“Law & Order: SPU - Doing Something Useful”
Ex. 20:15; Eph. 4:25-28; Heb. 13:5-6
It remains still today as one of the most difficult, emotional times in my ministry. A well-liked, loyal member of the church was caught stealing from the offerings – not once but numerous times over a period of months if not years. I was dumbfounded, sick, mad, angry, hurt, frustrated, and confused and uncertain as to how to lead our leaders through the experience. I could certainly identify with Isaiah, who wrote (61:8) “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity.” No wonder God spoke this 8th commandment - “You shall not steal.”
It seems, on the surface, clear and simple to understand. And many of us figure we fair pretty well when it comes to obeying it. But let's look, first, at THE PRINCIPLE OF THE COMMANDMENT. It does not deal with our ownership of anything; it deals, rather, with God's ownership. In the Garden of Eden God deeded nothing to Adam and Eve; they were told to cultivate and use the resources as necessary. We are not owners; WE ARE STEWARDS. In fact, just prior to giving the commandments, in Exodus 19:5 God reminded the Israelites “All the earth belongs to me.” Simply put, GOD OWNS IT ALL .The Psalmist would later repeat it, as in Psalm 24:1 - “The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.” King David knew it as well. After the people had so generously and overwhelmingly brought gifts for the building of the temple, he prayed (1Chron. 29:11) “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom.”
We have received all our possessions, titles, deeds, bank accounts, and everything else we claim to own just as Israel received everything – from God as a gift and resource. Everything we have bears the mark of His ownership. WE ARE NOT OWNERS BUT MANAGERS. Jesus taught this as well. Two of His parables come to mind. One, in Matthew 25:14-30, deals with the 'talents' God gives to his people, with everyone getting different amounts but all charged with the same responsibility – invest it wisely and faithfully for an increase. The other, from Matthew 20:1-16, tells of the owner of a vineyard who hires workers at different hours of the day but at the end of the day pays them all the same wage. In it Jesus teaches that we have no claim on God or what He gives us and that He will always be faithful to His promises to us. As managers, the quality of our spiritual lives lies in how well we use or how poorly we abuse what God puts under our charge.
Therein lays the issue, the problem, with stealing. STEALING DEPRIVES THE POTENTIAL stewardship of another. Whenever we remove from another his ability to manage that which God has given him, we INTERFERE WITH HIS STEWARDSHIP. If someone is responsible for that with which he has been entrusted, then he has a right to hold it and it must be safeguarded. God's commandment seeks to guarantee that that this privilege of stewardship shall not be denied to anyone. In fact, stealing VIOLATES GOD'S PURPOSE for life. John Calvin stated it clearly: “We must remember that what each person possesses did not happen to him by fortuitous chance but by the choice of the one who is sovereign Master and Lord of all. This is why one cannot defraud anyone of these bounties, lest God's purpose for him be violated.”
But just what is 'stealing?' What is THE PROHIBITION OF THE COMMANDMENT? We're familiar with robbery and theft; but what is the broader DEFINITION OF STEALING? To steal is to take and claim what is not ours or does not rightly belong to us. It is TO ROB SOMEONE OF THE RIGHT AND PRIVILEGE OF BEING A STEWARD. Again, it sounds simple enough but probably doesn't hit us as something we do to others.
Let's consider some of THE PARTICULARS OF STEALING by suggesting how we, in fact, may be more guilty than we think. What are some ways, in fact, that we STEAL FROM OTHERS? When the Heidelberg Catechism asks (#110) “What does God forbid in the eighth commandment?” the answer is “God forbids not only the theft and robbery which civil authorities punish, but God also labels as theft all wicked tricks and schemes by which we seek to get for ourselves our neighbors goods, whether by force or under the pretext of right, such as false weights and measures, deceptive advertising or merchandising, counterfeit money, exorbitant interest, or any other means forbidden by God. In addition, God forbids all greed and pointless squandering of his gifts.” Greed and squandering of gifts – perhaps we're getting a little closer to where we live.
In 2007, Spherion, a career recruiting and staffing agency, asked 2,000 employees if they had ever taken office supplies for personal use. Nearly 20 percent admitted they had. Surprisingly, the agency found that the likelihood of someone stealing company materials for personal use increased with those at higher educational and salary levels. That means that the better educated and the higher the salary, the more people stole from their business. Thirteen percent of high school graduates pilfered office supplies, compared with twenty-seven percent of college graduates and twenty-two percent of those with graduate degrees. As Craig Larson sums it up, “Apparently, the better educated you are, the more clever you are at stealing – and the more you somehow justify it or rationalize it.”
But what are some other subtle ways of stealing? Speaking of the workplace, the office, have you ever made personal calls on company time? Ever extended the break or lunch hour without making up the extra time? Ever stand by the time clock just waiting for it to get to your departure time? As a boss or employer, do you pay your workers fairly? As an employee have you pressured for higher wages for yourself that, if paid, would deny someone of lesser salary a chance at making more? Or do you negotiate and whittle down to the lowest price so it costs you less even though it then pays the salesman less? Have you ever used others thoughts or ideas while claiming them as your own (it’s called plagiarism)? Have you taken credit or received honor for something someone else did or said? Or perhaps you’ve made illegal copies of software or illegally copied or downloaded music? Have you ever sullied another person’s reputation through gossip or unfounded accusation thereby stealing from her character? It was William Shakespeare who wrote “Who steals my purse steals trash, ‘twas something, ‘tis nothing. But he that filches from me my good name robs me of that which not enriches him, and makes me poor indeed.” Maybe you’ve participated in creative advertising that misleads or misrepresents the truth. What about your taxes? Ever left something off because you figured no one @ the IRS could ever trace it – or got paid in cash so there would be no record of the payment – or understated income and overstated expenses? If you made loans to someone, was it, as the Scriptures recommend, interest free or was it with exorbitant interest? When it comes to your debts, do you pay off your debts as quickly as possible? Walter Eichrodt wrote, “This commandment does far more than protect property. It warns against taking advantage of a brother (or sister) in need. It stands against all exploitation of the weak, and is a guide for all social and economic action and restraint.” (What, by the way, does this say about our nation piling up monstrous debt, thereby stealing from future generations?)
Yet we not only steal from others – we also STEAL FROM GOD. Listen to Malachi 3:8-12. "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty.” By Malachi’s standards, are you a thief? And what about Jesus’ standards (Mt. 23:23-24 NLT)? “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.” How do you stack up? Have you been stealing from God?
But there is more to THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMANDMENT than just prohibitions. Paul wrote (Eph. 4:28) “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.” The purpose of the commandment is to PROMOTE AND ENABLE STEWARDSHIP. God has designed us to work so we can invest in others’ increase. God commanded the Israelites, when cutting grain, to leave the corners of the fields uncut so the poor could come through and have something to eat. When they harvested grapes, figs, and olives they were to leave some on the branches for the same reason. Once again the authors of the Heidelberg Catechism had it right. When, in answer #111, they wrote of the requirement of the commandment they stated we are TO WORK FAITHFULLY so “That I do whatever I can for my neighbor’s good, that I treat others as I would like them to treat me, and that I work faithfully so that I may share with those in need.” The opposite of stealing is not ‘not stealing,’ but working and giving so we can provide increase to those in need. We are to bring tithes into the storehouse so the deacons can minister to the poor and needy and provide mutual sharing within the body of Christ.
This means we are to COMMIT OUR MONEY. We are to be generous givers who bring blessing into the lives of others. Isn’t it interesting – and sad – that many Christians argue about or explain away tithing 10%, yet easily give 15-20% tips in restaurants. To whom are we more grateful? I appreciate how Stan Hauerwas and William Willimon address it: “In teaching us to let go of even 10% of our stuff, the church is offering us a habit worth cultivating…The church needs to demand more. Gratitude is a great virtue, to be cultivated with enthusiasm by a church caught in a materialistic culture. Obedience may also be a prime virtue, giving to God and neighbor simply because we are ordered to do so.” We work faithfully so we can freely give generously towards the increase for those in need.
And we are to COMMIT OUR LIVES to Christ and others. God has always looked for total commitment. He wants our brains, our intellect, our hands, our feet, our eyes, our mouths, and our wills. As Jesus gave Himself totally to our Father, so we are to give ourselves to Him.
The purpose of the commandment is to promote and enable stewardship and also to PROMOTE AND ENABLE TRUST. We are not to worry about lacking if we give. JESUS, IN FACT, IS OUR MODEL. Jesus gave up all his glory to come to earth in human flesh so He could give Himself to death on a cross, for our sakes. As Paul majestically wrote (2 Cor. 8:9), “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” No one is richer than a follower, a disciple of Jesus!
Therefore HE HAS EARNED OUR TRUST. That’s why Jesus could say (Mt. 6:25-33 MSG), "If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds. "Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. "If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.”
So we can trust Him to provide for us so we can contribute to the increase for others. Jesus will bless us so we can be a blessing to others. He will never fail us or leave us. “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Heb. 13:5-6)
Someone has written a “Beautiful Prayer.”
“I asked God to take away my pain. God said, ‘No. It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.’
I asked God to make my handicapped child whole. God said, ‘No. His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.’
I asked God to grant me patience. God said, ‘No. Patience is a byproduct of tribulations; it isn’t granted, it is learned.’
I asked God to give me happiness. God said, ‘No. I give you blessings. Happiness is up to you.’
I asked God to spare me pain. God said, ‘No. Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.’
I asked God to make my spirit grow. God said, ‘No. You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful.’
I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life. God said, ‘No. I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things.’
I asked God to help me love others as much as he loves me. God said, ‘Ahhhh – finally you have the idea.’
Do not steal. Work faithfully so you can bless others with increase. Love others as much as God, in Jesus, loves you. Let us pray.
