Rebuke-7 Hypocrisy

This is a picture of a wonderful community of God’s people. 

Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common. Acts 4:32. The early Christians were knit together in Christ’s love. They knew they belonged to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. Scripture says that they were of one soul. They cared about one another’s problems and attended to one another’s needs.

They realized that everything they had was from God. It was given to them to be shared. Most of them were selling their material possessions and giving the money to the apostles to be distributed. They were sacrificing their own comforts and conveniences for the good of all.

Jesus said in John 13:35, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Acts 4 - A man called Barnabas sold a field and gave the money to the apostles for distribution among the community who were in need. This brought Barnabas much praise and thanks among the believers.
The people who sold their possessions and gave the money to the church received appreciation of the entire congregation.

Ananias and Sapphira wanted the praise of men. They saw it and longed for it, and that is where their trouble began.

They found it difficult to trust solely in God and His faithfulness to meet their needs. They came up with a solution where without giving all they had they could still look like they had sacrificed everything to God.

Ananias, moved by what he has seen Barnabas do (Acts 4), decides together with his wife Sapphira, to sell a piece of property. The only difference is, Barnabas was moved by the Holy Spirit to do what he did, and for that he won much praise and favour from God and men, Ananias did the opposite. 

“But a man named Anani′as with his wife Sapphi′ra sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet” Acts 5:1-2. They planned together to keep some of the money from the sale of their property for themselves and take the rest to the apostles. They would not necessarily say they were giving all of the money they received from the sale; they would just let everyone assume that. 

Peter, discerned their plan and called it lying to the Holy Spirit. He explained that they were under no obligation to sell their property. And even after they sold it, it was not expected of them to give all the money to the Church. But they were expected to be honest. The major sin of Ananias and Sapphira was deceit, hypocrisy and implying a greater spirituality than they actually possessed. Peter said, “You have not lied to men, but to God” - Acts 5:4.

Ananias and Sapphira demonstrated a great togetherness in their deceptive plan. Appearances were more important to them. The need for each partner to come out looking better than the other causes one to hide ones true inner self. Husbands and wives have to be honest with each other and God. They have to encourage one another and pray together. Ananias and Sapphira may have agreed together in their deceitful plan, but they never admitted the sinfulness of it to one another or to God. When a husband and wife become partners in pretence, it will destroy them.

We have to acknowledge our faults for what they are and claim on God’s power to change.

Peter exposed Ananias’ hypocrisy by the insight God gave him. Ananias was buried. Bodies had to be buried quickly in those days and they could not find Sapphira at that moment. Three hours later she came in looking for her husband, oblivious to what had transpired. Peter gave her an opportunity to be honest. “Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?” he asked, quoting the amount which Ananias had brought to him. Sapphira answered, “Yes,that was the price”. And Peter declared that she would experience the same fate which Ananias had suffered.

Hypocrisy is a deliberate effort to deceive. It is easier to hide what is in our heart. We need to commit ourselves totally to Christ and let Him live through us. We need to be what God wants us to be.

While Ananias and Saphira’s fate may sound judgmental and harsh and a question could arise, isn’t the Lord supposed to love everyone? Isn’t His grace open to all? Think about it, Ananias was not given a chance to repent before he was struck down. His wife did not know about his death and when she came looking for him, she was also struck down for participating in the lie.

When Luke speaks to us on judgment he wants us to know that the Spirit at work among God’s people is a HOLY Spirit and God will not be mocked by human sin! 

Peter confronts Ananias in v3-4, “Anani′as, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit ...” And then he continues, “You have not lied to men but to God.” The real crime is not that this man and his wife kept back some of the money. The Holy Spirit-along with the Father and the Son is GOD. Their crime is that they have lied to God, the Holy Spirit while attempting to make themselves look better than they were. It is the sin of hypocrisy.

Hypocrisy is a destructive force within the community of God’s people. Ananias and Sapphira’s motive in giving was not to relieve the poor, but to fatten their own ego.

This message is a warning for us today. We need to be on guard against the work of the devil. 

Apart from God’s grace, we are all the same as Ananias and Sapphira. Acts 5:11 concludes in saying, “And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all who heard of these things.”
To ‘fear the Lord’ is to have the wisdom to know that He is Holy and Sovereign.

Ananias and Sapphira fail because their action was not done for the glory of God but for the glory of themselves.

They were put to death for their actions. The Lord does not treat us as our sins deserve.

Without grace we all deserve death. Grace comes upon those whom God chooses to show mercy. It is the undeserved favour of God shown to us.  

I have heard about two or three times Fr. Alvaro having ended his homily with saying - 

“There, but for the grace of God, go I”.

Written as instructed by the Holy-Spirit.

Thank You, Abba Father. 

Thank You, Jesus. 
Thank You, Holy Spirit.