More of the Story: Truth

But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. “Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us but to God!” Now when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard of it. The young men came and wrapped up his body, then carried him out and buried him.
After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you and your husband sold the land for such and such a price.” And she said, “Yes, that was the price.” Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Immediately she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in they found her dead, so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear seized the whole church and all who heard of these things. ~ Acts 5:1-11

Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive. ~ Sir Walter Scott


There's a moment in Les Miserables where Jean Valjean has to decide whether to live a lie that will grant him freedom at someone else's expense, or tell the truth and condemn himself. Somehow he knew that if he lived the lie, he would already be dead to true freedom: that the lie would imprison him far worse than the truth would.
So he told the truth.
Ananias and Sapphira didn't make that same choice. Instead they presented a lie as the truth - they lifted themselves up as more noble than they were - and the result was deadly.
As a kid I remember thinking how mean God (and Peter) were to kill Ananias and Sapphira just because they didn't give all their money. I mean, did that mean God was going to kill me because I didn't give all my money?
Well, a couple of things about what I thought then:
- First, we found out already that this group of Christians willingly gave up money and property to their community. That this community was born on the concept of everything shared together.
- Second, it doesn't exactly say that Peter (or God) did the actual killing, although Peter pretty clearly knew what was going to go down.
But whether you want to look at this literally or figuratively, there are some truths here that can't be denied.
- living a lie isn't really freedom.
- generosity is life giving.
- Love of neighbor is the true path to freedom.
Ananias and Sapphira died after trying to skirt the system - preferring to live a lie and hoard rather than find freedom in generosity. They each died pretending they were someone other than they actually were.
God is after our true selves and wants to help us find that self. And there's no point trying to hide that self from God.
Or even from ourselves.

Prayer: Set the truth free in my, God, so I can be the person you have called me to be. Amen



Popular posts from this blog

But we had hoped

Now on that same day two (disciples) were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles  from Jerusalem,  and talking with each other about all these things that had happened.  While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them,  but their eyes were kept from recognizing him.  And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad.   Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?”  He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth,  who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,  and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him.  But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.  Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place.  Mo
Read more

Resurrection Run

For the week after Easter, some deeper dives into the Resurrection . When (the women) looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back.  As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.  But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him.  But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.”  So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. ~ Mark 16:4-8 No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. I am not afraid but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach; the same restlessness; the yawning. ~ CS Lewis The cave you fear to enter holds the  treasure
Read more

God's People: Abram

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.  I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” ~ Genesis 12:1-3 Abram was Shem's great times seven grandson. And sometime in between Shem and Abram was the Tower of  Babel. God's creation had begun in a garden, and with sin, creation spread east of Eden. As the selfishness of sin continued, God pulled the reins in and brought creation back to a smaller size, managed by one family. But before too many generations, that family grew and spread and once again became embroiled in trying to compete with God. And so God, with Babel, sent creation scattered off near and far. So when we meet Abram - already an old man - he is part of one of the many tribes
Read more