The Wrong Praise

The early church we glimpse in Acts 4 was filled with a spirit of boldness to preach the resurrected Jesus, a unity of heart and mind, and an eagerness to share with those in need. This spirit of unity and sharing led Barnabas and others to sell houses and land and give the proceeds to the apostles for distribution to those in need.

Following in their stead, Ananias, along with his wife, Sapphira, sold land and gave an offering from the proceeds to the apostles also. The difference, this couple conspired to keep portion of the proceeds for themselves while putting on the façade of giving the full amount to the apostles. As Peter made abundantly clear, their decision to keep portion of the proceeds was not the issue, but the couple’s intentions to deceive was their fault. Their deceit came at a terrible price; both spouses died instantly, within three hours of each other, when they were confronted about their lie.

Why would they lie? Ananias and Sapphira could have kept the entire proceeds and gone on their way. They could have been upfront and acknowledged their gift was a portion of the proceeds. Either option would have been fine. But somewhere deep within, they felt the need to fit in, be accepted, impress others, and gain the praise of people instead of the praise of God. So they lied without recognizing their lie wasn’t being played out before the apostles but before God.

Before we judge Ananias and Sapphira too harshly, have we ever found ourselves looking to fit in by worshiping the way others worship? Or, trying to be accepted by our acts of service or participation in certain ministries? Maybe using certain religious clichés to impress others? If so, were we lying to the people by our false pretenses, or lying to God? Playing with God to gain the favor of people is an extremely dangerous affair—one with dire consequences.