A pretty basic commandment, "You shall not steal." In other words, don't take your neighbor's stuff. Okay next! Wait a minute it is not quite that simple. Obviously taking someone else's physical property violates this commandment, but it is not the only way that it is broken. For instance a man was arrested and fined thousands of dollars the other day because he was sitting outside a coffee shop somewhere illegally using the establishment's wireless connection without paying for it. Was he stealing? Yes he was. Some college students were recently sent bills in the thousands of dollars from music companies because they illegally downloaded music without paying for it. Were they stealing? Yes they were. A few years ago a lawyer went to a scheduled medical appointment and spent so much time in the waiting room before he saw the doctor that he then billed the doctor for his time. The doctor laughed, the lawyer sued and won. Was the doctor stealing from the lawyer? Yes he was, in the law profession time is money and the doctor didn't keep the appointment time and wasted the lawyer's time. I included that last story because of years of frustration sitting in doctor's offices sometimes for close to two hours before seeing my doctor.
What are some other ways that people steal? Students cheating on tests are stealing from others and themselves. Workers not doing their work to the best of their ability are stealing from their employer. Christians not giving financially to God their first fruits are stealing from God. Christians not giving of their time and talents are also stealing from God. There are all kinds of way to steal. You can even legally steal from people. I knew of a church organization one time that existed to give out scholarships to seminary and college students. They had promised one guy four years worth of tuition. They paid the first three years but as he was about to go into his fourth year they didn't want to pay anymore so they just dissolved the organization, renamed themselves and stated back up again. They said they didn't have to pay the fourth year because the organization that promised the money didn't legally exist anymore. They were actually legally right and protected, but they were morally wrong and were stealing from God and the student. By the way I was not that student.
The basis of this commandment is simple. God gives other people their stuff and he gives you your stuff and he expects everyone to be satisfied with their own stuff. So be content with what you have and keep your hands off other's stuff.
There is a positive aspect of this commandment as well. We are to help our neighbor keep his stuff and when he doesn't have enough stuff to keep going we are to give him some of our stuff. After all at the end of the day all stuff is God's stuff.
Here is some Scripture: Leviticus 19:35; Psalm 37:21; Ephesians 4:28; 2 Thessalonians 3:10; Joshua 7:20-22; John 12:6; 2 Kings 5:20-24; Matthew 7:12; Philippians 2:4; Matthew 5:42; Hebrews 13:16; 1 John 3:17; Luke 10:29-37; Luke 19:8
Pastor Fred
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