A man, wanting to rob a San Francisco Bank of America, walked into the branch and wrote "this iz a stikkup. put all your muny in this bag." While standing in line, waiting to give his note to the teller, he worried someone had seen him write the note and might call the police before he reached the teller window. So he left the Bank of America and crossed the street to Wells Fargo. After waiting a few minutes in line, he handed his note to the Wells Fargo teller. She read it and, surmising from his spelling errors that his wheel was spinning, but the hamster was dead, told him that she could not accept his stickup note because it was written on a Bank of America deposit slip and that he would either have to fill out a Wells Fargo deposit slip or go back to Bank of America. Looking somewhat defeated, the man said, "OK," and left. The Wells Fargo teller then called the police, who arrested the man a few minutes later, as he was waiting in line back at Bank of America. It doesn't take the brightest bulb in the chandelier to be a thief. In fact, it would seem that sometimes stupidity is a requirement to be a thief. Consider the man who walked into a bank, handed the teller a note demanding money. When he arrived home, he found the police waiting for him. It seems that this erstwhile bank robber had written the robbery note on his own deposit slip. ("What's Yours is Mine...", Charles Mims 11/15/98) But not all thieves are dumb. One family received an anonymous gift of football tickets. They thought, "It’s probably someone we know who wanted to surprise us." They though the people who had sent the tickets would be sitting beside them but they weren’t. So they enjoyed the game and still couldn’t figure it out who would be so kind. When they got home they found that the house was ransacked. Theft is a serious crime A study by the University of Florida estimates that one out of twelve customers in a store is a shoplifter, and the latest estimate is that each American consumer pays around $400 a year to cover the cost of those losses. The US Commerce Department reports that over 4 million people are caught shoplifting every year, and for every person caught 35 go undetected. This means that over 140 million shoplifting incidents occur in our nation each year. What is interesting is that according to another study, very few shoplifters steal out of need; 70% are in the middle income bracket and 20% even had high incomes. Insurance companies say that 30% of all business failures each year are a direct result of internal theft: fraud, embezzlement, and so on. If we were all really honest today, most of us would have to admit that at some time in our lives, probably in our far distant past of course, way back when we were but youths, there may have been one time, in our faintest recollection, one time when we took, oh, a few grapes from the produce section. I read of a little boy in California who stood in front of a fruit stand cramming grapes into his mouth as fast as he could. The clerk, who was standing nearby, was frustrated, not knowing what to do as the little boy jammed his mouth with grapes. Finally, the boy's mother came back and offered her son reproof, saying, "Johnny, don't eat so fast." We all have something lurking inside us that is fascinated with the idea of getting something for nothing. While we may not commit armed robbery, we have all wrestled with taking that which is not ours. In the Eighth Commandment God addresses that propensity to steal in all of us.
These commands are related. The Sixth is a violation of the image of God, the Seventh is a violation of family, the Eighth is a violation of property. Another way to look at this is to see that the Sixth is theft of life, the Seventh is theft of purity, the Eighth is theft of goods and possessions. Taking that which is forbidden is commonplace not only in our world, but it has since the world began. It was the first sin when Adam and Eve stole the forbidden fruit. It was the first sin in Canaan as Achan stole forbidden booty. It was the first sin in the Church when Ananias and Sapphira sought to steal forbidden glory and recognition by holding back what they claimed to give. But just like all of the Commandments we have studied so far, there is much more underlying this Commandment than we may think at first glance. What is at stake here is learning how to handle property properly. The Principle of Private Property Principle of Creation When we examine God’s Law we are always taken back to the opening chapters of Genesis. God's laws are ultimately rooted in the creation. Sabbath rest is commanded because of God’s rest; murder is condemned because of God's image; adultery is forbidden because of the institution of marriage. Likewise, theft is wrong because it violates creation. It is wrong because matter matters and that matter, the stuff we have, what we call private property, ultimately comes from God. The prohibition against theft rests first on the principle of God's sovereignty over all that He has created. Ownership is never ultimate, but derives from God's kind permission. We have what we have because God has given it to us. For this reason, there is also the: Principle of Stewardship In Genesis 1:28-29 God has made everything good and then gives it to Adam to tend. What we possess, we have not by mere chance, nor by our creation of something out of nothing, not by the benevolence of others, but ultimately from God. So when we discuss the idea of private property, we do not imply that the full ownership resides within the individual, but we are managers entrusted with God’s creation; we are responsible for that which we possess. Given that, theft is an attack on the dignity of human beings and their work. God dignifies human beings by giving them work to do, from which they can expect to receive some of the fruits of their labor. This is central to God's intention for humankind (Genesis 2:15). Principle of work Since you and I are made to be stewards of God’s creation, since we are responsible for how we handle this earth and what we produce in it, there is an importance to work. We were put here to be creative, bearing God’s image; we are to produce and create. This is assumed in the Fourth Commandment. Recall that the command to rest and worship begins by stating that you shall labor six days. Work and repeating the benefits of one’s labor is not an invention of capitalism and a free market economic philosophy. Rather our right to this flows from creation, from stewardship of that creation and the goodness of work. This understanding is seen as well in the New Testament when Paul states in 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15: "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ""If a man will not work, he shall not eat.'' We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right. If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother." Theft violates these principles by one taking what does not belong to him. To take what you did not earn denies the value of creation; it defies our personal responsibility to be a good steward and defrauds another of what they worked for. So what are some ways we plunder property? The Pattern of Plundering Property We plunder by depriving government of its taxes It is easy to think that fudging on income taxes is such an American custom that to be honest would be unpatriotic. Accountants may use the euphemism "aggressive" to describe the shady activity of inaccurate reporting, but we must not cast our lot with the ethically challenged by thinking that we can play fast and loose, since it is the government we are cheating, not a person. While we are to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, there is a pattern in Scripture which would be good if human governments would follow. When government excessively taxes its people, that is a form of government theft. When you support government policy that seeks to tax excessively either the rich or the poor, you are encouraging theft, too. We plunder by deceptive debt Certainly when we default on loans, we’ve taken from another without proper payment. But even before that point we must be very careful how we use debt. Certainly when it comes to major purchases, debt will be incurred such as for a house, an education or perhaps a car. But can you demonstrate the ability to reasonably make payment on the money borrowed? When we borrow more than we can repay, we are deceiving others and ourselves as to the means we have. The deception of debt gives the allusion that we are stewards of far more than God has given us. Just because the bank will loan you the money does not mean you should participate in their usury. 70% of people who file bankruptcy decide not to repay any of their debts. Instead they elect to rid themselves of all their obligations under bankruptcy laws. The same article where we see that said that 1% of all households will file for bankruptcy this year! We know further that the filing of bankruptcy, as well as the amount of indebtedness, especially credit card debt, is very much on the increase. We plunder by dawdling at work This is another place we often are guilty. Certainly the taking of office supplies is wrong, but when we are being paid for a job we do half-heartedly, we are wrong. If you come late and leave early, chat with other employees, surf the web rather than being productive, call in sick when you are healthy enough to work, that is theft. In the book The Day America Told the Truth it was reported that Americans goof off 20% of the time at work. Only one out of four give their best in their jobs. Colossians 3:22-24 reminds us who our true boss really is. Certainly theft is not just one-sided. Employers can steal from employees by withholding a decent wage, being unreasonable with demands, or producing fraudulent merchandise, passing it off as something more valuable than what it is. Several years ago pro basketball player Chris Webber severed ties with NIKE because they refused to lower the price of the basketball shoe that they named after Webber. The shoes, priced at $140 actually only cost NIKE $5 to make in foreign manufacturing markets. Webber said that he, "didn't like Nike’s idea to target inner city youths in an attempt to initiate buying trends that could spread to the suburbs." He felt that the welfare of the children was more important than profit, and to charge this much was in essence "highway robbery." We plunder by defrauding another’s ownership We defraud through academic theft If you are a student, you are not permitted to borrow another’s answers during a test. It is stealing to use another’s work as your own. Plagiarize in Latin means kidnapping. So plagiarizing is kidnapping a paragraph and pressing it into service as your own. With the Internet this is increasingly easy to do. When I search for other sermons on the web I notice how often sermons have the exact same material as others. Most cite their source in footnotes; many do not. It was interesting how many stole to write sermons on stealing! (Much of this list adapted from Rev. Min Chung, "You Shall Not Steal" 4/9/99) We defraud through copyright theft Is what is on your computer really yours or did a friend give you an illegally copied disk? Is the music you have music you’ve paid for? Another person’s livelihood is made on that music and while you may decry the $16 for the five-cent CD, you should not justify taking what is not yours. We defraud when we borrow but do not return You may have acquired something without the use of force or intimidation, but still it was not given as a gift – you simply borrowed an item and have failed to return it to its rightful owner. So often we simply omit to return; we did not plan to steal the CD, book, tool, etc. from the person. We just forgot. The last time we looked at stealing when we were in Ephesians, I suddenly received an influx of borrowed books and tapes. But you need not squirm, thinking that I’m thinking of specific things. We defraud God in the tithe Our giving to God flows from an understanding about what we have. Our giving is a form of worship in which we return to Him just a portion of what He has given to us. It is a reminder that what we possess we’ve been given. We are not the Creator; He is. We give as a recognition that we have been given more than we deserve. In Malachi 3:8 God is up front with His complaint against His people. He calls them robbers, to which they respond: "How have we robbed you?" There is some incredulity in their question. They no doubt were a respectable bunch, not given to larceny or swindling little old ladies. What is more, how does one steal from God? The answer is clear: in tithes and offerings. It was understood in the Old Testament that the people would give one-tenth of what they grew or raised in order to support the Tribe of Levi. God challenges the people in verse 10: If you acknowledge God’s ultimate ownership of all creation, that it is He who has made you stewards of this world, if you give back to Him, He will pour out blessings on you. There is a promise here we are often too afraid to even begin to believe. You may believe you can’t afford to give to God to support the work of His Kingdom, that at the end of the month there just is not enough. What if I offered to make up what you lack? Would you try it for one month? That doesn’t sound like a bad offer. But if you would take me up on it, why won’t you take God at His word? As I’ve said before, I want to walk very cautiously at this stage of Cornerstone’s growth. As we look toward buying property and erecting a building, it can become all too tempting to put the screws to you, induce a bit of guilt so that you give. Pray that your Session doesn’t do that. But having said that, I want to see in us what Paul described in 2 Corinthians 9:6-11. It is thrilling to see how well you give. Keep it up. We have spent time looking at the negative nature of this command, but we need to remember that there is a positive aspect as well. Not only are we forbidden to steal, we are commanded to give. Paul makes this point in Ephesians 4:28 when he instructs the thief to become generous. We are to look out for those in need. This is not the job for Federal programs. This is not the responsibility of large agencies. This is to be our lifestyle. The goal of God’s Law is love. So we need not only to set aside cunning we call prudence, but also seek the good of others with the resources God has given us. The Payment for the Plundering of Property Payment prescribed is when property is plundered The Old Testament law handles robbery differently than other crimes. The thief is not killed; he is not to have his hands cut off, nor is he jailed. Rather he's to make restitution. But he is not just to settle the score, to pay back what is taken; he is to pay double, so that he suffers a loss and not just break even. If his guilty conscience gets the best of him and he later returns it, he is still to add one-fifth to the value - like paying interest on a loan you forget to repay. But, if the man who had robbed another could not repay, the only thing left to do was that the man became a slave until the debt was paid off through his labor. No matter what, the debt had to be paid. In our modern system, justice is rarely satisfying to the victim. That is due, at least in part, to the fact that we have lost the relational character of justice. It is justice between neighbors, not merely the satisfaction of economic claims, that the Bible commands. Biblical justice sought to bring the victim and the criminal into close proximity, face-to-face, so the relationship could be restored. The goal was to mend broken relationships in society. The principle involved here ought to make us rethink some of our legal approaches and attempt to bring the parties involved into closer proximity, bringing a sense of satisfaction to the victim as well as to the criminal. The thief must also sense, at the end of the day, that he has made restitution, so that he may go on with his life. And there must be some ethical connection between violating the rights of another person and the punishment that is inflicted. After all, the thief does not owe the State satisfaction, but the injured party. The State is there, not to preserve its own rights or authority, but to use its authority to enforce justice on behalf of the parties involved. (Horton, Law of Perfect Freedom, 200) Having said that the payment for plundering another’s property is to repay, we must remember that restitution is a corrective, but not a cure for the crime of stealing. The answer to our sin is not just to do the right thing, but to do the right thing we because we are declared right by God. Payment provided for us who have taken what is not ours. When we stand before God’s Law we should never walk away believing we’ve met its demands. But neither should we only be crushed under its weight without hearing that the answer to the Law is not do better, but it is done for us. A thief remains a thief unless his record is cleared. A robber who hasn’t stolen for a while is only a lazy thief. You and I have tarnished records. We need forgiveness. In Luke 19 Jesus invites himself to the home of a government pirate, Zacchaeus. As a chief tax collector, he was a legal extortionist of the Jews under Rome’s thumb. When Jesus went to his house, the people muttered. Unthinkable for God to associate with the likes of him. But God’s grace and mercy did not escape Zacchaeus’s attention. In response to God’s coming to seek and save him, he gave not a tenth, but half; he paid back not 120% what he stole, but 400%. What he did was not to make God forgive him, but because God forgave him.Has salvation come into your home? Your life? The home of a thief, a lawbreaker? Has the One who was hung on a Cross between two thieves, taking on the sin of thieves like us declared you forgiven? If so, you have the wonderful opportunity to respond by giving to Him. |
