“You shall not steal.”
Exodus 20:15
Here is a definition of stealing that will get you thinking about the struggle of the eighth commandment: Stealing is trying to get as much as possible, while giving as little as possible.
Remember, each of these commands speak not to one sin, but to a whole category of sins. We know this from Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. We also see this in the Old Testament, where the rest of the law is an exposition of the Ten Commandments, showing how they apply to particular situations.
It’s helpful to think of each command as being like a train track, with many stations down the line. If you were to go to the station at the end of the line, you would see what the thief does, for example, when he breaks into a home. He is attempting to take everything and contribute nothing.
You may never have gone to this particular station at the end of the line, but all of us have travelled somewhere along the track. It may be that you’ve stopped at the station of taking advantage of other people, or the station of using others, or the station of being a taker without becoming a giver.
If stealing is about trying to get as much as possible while giving as little as possible, then there is a lot of stealing that goes on in marriages, families, churches, and communities. Every attempt to have much and give little is addressed by the eighth commandment.
This definition also shows two root problems behind all forms of stealing: (1) greed—the desire to get as much as possible, and (2) laziness—the desire to contribute as little as possible.
What do you find most surprising/helpful about this definition of stealing?
