Homilies on Acts, Homily 12

And Joses, who was also called Barnabas by the Apostles (which, translated, means The son of consolation), a Levite and a native of Cyprus, having land, sold it, brought the money, and laid it at the Apostles’ feet.” The writer is now about to tell the story of Ananias and Sapphira, and to show that the man’s sin was of the worst kind, he first mentions the one who did the virtuous deed. This shows that, although there was such a great multitude all doing the same thing, so much grace, and such great miracles, this man learned nothing from any of these, but, blinded by greed, brought destruction on his own head. “Having land”—meaning that this was all he owned—“sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the Apostles’ feet. But a certain man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a possession and kept back part of the price, his wife also knowing about it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the Apostles’ feet.” (ch. v. 1, 2.) What made it worse was that the sin was planned together, and no one else saw what was done. How did it ever enter the mind of this miserable wretch to commit this crime? “But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the price of the land?” (v. 3.) Notice that even in this a great miracle was performed, far greater than the earlier one. “While it remained,” he says, “wasn’t it your own? And after it was sold, wasn’t it in your own power?” (v. 4.) That is, “Was there any obligation or force? Do we compel you against your will?” “Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God. And Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last.” (v. 5.) This miracle is greater than that of the lame man, both because of the death inflicted and because of the knowledge of what was in the thoughts of the heart, even what was done in secret. “And great fear came on all who heard these things. And the young men got up, wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him. And about three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter answered her, Tell me, did you sell the land for so much?” (v. 6–8.) He wanted to save the woman, since the man had been the author of the sin; so he gives her time to clear herself and an opportunity to repent, saying, “Tell me, did you sell the land for so much? And she said, Yes, for so much. Then Peter said to her, How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Holy Spirit? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out. Then she immediately fell down at his feet and breathed her last; and the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, they buried her beside her husband. And great fear came on the whole Church, and on all who heard these things.” (v. 9–11.) After this fear had come on them, more miracles were worked, both by Peter and by the rest: “And by the hands of the Apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch. And of the rest no one dared to join them,” that is, the Apostles; “but the people held them in high esteem,” that is, the Jewish people. If “no one dared to join them,” the Apostles, “there were,” however, “all the more added to the Lord, believers, multitudes of both men and women, so that they carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and beds, so that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them.” (v. 12–15.) For Peter was the wonderful one, the one they paid more attention to, both because of his public speeches—the first, the second, and the third—and because of the miracle; for he was the one who worked the miracle, the first, the second, the third; and the present miracle was twofold: first, exposing the thoughts of the heart, and next, inflicting death at his word of command. “So that at least the shadow of Peter passing by,” etc. This had not happened in the history of Christ; but see here what He had told them actually coming to pass: that “those who believe in Me, the works that I do they will do also; and greater works than these they will do.” (John xiv. 12.) “A multitude also came out of the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were troubled by unclean spirits; and every one of them was healed.” (v. 16.) And now I want you to notice how their whole life is woven together. First there was dejection because Christ had been taken from them, and then came joy because of the Spirit descending on them; again, dejection because of the scoffers, and then joy at the outcome of their own defense. And here again we find both dejection and gladness. Because they had become prominent, and God gave them revelations, there was gladness; because they had cut off some of their own company, there was sadness. Once more: again there is gladness at their success, and again sadness because of the High Priest. And you will see that this is the case throughout. And the same will be found to hold true of the ancient saints as well.—But let us look over again what has been said. “They sold them,” it says, “and brought the proceeds, and laid them at the Apostles’ feet.” (Recapitulation. iv. 34–37.) See, my beloved brothers, how, instead of leaving it to the Apostles to sell, they sold things themselves and presented the proceeds to them. “But a certain man named Ananias,” etc. (v. 1.) This story applies to Bishops too, and very forcefully. And Ananias’s wife knew about what was done; that is why he questions her. But perhaps someone will say that he dealt very harshly with her. What do you mean? What harshness? If a man is to be stoned for gathering sticks, much more should he be for sacrilege; for this money had become sacred. Anyone who has chosen to sell his goods and distribute them, and then withdraws them, is guilty of sacrilege. But if someone who takes back from what is his own is sacrilegious, much more is someone who takes from what is not his own. And do not think that because the consequence is not the same now, the crime will go unpunished. Do you see that this is the charge brought against Ananias: that after making the money sacred, he later hid it away? Couldn’t you, Peter said, after selling your land, have used the proceeds as your own? Were you forbidden? Why, then, do this after you had promised it? See how the devil made his attack at the very beginning; in the very midst of such signs and wonders, how hardened this man was! Something of the same kind had happened once in the Old Testament. The son of Carmi coveted the devoted thing; for notice there too what vengeance follows the sin. Sacrilege, beloved, is a very serious crime, insulting and full of contempt. We neither forced you to sell, the Apostle says, nor to give your money once you had sold; you did it of your own free choice; why then have you stolen from the sacred treasury? “Why,” he says, “has Satan filled your heart?” (v. 3.) Well, if Satan did it, why is the man held guilty? Because he let the devil’s influence in and was filled with it. You will say they should have corrected him. But he would not have accepted correction; for anyone who has seen such things as he had seen and is none the better for them would certainly be none the better for anything else that could be done. The matter was not one to simply pass over: like gangrene, it had to be cut out, so that it would not infect the rest of the body. As it is, the man himself benefits, in that he is not left to go further in wickedness, and the rest benefit, in that they are made more earnest; otherwise the opposite would have happened. Next, Peter proves him guilty and shows that the deed was not hidden from him, and then pronounces the sentence. But why, for what purpose, have you done this? Did you want to keep it? You should have kept it all along, and never professed to give it. This sacrilege, beloved, is a serious one. Another man may have coveted what was not his own; but it was up to you to keep what was your own. Why then did you first make it sacred, and then take it? You have done this out of extreme contempt. The deed cannot be pardoned; there is no defense for it.—So let it not be a stumbling block to anyone if there are sacrilegious people today too. If there were such people then, much more are there now, when evils are many. But let us “rebuke them before all, so that others also may fear.” (1 Tim. v. 20.) Judas was sacrilegious, but that was no stumbling block to the disciples. Do you see how many evils spring from the love of money? “And great fear,” it says, “came on all who heard these things.” (v. 5.) That man was punished, and others benefited from it. Not without reason. And yet signs had been worked before: true, but there was not such a sense of fear. So true is the saying, “The Lord is known by executing judgments.” (Ps. ix. 16.) The same thing had happened in the case of the Ark: Uzzah was punished and fear came on the rest. (2 Sam. vi. 7.) But in that instance the king, out of fear, sent the Ark away from himself; here, by contrast, the disciples became more earnestly attentive. [“And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in,” etc.] (v. 7.) But notice how Peter, instead of sending for her, waited until she came in; and how none of the others dared to carry the news out. Such was the teacher’s awe-inspiring authority, such the disciples’ reverence, such their obedience! “An interval of three hours”—and yet the woman did not hear of it, and none of those present reported it, although there was time enough for it to spread; but they were afraid. The Evangelist even tells this with wonder when he says, “Not knowing what had happened, she came in.” “And Peter answered her,” etc. (v. 8.) And yet she might have realized even from this that Peter knew the secret. For why, having questioned no one else, does he question you? Wasn’t it clear that he asked because he knew? But her hardness was so great that it would not let her try to escape the guilt; and she replied with great confidence, for she thought she was speaking only to a man. What made the sin worse was that they committed it as if with one soul, just as if by a settled agreement between them. “How is it that you have agreed together,” he said, “to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door.” (v. 9.) First he makes her recognize the sin, and then shows that she will justly suffer the same punishment as her husband, since she has committed the same wickedness: “And they will carry you out. And she immediately fell down at his feet,” for she was standing near him, “and breathed her last.” (v. 10.) So completely had they brought the vengeance on themselves by their own act! After that, who would not be struck with awe? Who would not fear the Apostle? Who would not marvel? Who would not be afraid? “And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch” (v. 12)—no longer in a house, but having taken over the very Temple, they spent their time there! They no longer guarded themselves against touching the unclean; on the contrary, they handled the dead without scruple. And notice how, while they are severe with their own people, they do not exercise their power against outsiders. “But the people,” he says, “held them in high esteem.” (v. 13.) And since he had mentioned their being “in Solomon’s porch,” so that you would not wonder how the multitude allowed this, he tells us that they did not dare even to approach them: for “no one,” he says, “dared to join them.” “But believers were all the more added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and cots, so that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them.” (v. 14, 15.) Great faith, surpassing what had been shown in the case of Christ. How does this come about? Because Christ declared: “And greater works than these he will do, because I am going to My Father.” (John xiv. 12.) And the people do these things while the Apostles stay there and do not move about from place to place; also, from other places they were all bringing [their sick] on beds and cots; and from every side new admiration came to them: from those who believed, from those who were healed, from the one who was punished; from their boldness of speech toward those (their adversaries), from the virtuous behavior of the believers; for certainly the effect produced was not due to the miracles alone. For although the Apostles themselves modestly attribute it all to this cause, declaring that they did these things in the name of Christ, at the same time the life and noble conduct of the men helped produce this effect. “And believers were all the more added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.” Notice how he no longer gives the number of those who believe; at such a rate was the faith advancing, even to an immense multitude, and so widely was the Resurrection proclaimed. So then “the people held them in high esteem”; but they were no longer to be lightly despised, as they once had been; for in a brief moment, at a single turn of the scale, such were the effects produced by the fisherman and the tax collector! Earth had become a heaven—in way of life, in boldness of speech, in wonders, in everything else; people looked on them with wonder, as if they were Angels; they were completely unconcerned about ridicule, threats, and dangers; they were compassionate and generous; some they helped with money, some with words, and some by healing their bodies and their souls; there was no kind of healing (πἅν εἶδος ἰατρείας) that they did not accomplish. Peter all but pleads his own case when he is about to inflict the punishment, and at the same time teaches the rest a lesson. Because the act would seem extremely stern, that is why he takes such pains in the case. With the woman, too, the judicial process was terrible. But see how many evils grow out of the sacrilege: greed, contempt of God, impiety; and on these grounds too he pleaded his case before the assembly, since he did not proceed to punishment immediately, but first exposed the sin. No one groaned, no one lamented; all were terrified. For as their faith increased, the signs also multiplied, and great was the fear among their own company: for things from outside do not war (πολεμεἵ) against our peace as much as the acts of our own people do. If we are firmly joined together, no warfare will be hard; the real harm would be in being divided and broken apart. Now they went about in public; they boldly took on even the marketplace, and in the midst of enemies they prevailed, and that saying was fulfilled, “Be Ruler in the midst of Your enemies.” (Ps. cx. 2.) This was a greater miracle: that they, though arrested and thrown into prison, did such things as these! If those who lied suffered such things, what will the perjured not suffer? Because she simply affirmed, “Yes, for so much,” you see what she suffered. Think about it, then: those who swear and swear falsely—what do they deserve? Today it is timely to show you the seriousness of perjury from the Old Testament too. “There was,” it says, “a flying sickle, ten cubits wide.” (Zech. v. 2.) The word “flying” signifies the swift arrival of the vengeance that pursues oaths; its being many cubits in length and breadth signifies the force and magnitude of the woes; its coming flying “from heaven” shows that the vengeance comes from the judgment seat on high; its being in the form of a sickle shows that the doom cannot be escaped: for just as a sickle, once it falls and hooks around the neck, is not drawn back by itself alone, but with the head cut off along with it, so the vengeance that comes on those who swear is severe, and will not stop until it has completed its work. But if we swear and escape, let us not be confident; this only means more woe for us. For what do you think? How many since Ananias and Sapphira have dared to do the same thing they did? Then how is it, you say, that they have not met the same fate? Not because it was permitted in their case, but because they are being reserved for a greater punishment. For those who sin often and are not punished have more reason to fear and dread than if they were punished. For their present impunity and God’s patience increase the vengeance in store for them. So let us not look at the fact that we are not punished; let us consider whether we have sinned: if we sin and are not punished, we have all the more reason to tremble. Tell me, if you have a slave, and you only threaten him and do not beat him, when is he most afraid, when is he most inclined to run away? Isn’t it when you only threaten him? That is why we advise one another not to threaten constantly: so that we do not shake the soul even more with terror, so that we do not tear him apart worse than blows do. For in the one case the punishment is momentary, but in the other it is perpetual. So if no one feels the stroke of the sickle, do not look at that; rather, let each person consider whether he commits such sins. Many things are done now like those done before the Flood, yet no flood has been sent, because a hell is threatened, and vengeance. Many sin as the people in Sodom did, yet no rain of fire has poured down, because a river of fire is prepared. Many go as far as Pharaoh did, yet they have not fared like Pharaoh; they have not been drowned in a Red Sea: for the sea awaiting them is the sea of the bottomless pit, where the punishment does not come with loss of feeling, where there is no suffocation to end it all, but they are consumed there in endlessly prolonged torture, in burning, in strangling. Many have offended like the Israelites, yet no serpents have devoured them: the worm that never dies awaits them. Many have been like Gehazi, yet they have not been struck with leprosy: for instead of leprosy, what remains for them is to be cut in two and counted among the hypocrites. Many have both sworn and sworn falsely; but if they have indeed escaped, let us not be confident: the gnashing of teeth awaits them. Indeed, here too they will suffer many terrible woes, though perhaps not immediately, but after further transgressions, so that the vengeance may be greater; for even we often start out with small sins, and then lose everything through great offenses. So when you see something happening to you, call to mind that particular sin of yours. The sons of Jacob are an example of this. Remember Joseph’s brothers: they had sold their brother, they had even tried to kill him; in fact, they had killed him as far as their intention went; they had deceived and grieved the old man; yet they suffered nothing. After many years they are brought into extreme danger, and now they are reminded of this sin of theirs. This circumstance is brought in very wisely. Hear what they say: “We are truly guilty concerning our brother.” (Gen. xlii. 21.) In the same way, when anything happens, you too should say: We are truly guilty, because we have not obeyed Christ; because we have sworn; my constant swearing and my false swearing have come down on my own head. So confess, since they too confessed, and were saved. For what if the punishment does not follow immediately? Ahab, too, after his sin in the matter of Naboth, did not immediately suffer the vengeance that he nevertheless suffered in the end. (1 Kings xxi. 19.) And what is the reason for this? God gives you a time in which to wash yourself clean; but if you persist, in the end He will send down the vengeance. You have seen the fate of liars. Consider the fate of those who swear falsely; consider it, and stop. It is impossible for someone who swears not to swear falsely, whether he wants to or not; and no perjurer can be saved. One false oath is enough to finish everything, to bring down on us the full measure of vengeance. So let us take heed to ourselves, so that we may escape the punishment due for this offense and be counted worthy of the loving kindness of God, through the grace and mercies of His only-begotten Son, with Whom, to the Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, and honor, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.