"But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet." (Acts 5:1–2).

To Ananias

Why did you do it, Ananias? How could you try to lie to God with your donation? You could have kept it all for yourself. You didn't need to give a dime.

But, instead, you wanted to appear to give everything. You admired those who did. Total sacrifice. Complete generosity. You were radical, or so it seemed.

But you lied. You could have kept everything, or given only a portion, but instead, you made it look like you gave it all when you didn't. Why did you do it, Ananias?

But I understand. You wanted to appear to be something admirable, but without actually being the person you projected. You didn't have that level of sacrifice in you, but you wanted people to think you did. And, I wish I didn't have to write this, I understand.

Appearing to Be More Than We Are

The kernel of hypocrisy resides within the wicked flesh of every human being. We want to be thought of as more than we are. Jesus warned us not to do our good works, say our prayers, or practice spiritual disciplines with the motivation of being seen by others (Matthew 6:1-18). He knew. When it comes to spiritual matters, we are often tempted to appear more sanctified than we are.

When Ananias (and his wife, Sapphira) jumped onto the scene in the early days of the church, they were representatives of a long line of spiritual posers. The temptation, the pull, is strong. Jesus is the hero of the story. He is the Christ, the Savior, and Redeemer, but our sinful bodies lust to replace Him. We want to be the hero, at least for a little.

Resist With the Gospel

So we must resist. We were flawed and broken, yet Christ came to rescue and renew. And one significant way we gain victory over the temptation towards hypocrisy is by remembering the redeeming work of Christ, past and present, for He still works to cleanse our lives. He is ever the champion, the only One worthy of praise. When our minds are set on Him, His gospel, His glory, we are better protected against the pull to make it about us.

There's only one Jesus. There are billions of sinners. When we remember which camp we're in, it might help us avoid Ananias' error. Instead, we will give because God first gave to us. And when we cannot give it all, we will state it to be so, knowing only Jesus Christ was capable of complete sacrifice.