Acts of the Apostles, unedited
I've already gotten feedback from a published author on this, and it's not complimentary at all. At all. So, I really want to hear what you honestly think.
Acts of the Apostles
Ananias first saw Sapphira when he was fourteen, shortly after his family moved to Jerusalem. He was with a group of boys his age, she with a few other girls, standing by the well. Her hair was black, and her skin was darker than the norm of the region. Her face was animated as she talked and laughed, her long braids swinging.
So Ananias picked up a stone and threw a well-aimed shot, knocking her bucket down and spilling all the water in it. His friends laughed, the girls shouted angrily back, and two years later Ananias and Sapphira were married.
Their friends declared, after the marriage, that they had never seen a couple so much in love - so entirely wrapped up in each other. It seemed they had forgotten the world outside of themselves. But six days after the marriage, they had a fight of proportions that matched that passion. It ended with Sapphira snatching up her bundle of belongings and stalking out of the house. Ananias went to the doorway to shout after her, and she replied with a stone thrown nearly as well as the one he had thrown at her those years ago - it crushed his fingers where they were resting on the side of the doorway.
Their relatives was horrified, mortified - desperately wondering how they were going to handle the situation, to convince Sapphira of her terrible offense before the affair became too public, too irreversible - but before they could do anything, before the sun even set that day, Sapphira came back herself, crying. She fell down on her knees before him, but he dropped to his to meet her with open, albeit bandaged, hands.
They fought again, not infrequently, and always with great emotion and passion that was matched equally on both sides, though it never quite reached the height of that first unforgettable one. But they always had a spectacular ceremony of forgiveness (which always came before two days had passed) which seemed to leave them more in love than before. Their friends were greatly amused by them. Ananias and Sapphira’s current state of relationship was always found to be a good conversation topic. Their family was a little more scandalized by it - they always wondered how Ananias was not ashamed by how his wife’s pride, how she would counter him, and how the balance between them was so clearly equal. But no one could deny that Ananias and Sapphira were happy.
The absence of children was also a cause of much musing. Whether it was because Sapphira was barren, or because they did not want children, no one ever knew, but as neither of them seemed to be very concerned, it likewise concerned no one else much either, except for perhaps their parents.
They quickly became intensely loyal to each other - no one else was quite able to understand the dynamics of their relationship. Sapphira slapped an older woman who called Ananias lazy and careless. Ananias, with perhaps more dignity, rose and left the house of an important man who held quite a bit of influence, after he suggested Sapphira was willful and improper for a wife of Israel.
That particular incident wasn’t the sole reason they were something of outcasts among Jerusalem society. They had friends, certainly, but even those friends acknowledged them as rather unorthodox. And they were accepted, surely, but not quite welcomed. Not that this really bothered Ananias or Sapphira. They moved for a time to the coast of the Mediterranean, and spent over a decade there before finally returning to Jerusalem - on the occasion of Ananias’ uncle’s death. The generous will left a track of land to Ananias, and while it wasn’t particularly large, it could certainly be invested, which precipitated the move back into the city.
They came back to find themselves not much more well-approved than when they had left. Some might have thought that Sapphira would be more affected by this than Ananias, but in truth it was the other way around. Sapphira had never cared for anyone’s favor - other than Ananias’ - and she held her head high when she went into the marketplace, with the haughty air that earned her so many tsks and dark looks.
Ananias, however, needed a circle of friends more. And so it came to pass that they became acquainted with the Romans of the city - not the soldiers, of course, but the merchants, the supervisors, the magistrates. And Sapphira did not pass the opportunity to make friends with their wives, and so all was well.
There was a bit of unrest in Jerusalem right after they returned: an important man, a prophet, had been put to death, and his followers were viewed (at least by the people Ananias and Sapphira knew) as unstable. Matters were uncertain; the Romans in particular were all on edge. And meanwhile it turned out that life in Jerusalem was more expensive than it once was, while it rained and rained and his field was useless mud. He was assured by other landowners that he could put it to much good use once the weather cleared, and so encouraged, he borrowed some money from a couple of his friends, Callistus and Amadeus, for the time being.
The unrest took a new shape as the weeks passed. The prophet’s followers seemed determined not to let the memory of their leader fade, and to make sure the memory remained in a good light. They were always on some street corner, shouting in a loud voice about Jesus, giving out alms and food to the poor in his name. The Romans could handle this. But, as they always seemed to be of late, the official religious leaders of the city were displeased.
The weather did clear, but Ananias found the land was not as promptly profitable as he had been told. In fact, he found that he didn’t really know how to make the land as useful as it was supposed to be, and he wasn’t used to asking men for help. So he tried this and that while Sapphira took up weaving - for enjoyment, she said, not necessity, and he knew she was telling the truth. If she was doing it because she felt she had to, she would simply tell him. That was her way.
Meanwhile, the old disciples - Ananias’ friends called them “Christians” now, meaning “little Christs,” a mildly mocking term - were gaining a surprising audience, and followers of their own. It was an unexpected revolution in Jerusalem as thousands responded to them. Sapphira didn’t take part. Her companions were now almost exclusively the Romans’ women. But Ananias was still somewhat in touch with Jewish society, and he heard how a man had sold some land and given the proceedings to the Christians, and how they had showered him with so much praise and made sure he never wanted anything. Ananias kept this in mind as his latest attempt to grow a small crop failed, and he heard of a job available as a scribe (he knew Hebrew, Latin, and Greek), and as the interest on his debt grew.
He discussed it with Sapphira one night as she sat by the window, braiding a bracelet - something else she had begun. They were small trinkets she made, pretty and bright, to sell in the market with a few other women.
“I’m considering selling the field,” he told her.
“It took you long enough,” she replied, not looking up or even pausing in her work. He looked at her, feeling slightly wounded. As though she could sense his look, Sapphira continued, “You were never a farmer, Ananias. I was willing to let you find that out, however.”
“I thank you,” he returned. “Well, I’ve looked into that position as a scribe - translator. It’s not bad, not at all.”
“Of course it isn’t. What are you going to do with the field?”
Ananias considered. “It should fetch a good price. I’ll pay what I owe Amadeus and Callistus, and the rest -“ He hesitated, causing Sapphira to stop and look at him with her sharp eyes.
Almost apologetically, he said, “It never hurts to be in good standing with the people here. Especially Jesus’ old disciples. They’re getting quite powerful, you know.”
“I know,” she agreed. “So what do you plan to do?”
“Give the rest to them - to distribute to the poor.” Seeing her raised eyebrows, he continued hurriedly, “There was a man, Joses, who did the same thing, and they take care of him now, so he never goes without. Once I secure my position as a scribe, we won’t need the silver so desperately, and this deed would be an extra sort of insurance against trouble in the future.”
“Well, if that’s what you want to do.” Sapphira’s attention had returned to the bracelet. “Only - if the Christians’ protection is your objective, then I wouldn’t tell them you used part of the money to pay off Romans. Somehow, I doubt they would approve.”
Ananias nodded slowly, impressed once again by her shrewdness.
Not even a week later, the land was out of Ananias’ hands (and into the hands of another relative, as tradition dictated), and he was walking to the headquarters of the apostles, where they could be found most often, with a bag of silver.
~*~
Simon Peter was in a state of exhilaration. The events of the past months had brought him to every extreme of emotion and state of mind. Now Jesus was gone from the world, and by all appearances he had bestowed his power into Peter. Peter had spoken to crowds made of people from the world over, and saw the amazement in every one of their faces as they heard their native language - he had felt the power in his lips and tongue as he spoke; he had watched men with terrible diseases healed as his very shadow passed over them; a man, well into his forties, and all his life a cripple, restored to perfect condition in moments after Peter had simply spoken words to him.
Jesus had left his mark on Simon, as he had left his mark on everyone he had come into contact with for more than a few seconds. One might suppose that Peter, one of the closest disciples, would be all the more changed for his long experience, but in truth Peter was very much the same man who had dropped his net, leaped over the side of the boat, and strode up the shore. Jesus had left his mark, but Simon’s cast of character was indeed petra - three years of companionship with the Son of God didn’t remake him. He had followed Jesus and loved him, somehow caught a glimmer of what he truly was, if only for a moment, earned Jesus’ finest praise and sternest reproof, denied him in the critical hour, and after everything the love was still only phileo.
Now Peter looked down with a cold face toward the man who had just set a bag of money down and was shifting uncomfortably under his gaze. And Peter felt intoxicated - drunk on the authority he felt now, the knowledge he had without being told by anyone.
He got to his feet slowly, keeping his stern gaze on Ananias’ face.
“Ananias,” he boomed, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Was it not yours? And after you sold it, wasn’t the money in your hands? Why did you decide to do this?
“You didn’t lie to men - but to God!”
Ananias started back, looking shocked - he raised a hand to his chest, his mouth opened - he let out a choked, strangled gasp, and crumbled to the floor.
Smothered cries filled the room as people backed away hastily from the body and Peter standing imperiously over him. Behind him, Jude and Matthew motioned for the young men who attended the apostles devoutly. They walked forward with barely any visible reluctance, one carrying a sheet with which they rolled Ananias’ prostrate form in, and with a grunt they carried him out. Peter looked on coldly.
Two hours later, Sapphira looked up from her weaving and squinted at the sun sinking into view in the window. Ananias had said he would return after he visited the Christians, bring her some more flour to make bread for the rest of the week. She went on working, but there was a crease in her forehead, and as practical and un-superstitious as she was, she could not shake a dark feeling in her mind.
After having to stop and re-work what she had just done for the fourth time, Sapphira conceded defeat. She set down her work, arose, and left the house - first visiting Amadeus and Callistus, who greeted her as politely as ever, and yes, Ananias had stopped by to pay off the loan, good man that he was, but that was near four hours ago. So she bid them good day and departed, now stalking down the street in annoyance both at Ananias and herself. It wasn’t long before she arrived at Matthew’s house - the meeting place of the Christians.
It was already growing dim in the room when she walked in. There were about a dozen people on either side of the room, strangely subdued and watching her as she entered. Three of the original disciples were toward the back of the room. She sensed something - it reminded her of when she was a girl, and all her friends knew something she didn’t. Sapphira looked around with narrowed eyes, then to the apostles, who definitely seemed hostile.
Sapphira lifted her head and straightened her shoulders. “Is my husband here? Is Ananias here?”
Simon Peter advanced, dislike at her outspokenness thinly veiled. He nudged Ananias’s moneybag with his foot, so it overturned and the money spilt out. Sapphira’s brow darkened.
“Is this the price of the land you sold?” Peter asked.
She stared him in the eye without showing a sign of having heard his question. “Where is Ananias?”
He repeated, speaking slowly and icily, “Is this the price of the land?”
Sapphira flung her head back and folded her arms, much as though she were an arrogant ruler, and prepared to stare Peter down.
The obstinacy was very much equally matched, and they might have gone back and forth for hours without either getting their question answered, had not someone else intervened.
“Your husband left here,” Jude spoke up from behind Peter. “But if you would please favor us with an answer to Peter’s question….”
“Tell me,” Peter said, quite softly now, “whether you sold the land for this much?”
Sapphira looked briefly at the money on the floor, and knew that they knew that was not all of it. The loyalty instilled in her over the many years flared in her face now, and she replied, looking Peter back in the eye, “Yes - for that much.”
A triumphant look flashed over Peter’s face, and he stepped forward again. His voice was loud for all to hear, each sentence enunciated. “Why did you agree together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold -“ He pointed at the men who served him - “the feet of those who buried your husband, will carry you out as well!”
At his words, Sapphira’s eyes widened, and her lips parted and turned white. That was all the signs of surprise she gave. Then without warning, she dropped straight down. Her husband had fallen with a crash, but hers was a noiseless, almost gentle tumble to the floor. Her skull hitting the floor made the most noise, and at it several people screamed as they had not done when Ananias died, and ran out the doors.
Without being told, the young men walked forward and silently carried her out.
Power corrupts, but absolute power is kind of neat.
- Lord Acton, Version 2.0
To know: petra is Greek for "rock." Jesus once told Peter that he was Peter, upon whom Jesus would build his church. Phileo is one of the four words in Greek for love - it means brotherly love, as opposed to agape, which is great, unconditional love.