Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“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!”
NL Daily Devotion for Thursday, April 18, 2024
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
This is a wild story. It would be easy to look at what happened to Ananias and Sapphira and conclude that Peter was somehow coercing wealth from the early Christians—it feels distinctly cult-like, to be honest. But I find a little more nuance in this particular verse (4). Peter isn’t calling Ananias and Sapphira out for keeping back a portion of their wealth, but for lying about it. He says here, basically, “No one was preventing you from benefitting from this wealth, so why lie about it?” The issue wasn’t the money at all, but the willingness to be fully honest with the community. Entering into a life of faith is not a casual undertaking, though I suspect most people see it as such. It’s not about being part of a social group. It’s about giving our entire lives to God, turning over absolutely everything to God’s care. This is a deeply personal thing, yes, but insofar as we choose to participate in a Christian community, it is also a public thing. If we are to be honest with ourselves and with God, we need also be honest in our dealings with our fellows. When we deal dishonestly with anyone for any reason, it undermines our sense of integrity, which inevitably erodes our self-worth until we find ourselves running from God like Jonah to Tarshish.
Not that God will strike us down for not pledging enough to the capital campaign! But, again, I don’t think that’s what this strange story is about.
When has my honestly (or lack thereof) with others been at odds with my self-honesty or honesty with God?
