You shall not steal

God’s Top Ten List, VIII:
“You Shall Not Steal”
Exodus 20:15
Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 10/31/10

According to the stories told by the ancient Jewish teachers, there once was a young man who was becoming increasingly materialistic – obsessed with money and property and possessions. The local rabbi was very concerned about this, so one day he invited the young man over to his home. The rabbi instructed the young man to look out the back window of the house which overlooked a beautiful mountain range.
The rabbi asked the young man, “What do you see?” The young man replied, “I see beautiful mountains and valleys, trees and animals, blue sky and sunshine.”
The rabbi then held a mirror up in front of the young man’s face. “Now what do you see?” he asked. “I see only myself,” the young man replied, wondering what was going on.
“Isn’t it interesting,” the old rabbi observed, “how everything changes when a little bit of silver comes between you and the world.”
Someone once said, “Material possessions are either a WINDOW through which we see God and all the beauty of creation, or a MIRROR in which we see only ourselves.”
Which is it for us? The place of MATERIAL POSSESSIONS in our lives – getting us onto God and life’s richest blessings; or keeping us from this. This is something of what I’d like to talk about this morning...

Today, with the Eighth Commandment, God continues to focus our attention on some of the most common, down-to-earth issues of ordinary life, turning now to consider the issue of PROPERTY – that is, money and material possessions.
Now, as we all well know, this is a very important subject because so much of our lives are devoted to this. Just think about how much of your time and energy is spent worrying about money, trying to get more money, planning on things you are going to buy, worrying about the care of the things you already have... As is well-documented, such issues are the source of more stress, more anxiety, more family problems, more divorces, more international warfare (!) than just about everything else combined!
A crucial topic, yet once again, as we have observed over the past few weeks, God’s instruction on the matter being characteristically terse – in the Hebrew just two words: “NO STEALING.”
Does this say all that needs to be said about the extremely important (and frequently quite messy) issue of property – its proper place in our lives? What does it say? What is God trying to tell us here about this crucial subject that we struggle with constantly? How is God trying to help us get a better understanding and use of our “stuff” - our material possessions?
Well, I’d like to offer a few thoughts – 3 BASIC STARTER RULES REGARDING “STUFF”...
(I)
Rule #1: TAKE INVENTORY.
Right off the top, before we get down to the specific prohibition against stealing, I believe it’s important to first note the underlying, initial MOTIVATION that stands behind all theft, namely: the DESIRE FOR MORE than what one has. This is where all stealing obviously begins; and likewise, this is where we all, first, most often begin our own trouble regarding material things: WE WANT MORE.
Why? More often than not, not necessarily because we need anything more; but simply because we are failing to ACKNOWLEDGE and GIVE THANKS for what we already possess. Our relationship with “stuff” begins with GRATITUDE – RECOGNIZING WHAT WE HAVE.
Now, I know I’ve harped on this repeatedly, in many different settings, in the past; but that’s just because it’s so central to everything: Failing to recognize, taking for granted, the gifts we already possess is the heart of so many of life’s problems: As we noted last week, taking for granted the gift of your spouse is the heart of marital problems. Three weeks ago it was not acknowledging the gift of our parents or children that is the source of family problems. So, likewise, losing sight of what we have already have is the start of “material” problems.
The truly healthy, happy, well-centered, well-directed person is the one with the continually thankful heart. The person who begins and ends each day with prayers of thanksgiving – recognizing what they have, literally “counting their blessings.” Not that this magically solves all of life’s problems. You’ll still have bills to pay, financial worries that plague you; it’s just that this sets you in the right frame of mind to keep you going in the right direction and keep you out of trouble! Think of it this way...
When I was kid, whenever I would get “down,” a little unhappy – especially whenever there was stuff I wanted but couldn’t have, my mother (she was so annoying) would tell me to go clean out the closet in my room, or clean out a desk drawer. Now, part of this, I’m sure was simply to get me to clean up my room! But far deeper, what I learned in this (and what I believe she was really trying to teach me) was that, whenever I would clean out a closet or a drawer, I would find a whole bunch of stuff that I had forgotten I had. Have you ever done that? Suddenly you go from needy to rich and it doesn’t cost you a cent! A great lesson! In fact... You want to feel wealthy to the point of being embarrassed by it? Clean your attic!
TAKE INVENTORY. This is the first step in having a right relationship with “stuff.” And most especially, in this, to remember to take inventory of what REALLY MATTERS. Recently I came upon the following quote – it said: “Measure your wealth not by what you have, but by what you have that you would not take money for.”
What do you have that you would not take money for? Marriage, family, parents, children, friends, career, church home, your eternal salvation in Jesus Christ? This is your true wealth! Begin by setting your mind on these things – the priceless riches you possess. Again, this doesn’t necessarily solve all life’s problems, but it “gets your head on straight.” Remember it this way:
There’s an old Irish proverb that says, “Every day get down on your knees and thank God you’re still on your feet.” Give thanks for the basic blessings you possess. Rule #1: Take inventory. From this, then...

(II)
Rule #2: SET A HIGH PRICE.
Building upon this first point, I believe it’s important, secondly, note the premise that drives this commandment:
The basic premise here is that material things, in and of themselves, are not particularly bad. Note that the commandment never says that there is anything wrong with property or money or material possessions. What it does say, however, is that certain ways of GETTING these things are wrong. The issue is HOW WE GET what we get – the COST to ourselves and others. Specifically, the commandment telling us that we are not to take (or keep) anything that belongs to someone else.
Now, we can easily recognize certain obvious ways that this occurs – such as: shoplifting, embezzlement, burglary, auto theft... But do we also recognize it in all the many more subtle ways it equally happens? For example...
Say, on a grand scale: Developed nations misusing the labor of un-developed nations for economic gain. Societal inequality in which the “haves” rob the “have nots” of their hope of a future through their refusal to support social reform.
Or how about on a more personal scale: Taking some (supposedly) “insignificant” stationery items home from the office. Refusing to fully report your income to the IRS. Not giving an employer a full day’s work for a full day’s wages.
Even closer to home: Always out working to make more, never believing you have enough saved away, so that you never have time for those you love. Or permitting financial stresses to rob your affection for your loved ones – taking things out on them.
All these, and so many others, are just as much stealing, just as much taking or keeping what belongs to someone else as putting our hand in someone’s pocket and taking their wallet! Make no mistake: The incredible simplicity of this commandment is also its incredibly far-reaching impact! No exemptions, no qualifications, no gradations, no excuses are mentioned or accepted! It’s simply: No taking what belongs to another! Period.
Now, what’s the problem with this? What’s the big deal, particularly regarding some of these, seemingly, tiny infractions?
Well, the issue is this: Whenever we steal (in whatever form that takes), a series of things occur: First, we HURT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD – we do something that God doesn’t like and that stands between us and the Lord. Secondly, we DO VIOLENCE TO OTHERS: We hurt them and break down the whole structure that holds us together. And thirdly, we LOSE A PIECE OF OURSELVES: Essentially, we SELL OUT to STUFF. In effect, God is telling us here that “STUFF” MATTERS – but not in the way we necessarily always understand...
You know, within our faith, there have traditionally been two different basic approaches to the issue of material possessions that have endlessly competed with one another: One approach says that all material things are bad and that a person of faith should have as little to do with them as possible – this is the whole radical denunciation of all earthly ways kind of thing. The other approach, however, argues that material goods are actually one of the primary forms of God’s blessing and thus are to be pursued whole-heartedly – this being the whole “prosperity gospel” kind of thing. As that infamous prosperity gospel evangelist Rev. Ike used to say: “The best thing we can do for the poor is not be one of them.”
Yeah, right.
Well, strictly speaking, both extremes are equally misguided. In the Bible as a whole, money and possessions are not inherently bad or inherently good; they are inherently NEUTRAL. That is, material things are a vehicle, a tool, used by each person – the use determining the meaning: good or evil. In the Bible, there are rich people who are cursed and rich people who are blessed; poor people who are blessed, and poor people who are cursed. It depends upon the person!
To put it another way: As we have noted in the past, we are all, essentially, SPIRITUAL BEINGS. But in this earthly life, being in HUMAN, PHYSICAL form, we thus must use the physical, tangible things of this life – and how we use them speaks to WHO WE ARE! This is the basic premise that drives this whole commandment: That material things are not inherently good or bad; it’s what we make of them: what they mean to us, how we acquire them, what we seek from them and what we do with them that matters.
And this is the next thing this commandment is saying to us: That STUFF MATTERS, it’s not insignificant. Not only are our material possessions central to our relationship with God and one of the primary ways we INTERACT with one another; but ultimately, within these two things, they REVEAL WHO WE TRULY ARE! We make our stuff what it is, and it, in turn, tells us who we really are – if we are willing to listen! Simply put:
More than just about anything else in our lives, our use of our wealth, our material things, reveals what’s really going on in our hearts. I mean, we can say that this or that is what really matters to us, what is truly important... In regards to our faith we can say we believe in one thing or another, we can come to church every Sunday and say all the prayers, sing all the hymns, recite all the pious phrases; but when it comes to what actually do with our stuff, that’s where the rubber really meets the road! If you want to know who you really are, follow the money, look at your checkbook – it’s more a theological than a financial statement!
And this is what this commandment is secondly asking: What is your “stuff” trying to say to you about who you are - what you really believe in, what’s important to you, how you’re living, the choices you’re making; and most especially, what you need to CHANGE that’s keeping you from life – the stealing that’s occurring - the stealing of life for things - the ways you are selling yourself cheaply to “stuff”?
Swapping eternal salvation for a couple of dollar items pocketed at work. Trading relationships for another item eventually boxed away and forgotten in the attic. Not caring what happens to someone else far across the world just so long as we don’t have to pay a few more dollars at the supermarket. Seeking happiness, or escape, in “going shopping” instead of facing up to real issues we need to address. Using money as a manipulative tool instead of having real relationships with those we claim to love.
Perhaps you recall the following story that made the national news a number of years ago. It’s a news item that plays almost like a parable:
On January 8, 1997 there was a Brinks armored car that had an accident on a highway outside of Miami, Florida. Approximately half-a-million dollars in coins, bills, and food stamps spilled forth from the vehicle in one of the poorest areas in the state. People frantically started running around, picking up the money.
Now, many decided to keep the money, undoubtedly saying to themselves things like: “Why not, nobody will know I took it” or “Everybody else is doing it, why shouldn’t I?” or “Hey, nobody gets hurt by this – they have insurance to cover these kinds of things!”
While this was going on, however, a handful of the people present chose to return the money: One fireman on the scene immediately handed over a bag containing thousands of dollars – he said he felt uncomfortable even touching the money. One welfare mother returned the money that blew her way saying, “If I didn’t do this, what kind of message would I be sending my children?” And one little 11-year-old boy picked up 83 cents that had rolled near his feet and went out of his way to go and hand it to the police. Yet still, hundreds-of-thousands of dollars remained unreturned.
Who, that day, went away truly wealthy?
Jesus once said: “What does it profit a person to gain the whole world and yet forfeit their soul?” True profit and loss. We can listen to this story and think about what we would do in that situation; but what are we actually doing every single day? What is your life worth and how cheaply would you sell it? How cheaply do you sell it? Look at your use of stuff. Consider what’s being stolen.
Rule #2: Set a high price for yourself. Which leads us into, finally...
(III)
Rule #3: MAKE PARTICIPATION THE GOAL.
One author writes: “There once was a father who took his young son to a fast food restaurant and bought him some French fries. As the two sat down at a table to eat, the father did what many fathers often do - he reached over to take one of his son’s fries. The boy quickly slapped his father’s hand, saying, ‘No, daddy, those are my fries!’
“The father became angry. He thought to himself: ‘How selfish can you get? I gave him those fries. He wouldn’t have them if it wasn’t for me. Why wouldn’t he want to give even just one back to me in gratitude, that the joy of the moment might be even greater? I can give him all the fries he wants!’
“The father was just about to take the fries from the boy to punish him, when he thought further: ‘How often is this exactly the way I am with God? God has given me everything I have. I would have nothing without God. God asks for a little back, not because God needs it, but because God knows this is part of discovering the deeper joy of sharing in the experience of giving. How often do I, instead, slap God’s hand and say “No! Get your own. These are mine!”?’”
The final question here: Who owns your French fries? That is, this is the final issue at work here: the all too common problem of confusing stewardship with ownership. Believing that the goal in life is acquisition not participation.
This is, finally, what stealing is all about: It’s about GRASPING - it’s wanting to hold, to possess. And this is ultimately the source of all material problems: The mistaken belief that we CAN possess, that we can OWN; rather than that everything we have ultimately BELONGS TO ANOTHER – namely, the Lord – and that we, at best, only have it, for a time, as DISTRIBUTORS. When we keep this in mind, everything falls into place – blessings abound. But when we forget this, as we so often do, everything falls apart – and the blessings stop!
Whenever we have in abundance what another lacks and we fail to give it to them – be it in refusing charity or offering insignificant charity in relation to our income; or, something as simple as failing to offer praise or encouragement to someone we encounter who needs such things – in this we STEAL, we steal from God, because we are holding on to something that is not ours – what has only been entrusted to us for use for another. As a great Christian put it, very succinctly, generations ago:
“When someone steals a man’s clothes, we call him a thief; shouldn’t we give the same name to one who could clothe the naked but does not?”
To put it more plainly: We are designed to GIVE. As the great Protestant reformer Martin Luther once said: “God divided the hands into fingers so that the things we seek to grasp could slip through.”
As with the last few weeks’ commandments, this is another one that is stated NEGATIVELY – as something we are not to do. But as we’ve noted over the past few weeks, God is not simply aiming to keep us from doing something negative; God is ultimately trying to get us to do something positive. So what is the positive restatement of this week’s instruction? Well, the command basically is: “Don’t take from other people.” The reverse? “Give to other people.” The final point here:
Giving is where life is. Think of this from your own experience – it’s like:
I don’t know about you, but I love stuff. Sometimes I like getting rid of stuff just so that I can get new stuff! I love stuff as much as the next guy. In fact, sometimes I love the next guy’s stuff! (But that’s the sermon for two weeks from today!)
Hey, I’m a guy – of course I love stuff. For me, it’s old cars and clarinets. Can’t have too many old cars or clarinets. Everybody’s got their thing.
I like my stuff. But no matter how much I like it, I find that if I look back over my life, the things I am more proud of, that ultimately mean more to me, are the times when I GAVE SACRIFICIALLY – something that really cost me that helped someone else. And I’m pretty sure that everyone of us here today, if we look back over our lives, finds the same thing. Now, such giving is tough, we fight it, it’s not natural; but this is what God’s getting at here – he’s saying:
“I give you things because I want you to be happy. Enjoy the things you have – they are a gift from me. Enjoy your stuff. But don’t let things end there – it’s less than half the full blessing. Instead, as much as possible, try to increasingly focus more on giving than getting, because this is where life’s real blessings are found – you find yourself part of what I’m doing. That’s why I gave you the ‘stuff’ in the first place: so you can participate in my great giving. Do this, most especially, when things get tough. As backwards as it sounds: give when you have little because it takes charge of stuff (instead of it being in charge of you) and creates true, lasting joy – you become in control and confident; instead of anxious and frantic.”
Think of it this way...
Have you ever heard the story of the two guys who, in a storm at sea, became shipwrecked on a deserted island? Landing on the island, the first man kept pacing around anxiously, while the second man just sat against a tree sunning himself. Witnessing this, the first man said, “I can’t believe how calm you are. Why aren’t you freaking out? Don’t you know that we may die here?!” The second man replied, “I’m not worried, you see, I make $100,000 a week and I faithfully tithe 10% of that to my church. Trust me, my church’s finance committee will find us!”
When your life is based on giving, you don’t have to worry, you’re confident wherever life takes you, because your life is in order! The great Corrie Ten Boom once said: “I have held many things in my hands and have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess... The measure of a life, after all, is not it’s duration but its donation.” Get focused on giving, more directed towards using your possessions for God’s work than your own needs, and everything falls into place - life’s blessings abound. One author tells the following true story:
“When I was in Bible College, a tractor trailer load of Tropicana Orange Juice was dropped off at the cafeteria every week. I wondered how a low cost Bible College like I was attending could afford so much expensive O.J. One morning in chapel, I found out how:
“An older Italian man, speaking in broken English, gave his testimony. He said he had come to the U.S. from Italy in the 20’s as a young teenager, with nothing but the clothes on his back. A Christian couple befriended him and through their love he came to know Christ as his Savior and Lord.
“One Sunday in church, he prayed: ‘Lord, if you give me an idea for a business, I will be faithful to give a portion of everything I make back to your work.’ That very
morning, the idea of ‘Fresh-squeezed orange juice’ popped into his head, and the rest is history:
“Anthony Rossi founded the Tropicana Co. and was faithful to give God, not 10% of his income, as many faithful believers do, but 50% of his income, for over 60 years! He also gave truckloads of free O.J. to Christian colleges throughout the country – to directly help more onto Christ, as he himself had been helped!”
Blessed by God, and in response: blessed even more by using his possessions to be a blessing!

Someone once said: “Material possessions make a wonderful servant but a lousy master.”
Which is it for you, more often than not: Servant or master?
Make the things of this life your servant. Quit being pushed around by them. Take inventory. Set the price high. And make the participation the goal.

“You shall not steal.”