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Seventh Commandment Treasure Property In this commandment, we encounter another gift which God has entrusted to our neighbor. That gift is property. God requires that we protect this gift. We are not to take advantage of our neighbor and acquire his property through any unjust means. People often imagine that they have kept this commandment because they have never robbed a bank or broken into someone’s home and taken things. This commandment, however, forbids many more actions besides these. Luther comments in his Large Catechism, “Now, stealing is a widespread, common vice, but so little notice is taken of it that it has gotten very much out of hand. If all who are thieves but do not want to admit it were strung up on the gallows, the world would soon be emptied and there would not be enough gallows and hangmen.” This commandment forbids taking advantage of our neighbor wherever business is transacted. For example, workmen and store owners should not overcharge for their goods and services. Also used or defective merchandise should not be passed off as new or perfect. If you buy something that is marked “as is,” you know you are taking a risk. But if someone sells you defective merchandise at full price and fails to give you any warning, we would all agree you have been cheated. If you do not want to be treated this way, then you should not treat others this way (Matthew 7:12). There is even more to this commandment. If you let your children run around a store opening boxes and damaging the merchandise, you are a thief. If you are angry with your neighbor and to get even you destroy some of his property, you are a thief. If you leave work early and have someone else punch your time card a half hour later, you are a thief. And we are still not done. Not only should we avoid many common practices. God wants us to help our neighbor “to improve and protect his property and business.” If you see a thief climbing into your neighbor’s back window and you do not get involved, you have broken this commandment. Now, of course, you need to use common sense. You call the police, rather than go in after the thief. When we break the seventh commandments, it shows a lack of trust in God. It is saying to God, “You are not doing a very good job of meeting my needs so I am going to take what I need.” Or you might look at it this way, stealing is saying to God, “You made a mistake. I need that, not my neighbor.” In Matthew 7:9-11, Jesus encourages His followers to look upon God as a perfect Father by saying, “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” In Hebrews 13:5, we read, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” So then the way to keep this commandment is to trust that our loving heavenly Father will provide us with all that we need. He will meet our needs by giving us jobs, good government, good weather, and the like. And what gives us confidence that God will do this? He was willing to give up His Son for us. If this is so, “how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). |
