You shall not steal.

The Rich Young Man

Mt 19:16-22
16 And behold, one came to Him and said, "Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?" 17 And He said to him, "Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." 18 He said to Him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; 19 Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself. " 20 The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?" 21 Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 22 But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieved; for he was one who owned much property.

Here we have the familiar story of the rich young man. One can imagine, by the way the story unfolds, that he thought to be recognized for his religious ways when he brought his question to Jesus. We can be pretty sure he expected no surprises, expected to find his habits, his works confirmed. Most likely, there was a crowd around our Lord, for He had just been gathering the children to Himself, and where there are children, there are doubtless parents not far behind. I think this young man was probably hoping to boost his status and his ego by the praises of the Teacher.

But Jesus' first answer should have served as a warning. They certainly show that Jesus knew what was in the man's heart. Here was an upstanding citizen seeking to hear how good he was, to hear that his works would suffice to enter heaven. And Jesus' answer to his question is that no man is good. He wanted to be told how good a man he was, and this answer just didn't fit his expectations. So he skips the message, and grabs hold of the part he thinks he can deal with.

Jesus lists almost all of the commandments that have to do with our dealings with our fellow man. Our young gentleman hears the list, and feels satisfied. He has not killed anyone, he has not lain with another's wife, he has had no need to steal or to lie. These are easy enough. He must be doing all right. It's entirely possible that he even treated his parents respectfully - especially if there was still a matter of inheritance at stake.

But, in all this, the young man has looked no farther than the surface. Even in grasping the commandments to justify himself, he has grabbed only as much of them as he thinks he can claim to have filled. So, he is probably convinced in his own mind that he is giving an honest assessment of himself when he claims to have obeyed all these laws.

Yet, in answering, his conscience speaks out, for even now, he can sense that there's something lacking - that he can't possibly deserve eternal life for these simple acts of obedience. There must be more. "What is it?" he asks, "What else remains to be done?" When Jesus answers, His answer makes clear that he hasn't even begun to do as the commandments require. "Sell what you have and give to the poor," He says. Is this something new? An additional commandment added to the Law? No. It is part of not stealing.

The young man had caught the obvious implications of what it meant not to steal, but he had neglected to consider what that prohibition required him to do instead. Every "don't" of the Law carries with it a "do." It's a law of opposites. If we must not steal, by implication, we must do the opposite. We must give and support. When Jesus told him to give to the poor, He showed the man how very far he was from keeping the commandments he claimed to keep. This, as much as the thought of parting with his possessions, was what sent the young man away in sorrow.

More Than Just the Theft of Goods

Lev 19:9-11
9 "'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God. 11 "'Do not steal. "'Do not lie. "'Do not deceive one another. " (NIV)

Stealing Aid

All of this is an expansion on the law against theft. By being overly meticulous in the pursuit of our profits, we are actually stealing, for God has provided the overflow of our abundance to aid those who are less fortunate. It isn't sufficient to take only what is ours, for what is ours is only ours by the Lord's giving, and He does not give without reason. He gives that we might give. He gives to prepare us for the good work He has also prepared for us. If we insist on holding on to what is ours, if we refuse to meet the need before us, we fail to obey this commandment.