Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God." – Acts 5:4

Today's Scripture Reading (January 16, 2021): Acts 5

One of our governments' gifts is that they often allow us to make donations to various charities and religious organizations, and in return, they give us a break on our tax bill. The gift enables generous people to contribute to further a cause or a ministry and have the government treat that money as if it had never been earned. I am thankful for this blessing that the governments have given to us.

But the system can be open to abuses. There have been moments where people have donated old furniture to help those in need and have wanted to be receipted for the donation as if the equipment was "like new." They want to "game" the system. The truth is that over the years of taking these kinds of donations, I would rather not take the gift than to feel pressure to cheat the system. I do not believe that this kind of dishonesty furthers the Christian message; in fact, most of the time, I refuse "in kind" gifts. If you buy something for the church and give me the receipt, I will gladly provide you with credit for the receipted amount, but that is it. I am thankful for the system within which I work, and I have no appetite to cheat the system.  

Sometimes, I think we read Ananias and Sapphira's story and hear a message that God demands our money. I have listened to the text as it was used in building programs. You spend the money you have on Motor Homes and luxuries for yourself while allowing the church not to be advanced as maybe it should if you would only give that money to the church. Remember the story of Ananias and Sapphira.

But that is not the story, and Peter makes that clear. The growing Christian Church had demanded nothing from you. You volunteered to give to the church, to assist the church to minister the needs of the less fortunate who live among us. Ananias and Sapphira's sin was that they had told the church that they gave more than was actually donated to the cause.

Ananias and Sapphira wanted the prestige of being a significant donor without actually giving the total amount. I have walked down hospital corridors and read the list of names of the major donors who had donated money, making the hospital's construction or wing possible. And often, these are broken down into groups according to the size of the gift. The sin of Ananias and Sapphira might be similar to making a deal with the hospital, saying, "I will donate half a million dollars. But I want my name listed with the ones who donated more than a million dollars." Or even more seriously, "I will donate five hundred dollars to help the poor, but I want my tax receipt to reflect that I gave twice that."

Peter makes it clear that the problem is not the amount; it is the lie. And if there is a time that we need to remember the story of Ananias and Sapphira, it might be when we are tempted to use charitable giving as a way to cheat on our taxes.

 Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Acts 6