains that Ananias and Sapphira concocted a plan by which they would sell a piece of property that they owned and then bring part of the proceeds of the sale to the leaders of the church, while keeping back a portion of the proceeds for themselves. This couple then put their plan into effect by selling the land and then bringing the money to the leaders of the church. Well that seems like an o.k. plan, doesn’t it? I mean that seems generous? As Luke continues, however, we quickly discover that there was a part of this plan was not o.k.:

But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?

You see, a part of this plan was that Ananias and Sapphira would tell the leaders of the church that they were giving them all of the money that they had made on the sale of the land, when in fact they were only giving them part of the money that they had made. While Luke does not tell us exactly how he became aware to their plan, Peter becomes aware and confronts the husband Ananias in a very clear and direct manner: “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?”

Now, there are several questions that come to mind when reading Peter’s words here. First, what does Peter mean when he uses the phrase “why has Satan filled your heart”? This phrase conveys the sense of someone influencing one’s decisions and desires that flow from the center and core of our beings. In other words, Peter is asking Ananias, why have you allowed Satan to so influence your decisions and desires so that you would lie. The word lie, here, in the language that this letter was originally written in, literally means to attempt deceive by lying.

The second question that arises here is what does Peter mean when He accuses Ananias of lying to the Holy Spirit? The answer to this question lies in the nature of the church. The very nature of the church is that the very Spirit of God is present when followers of Jesus gather together in community and to engage in God’s kingdom mission. Part of God’s kingdom mission in this story was to meet the pressing and practical needs that were arising by reflecting God’s generosity. And when we are involved in God’s kingdom mission as a church, whether it is investing our time, our talents, or our treasure, the very spirit of God is present and active to use that investment to capture hearts and transform lives. The Holy Spirit was present and it was the Holy Spirit, as well as the leaders of the church that Ananias was attempting to deceive.

Now a third question that arises here is “why even lie? Why be so deceitful?” And this is the exact question that we see Peter ask in Acts 5:4:

"While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God."

Peter is saying “Wasn’t the land yours before it was sold? And after you sold the land, wasn’t the money yours and at your disposal to do with it as you willed?” In other words, Peter is explaining that this was not a socialistic or communistic redistribution of wealth where Ananias was forced to sell his land and give all the proceeds to the church. This was voluntary. And because it was voluntary, Ananias could have simply said “hey I sold some land and I am giving half of the money to the church”. There was no reason to be deceitful here, which is why Peter asks “Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? Why did you concoct this plan?” So why did Ananias and Sapphira attempt to deceive the leaders of the church, and ultimately, the Holy Spirit?

I believe Ananias and Sapphira attempted to be deceitful because Ananias and Sapphira wanted to appear more generous than they really were. Ananias and Sapphira wanted to appear more spiritual than they really were. Ananias and Sapphira wanted to be viewed more highly than Barnabas was viewed. Ananias and Sapphira were more concerned about their position and prominence in the eyes of others than they were with revealing and reflecting Christ.

How often can we find ourselves tempted to do the exact same thing? How often can we find ourselves tempted to be more concerned about our position and prominence in the eyes of others than with revealing and reflecting Christ? How often can we find ourselves tempted to deceive others to think that we are more spiritual than we really are?

Peter then explains “you have not lied to men but to God”. In other words, Peter is saying “your real issue is not with us, although you have an issue with us. Your real issue is with God. Your real issue is with the triune God; God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit”. Peter here reveals for us the reality that the Holy Spirit is God. The Holy Spirit is not a force or an aura. The Holy Spirit is not an it. The Holy Spirit is a person who is the third member of the Trinity. And Ananias has just attempted to deceive God, whose presence is present as part of the church. Luke then records for us what happens next in verses 5:

And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last;

In other words He fell down dead. God responded to Ananias’ attempt at deceit by taking him out. Luke then records for us the response to what had just occurred:

and great fear came over all who heard of it. The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.

All who heard what happened were gripped with fear and anxiety? Ya think? How would you like to have been the young men who got to bury Ananias? Would you want to go near someone who God just took out? Does anyone find this story a little troubling? Does anyone find this story a little disconcerting? I mean God just took out someone for lying? What about grace? What about mercy? What about Jesus coming to bring grace and forgiveness? What about the church being the vehicle to reveal and reflect Jesus?

Imagine yourself as a resident of Jerusalem, or as an early follower of Jesus who was a part of the church. Would this event make you more excited about church? Would you want to go to church after that? I mean is there something bigger going on here in this story that we are just not seeing?

I don’t know about you, but those were questions that were going through my mind as I read this story. And if those questions are running through your mind, I want you to know that these are great questions to be wrestling with. And as the story continues, we see the tension of these questions only increase as Sapphira arrives on the scene. Tomorrow, we will discover answers to the questions and tensions that this story provokes through Sapphira...