The heart of a thief

Paul said, "Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labour, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need" (Ephesians 4:28)

 

In order to please God, a thief must go far beyond simply stopping his thieving habits. It is written that a thief who has quit stealing may still be a thief at heart, a thief just temporarily unemployed. He really ceases to be a thief only if and when he replaces stealing with giving.

Directly taking another's possessions is not the only way to steal. Con artists use sophisticated scams to swindle their victims. Deceptive advertisements do the same. Contractors who invoice for more hours than they work or charge more than their services are worth are stealing from those who hire them.

There are so many different ways to take what doesn't belong to us. We could be breaking God's commandment against stealing without realising what we are doing: Employees who do not work even though they are paid to do so stealing.

Jesus' parable of the person who refuses to assume personal responsibility, "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed' " (Matthew 25:24-26)

The man in this parable knew that his job was to produce an increase for his master. But because of his warped outlook, he willingly chose to be unproductive. He was fully aware of the rules and responsibilities placed on him and therefore had no excuse for his poor behaviour.

The parable continues, "So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents" (Matthew 25:27-28)

The unproductive man's employer called him "wicked and lazy." At heart he was no different from a thief. Therefore his boss gave his reward to another who had worked hard for the sake of others and not just himself. Jesus used this parable to illustrate God's low opinion of selfishness and self-pity.