Sabbath, May 31 – Acts 4, 5

1. Why did people gather to listen to Peter and John? Why were the religious leaders annoyed? And why did they arrest Peter and John? Acts 4:1-3

2. Where else in Scripture do we see Jesus referred to as “the stone which the builders rejected”, and what is this connotation? Psalms 118:22, 23

3. Why did Ananias and Sapphira donate the money they gained from a property sale? Acts 4:34, 35

4. Why would many not dare join the church, though they held it in high esteem? Acts 5:12, 13

5. Who was Gamaliel, and what can be learned from his wise counsel? Acts 5:34

The disciples were now apostles who had been filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. They preached the Good News of Jesus with boldness and power, healed the sick, and exhorted all, including the religious leaders, to repent and accept Christ as their God. This caused thousands to join the church early on, and in one of those frenzies in which Peter healed a lame beggar, he made sure to make the best of the opportunity and began to preach to what must’ve been a decent-sized crowd.

Of course, this caused the religious leaders to become “greatly annoyed”. How is it that they could become so ignorant? “The builders” were supposed to be the most well-versed in Scripture and the spiritual leaders of Israel. And yet, they were probably the ones who were the most blind. Why? Because they rejected Jesus.

The religious leaders held not only religious authority but also political power. And yet, they were losing their grip. The floor was slipping away from beneath them. Yet, it was they who were being imprisoned, persecuted, threatened, abused, and eventually, even killed, who held true power. Many were healed. Thousands were added to the church in a matter of days. The systems of this world, of economy, turned on their head. The believers in God’s Kingdom shared everything, no longer lived for self, but for each other, and most importantly, with a view of the Kingdom of God!

The more it was persecuted, the more it grew in fervent prayer, the more the church flourished. Why? Simply because it is the foolishest of endeavors to be found opposing God and the most common sense and assured investment to buy into His Kingdom.

Speaking of investments, we see that in sharing everything, those with properties and means donated their wealth to help the poor and advance the Kingdom. Acts 5 tells us of a couple who also decided to invest in the Kingdom. However, their story ends tragically. It can be easy for us to judge them. But haven’t we been tempted similarly before? I imagine that Ananias and Sapphira had good intentions. But the temptation became too strong for them once they held the cash in their hands.

Good intentions are insufficient to keep us aligned with God and His Kingdom. Lust and impure motives will crush good intentions all day long. Impure motives because Ananias and Sapphira could’ve probably just declared the honest amount of their donation. But that wouldn’t have given them the full prestige of piety.

In contrast between Peter and John and Ananias and Sapphira, we see the clear difference between Kingdom values versus this world’s values. While Peter and John, together with the rest of Jesus’ faithful followers, were willing to risk it all, even their own lives, for the sake of the Gospel and the Kingdom of God, Ananias and Sapphira, who were sympathetic towards the movement and even desired to be a part of it, held just a little back for themselves. Selflessness versus selfishness. Total abandon versus self-preservation.

Which Kingdom do we belong to? Again, good intentions can do nothing for us if we try to please God in our own strength. Like Peter and John, we need an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Pray with me: Lord, I repent of my sinful human nature and permit you to pour your Spirit upon me. Make me more like you. More selfless. Abandoned. More true. That I may rely on and trust fully in you. That my life’s desire may be for you and your Kingdom only.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.