“You shall not steal.”

~ Exodus 20:15

When I was around six years old, I was shopping with my mom. We went to Zellers.

Ah, Zellers … Let’s all take a moment.

Anyways, down one of the aisles, someone had left an unopened Mars chocolate bar. I looked around, and I noticed that mom was pretty far down the isle looking at pillows, or oven mitts, or bike helmets, or whatever six-year-old boys figured moms thought were important. Either way, my mom was in her element and distracted by whatever Zellers was offering on clearance, so I went for it.

I grabbed the Mars bar, opened it up, and took a big bite out of it. After doing a quick shoulder check and realizing my mom was still immersed in discount items, I took a second bite. Then a third. Figuring my luck was about to end – mom wouldn’t leave me 3 meters apart for much longer – I quickly tucked the wrapper under what little was left of the chocolate bar and skittered back to my mom’s side.
It was the perfect crime! No one would ever know!

Until we reached the checkout. A large man dressed in a very official looking black polo with a red ‘Z’ on the shoulder walked up to us. He pulled my mom aside. He must have been at least 17 years old. My mom’s face went from delightfully pleasant, to extremely disappointed.

My mom looked at me and asked, “Kevin, did you steal a chocolate bar?”

My heart sank. Somehow, in some way, I got caught. I couldn’t believe it! Though I didn’t fully understand it, jail did not seem fun. Would they have cheese-slices there? What was their playground like? I bet no one in jail got Christmas presents.

Worse, mom looked ticked, and I knew I was going to have a meeting with dad later that day. Those three bites of chocolatey goodness were certainly not worth all of this! Knowing I had nowhere to run, I quickly fessed up and, stuttering, owned my mistake. My mom covered the cost of the chocolate bar, we left the store, and I felt humiliated, guilty, and ashamed. I don’t remember talking about the incident ever again.

It was a wonderful lesson in the wrongs of thievery.

This 8th command is all about stealing. In the commands leading up to this one, we hear how community, life, and sex are all sacred. With this eighth command, God tells us that ‘stuff’ is sacred too.

Really? Stuff? I thought people are important, and stuff was not.

Well, it depends on our posture. If we get caught in the belief that our stuff is our stuff, we’re in trouble. But, if we understand that our stuff is actually God’s stuff, we can wrap our head around this command a little better.

Biblically, ownership is stewardship. God entrusts us all with stuff, and with what He entrusts us, we must use for His glory. In the parable of the talents, we are all called to use what God has given us for His kingdom purposes. We are also called to give an account for how we use everything that God entrusts to us. What God gives me is different than what God gives you, but no matter what God gives us, it is our responsibility to steward that for God’s ultimate glory.

Therefore, “It is not God’s will for us to have anything that we cannot obtain by honorable means, and the only right attitude to others’ property is scrupulous concern that ownership be fully respected” (J.I. Packer).

It’s not rocket science that stealing is bad. Pretty much everywhere, governing bodies dictate that there be penalties for people who take what isn’t theirs. Generally, people understand stealing is wrong. Even a thief knows they are committing a crime. Our selfish, fallen nature means that robbery still happens, but broadly, we understand this concept.

But what is stealing? Perhaps God’s view of stealing is broader than we think?

Proper Value

In Deuteronomy 25:13-16 and Amos 8:5, the Bible condemns the use of false weights and measures, saying it is unlawful for one to use deception in business. That means, we should not overcharge for an item that is clearly worth less. A relevant example are those stories we heard of people stocking up on toilet paper and Lysol wipes, then turning around and selling them for an exorbitant price. Some say that’s capitalism: supply and demand. God says that’s robbery, and a breech of the 8th commandment.

The inverse is also true. Bartering a fair price down to a bargain is also considered stealing and goes against God’s warnings in both Deuteronomy and Amos. We are called to charge what is fair to charge and pay what is fair to pay. Anything more – or less – breaks God’s command.

Time

This is possibly the most common form of theft today. When an employer hires us to work so many hours for so much money, we are to work those hours doing what we are paid to do. So often, people start work late or end work early. Coffee breaks and lunch times are often extended, or we simply waste the time we are supposed to be working. This is stealing.

Likewise, employers will often demand more from their employees in the name of loyalty. Unless agreed upon, an employer cannot ask an employee to work longer than that for which they are paid, unless they are fairly compensated. Once again, failure to do so is theft.

Reputation

Even one’s reputation can be stolen. In Othello, the great play by William Shakespeare, the character Iago says “Who steals my purse, steals trash, but he that filches from me my good name robs me of that which not enriches him, and makes me poor indeed.” Firstly, we need to reintroduce the word filch into our everyday language.

Secondly, while we will get to bearing false testimony against your neighbour next week, by gossiping and slandering one’s character to others, you are in fact stealing their reputation from them. Essentially, gossiping is breaking two commandments – both the 8th and the 9th – at the same time!

There are other forms of thievery as well, but we get the idea. This command is about respecting one another. We are not to take advantage of each other, to take one’s property, possessions, time, or character. We are called to love, to treat everyone honourably, and to reflect God’s loving nature in all areas of life.

If we have wronged someone in this area, we are called to both repent and make it right. Just as Zacchaeus returned ten-fold what he had stolen after his encounter with Christ, we too are to make amends when we have wronged someone. We must be instruments of love and grace, righting the wrongs we have committed to each other, and offering forgiveness and grace to those who have wronged us.

Questions to Ponder:

1) Time, Value, and Reputation are all things we can steal. What are other less-obvious things people can take from each other?

2) Is there someone you have stolen from? How can you make amends?

3) Is there someone who has stolen from you? How can you forgive?

Devotionals
The 10 Commandments