Ananias & Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11)
Few things rankle our feathers more than having to talk about money in church. It was so from the beginning. But as Jesus taught, money merely demonstrates (or, how we use our money) where our priorities are.
In the early church, as seen in the opening chapter of Acts, private property was sold and all things were collected for the good of the whole. But one married couple, Annanias and Sapphira, lied about their income and refused to give a portion of their property to God's work. Their deceit and greed were their downfall and both were struck dead.
As many Bible commentators have pointed out, it's a rather harsh way to begin a movement built on the grace of Christ . . . but the point of it all may be all the more pronounced because it is in the book of Acts. We tend to skip over this one!
The church without openness, honesty, sharing, caring, generosity, and love for God's work is, actually, not much of a church at all. It's something, but not a church. And God's standards remain high, including our willingness to give all that we can of our income and blessings to God's work. Without the giving, we can't really know the Giver.
This story might also bring a new meaning to the phrase, "Living for Jesus." I'm sure Ananias and Sapphira would have preferred to be martyrs of a different sort.
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