Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 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
“They did not deposit the whole price of their land, but kept back a little for their own necessary use… The preaching of the Gospel and its wonders uplifted the first Christians to heaven, and men came from all directions to drink of the fountain of grace.
They gave up individual possessions and joined all together, so that personal wealth ceased to exist in this spiritual society. Among others, Ananias and his wife offered their property to the common stock. When once given to Christ, it was no longer their own. It was therefore wrong to keep some back, though merely in itself such a deed does not appear so.
Peter at once cut out this evil, in order that the disease might not spread to the whole body of believers. The deed was not a wrong done to Peter, and therefore it did not receive his forgiveness; but it was done to the Deity, and was an outrage on the faith.
Besides, if no notice had been taken, they would have thought their hidden deed escaped Christ’s notice, and so would have proceeded unrebuked to worse sins, and have infected others, like a pestilence, with the same ideas. To prevent this, Peter checks the disease, and drags up the weeds before they can spread over the field.”
The Apocriticus of Macarius Magnes, translated and compiled by T.W. Crafer (London, SPCK, 1919) excerpt from chapters XXII-XXIII
In this fourth century apology, Macarius unpacks the demise of Ananias and Sapphira as keeping back what belongs to God. Interesting the Greek word used for holding back is actually the word, embezzle, or stealing that which belongs to another. Everything belongs to God.
Today Matthew, Ray, and I are preaching in three different churches in Malawi. My message from Acts 4:32-5:11 is entitled, “Give to God what you have.” Our human tendency is sinful rationalization. “I earned what I have, so it’s mine.” We forget that God gives us the ability to produce wealth (cf. Deuteronomy 8:17-18).
The reason there remained no needy persons among them in the early church was because they were united in treating everything as belonging to God. When one acted otherwise, God rooted out the greedy person among them. Flourishing in commnity was rooted in the gospel and their generosity flowed from God’s grace.
Each of us can be tempted to play the rich fool as God blesses us. Remember, we are not a container, but a conduit of spiritual and material blessings. Ask the Spirit today if there is any cancer in your thinking that needs to be cut out. Do it lest it destroy you like it did Ananias and Sapphira.
God desires not to worry us but uses stories like this to wake us to depend on Him. He also does not want us to hold back anything for ourselves. This is a hard idea for many. It becomes easy when you soak in the gospel. God’s care for us went to the extent of not sparing His own son for us. We can do this. God’s got us.