Yes, said Ananias to his wife. We’ll sell that piece of land and give the money for the work of the Lord. But it’s a lot of money . . . do we have to give that much? We could keep back part of the price for ourselves, and then we could pretend that we gave all of it. Nobody would know.
Yes, said Sapphira his wife. That’s a good plan. We’ll keep it a secret. We won’t tell that we gave only part of the price and kept the rest for ourselves.
And so Ananias and Sapphira sold their piece of land at a fair and honest price and then kept back part of the money in a secret place for themselves.
We don’t blame anybody for keeping honest money for their own needs. So what was wrong with that bit of hidden money? Just this: They pretended they had not hidden some away and that they gave the whole amount for the work of the Lord. It was something like this: Look at us! We are great givers! We gave all we had! It sounded good, but it was a lie.
Perhaps every one of us can remember that we have done things like that too, when we wanted people to think well of us. We are all guilty! Where can we find anybody who never did or thought a lie like that?
There is only one person who, “though He was rich, yet for [our] sakes He became poor, that [we] through His poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:99For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)). His name is Jesus. The world and the entire universe are His, but He gave up so much for our sakes. When He hung on the cross in the darkness, He had nothing . . . nothing, not even God to comfort Him. No one could ever be so rich or become so poor as He. All He had left was His life . . . and He gave that up too.
Why did Jesus do this? It was His love for sinners like you and me, that we through His poverty might be rich. Will you answer Him with all your heart? He loves you and died for you and wants you for Himself.
Ananias brought part of the money to the apostles’ feet in a very humble way. But God showed to Peter what was in that man’s heart. Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land?
You see where that lie came from - straight from Satan. And the lie was not just to Peter but to the Holy Spirit. Doesn’t that make our lies and our selfishness extra bad?
It was your money, said Peter. It was up to you to do as you chose with it. Why did you plan this? You have not lied to men but to God!
Ananias heard what Peter said, and then - he fell dead! God was showing what He thought of such sin. He is not showing the same sudden punishment now, but it’s not because He cares any less. He has shown it once for you and me to remember. God hates sin, and He holds your life in His hand. How then can He let you and me live?
The answer is “Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:33For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; (1 Corinthians 15:3)). If you will not have Christ, God has no forgiveness for you. Jesus shows His love for you now with open arms to welcome you. Will you come to Him for forgiveness? He says, “I will forgive [your] iniquity, and I will remember [your] sin no more” (Jeremiah 31:3434And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:34)).
The young men buried Ananias. After that, Sapphira came in, not knowing what had happened to her husband.
Peter said, Tell me . . . was this the price of the land you sold?
Yes, that was the price, she answered.
She had made her own choice too. Husband and wife had agreed together on the lie, and each was guilty. Agreeing with others doesn’t take away your own guilt.
Peter said, How is it that you agreed together to lie to the Spirit of the Lord? Then Sapphira fell down dead, and the young men buried her beside her husband.
This is a solemn story. God records it so you will remember, whether you are a Christian or not, that God hates lying and pretending. It is so wonderful to have a Saviour who never pretends, but His love to us is real, through sunshine and storms, now and forever. Are you one of His very own?
You may read this story for yourself in Acts 5.
ML-12/24/2006