Ananias - #blessed? - Acts 5

5 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. ² With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. - Acts 5:1-2

First, this is significant.  A man sold property and did so with his wife.  The fact that the wife is mentioned in this means they were working together.  She did not have to be mentioned and he did not have to have her approval in that day and time.  But, Luke was intentional here to show how they both participated in their deception.

³ Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? ⁴ Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

⁵ When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. ⁶ Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. - Acts 5:3-6

How did Peter know Ananias had deceived them regarding the price of the property?  The Holy Spirit communed with him and told him there was deception.  The disciples and the church as a whole are walking so close to God that deception is quickly called out by the Holy Spirit.  God is protecting them as a body of believers.  It should be our duty to walk this close to the Holy Spirit as believers and as a church.  And the sanctity of the body of believers should be a priority within the church.  This is not true with the church in America today.  In fact, if a church stands for sanctity to hold fellow believers accountable they are called judgmental and unloving, yet this is exactly what is being done here in the first church through the Holy Spirit.

Ananias could have simply been honest and said he had sold some property and was there to give such and such a sum.  He would have lived a much longer life.  But he wanted glory for himself.

Today’s church would have taken that money and put Ananias’ name on a building.  The intention of his gift or deception of holding some back wouldn’t matter at all, but the size of the gift would.  Jesus had taught the disciples regarding this, because He knows the evil in the heart of people and how we want recognition for what we do for our own glory, it’s recorded in Matthew 6:1-8:

 6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. ² “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

⁵ “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ⁷ And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

This was the way the Jewish church leaders gave and prayed.  It was for the recognition in front of other men of how good they are.  John called these leaders vipers, meaning devils, and Jesus called them the sons of their father, the Devil.  God sees the heart and knew these men were evil seeking their own glory and worshipping themselves.  Jesus was clear that He wants our hearts to be pure.  If you are going to give, give with your whole heart what you are led by God to give, do it for God’s glory, not yours, and do it in secret so no one knows.  Don’t go before the church and lay it down at the pastor’s feet so everyone knows about it.  This type of act is meant to honor you and God is a jealous God and he killed Ananias over it.

This is an important aspect of Christian living.  Being honest with your purpose and effort in following God is extremely important to God. 

I imagine that Ananias posted a picture of his pot of money from selling the land and giving to the church at the feet of the disciples with the #blessed on Instagram just prior to God taking his life for his deception of heart.  

Today, people will say #blessed or comment "blessed" on events in their life.  Upon investigation in that person, there won't be another aspect in their Facebook, Instagram, or any other part of their social media accounts that indicate that they follow God, worship a holy God, and are a witness and testimony to the one true living God being saved by His grace through Jesus.  It is as if they are saying, because they made something go right in their life, they are blessed by God, whom they do not acknowledge otherwise.  Where is the faith, witness, or testimony in that?  Isn't this playing for people's approval as much as the whole of most people's social media accounts?  

This strikes me as being very opposed to this first church and the actions of the disciples as they witnessed and testified of Jesus while walking devoutly close to God in the Holy Spirit.