Wednesday Bible Blurb Lock Smith 8 7 2024
It was late in the afternoon at middle school when I went to get my 10-speed bike from the school bike rack. Every day the neighbor kids and I biked the two miles to school and back. Our bikes were the window to our neighborhood. We were free to ride, I could ride with no hands and I was very fast. Our bikes each sported a book rack and two large baskets to carry our school books. Self-powered transportation devices flying around the neighborhood was a young boys dream. When I reached where I had locked my bike to the school bike rack, I found someone had tried to pick the lock and steal my bike. The lock key hole had been filed down and they tried to open it without success. I was unable to use my key to unlock my bike as they had so disfigured the key hole. Through attempted theft I almost lost my window to the neighborhood.
If theft were eliminated from this world we could put the lock smiths out of business. God tried to make our lives simple and care free but Adam and Eve sinned. Today, mankind is evil and our “heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jere. 17:9) not knowing right from wrong and in many cases not even caring to know right from wrong. God simply said, “You shall not steal” (Ex. 20:15 [NKJV]) which is a very definitive statement. Clear, concise and plain for the eye to see. What kind of a world would we have if there was zero theft? A wonderful world and no lock smiths.
The Bible has much to say about stealing and theft. First, we see Paul telling Timothy, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil… (I Tim. 6:10a). Our heart (Which is deceitful and wicked; Jere.17:9) will justify one’s actions when it comes to taking what does not belong to them from another person. In the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5 Jesus spoke of and to the heart of man. He enhanced the commandments and said not to even think about murder or adultery (sin). The concept of not thinking about sin pervades all the ten commandments. It is about attitude.
In reading thorough the Bible, we repeatedly see how stealing is linked to the other commandments and even to Baal worship. (Jere.7:9). In another instance a rich young man came to Jesus and asked what he needed to do to inherit the kingdom of God. Jesus told him to give everything away and to follow Him. The rich young man’s love of money was so strong that he denied Jesus and walked away. (Mark 10:18-22). Ananias and Sapphira lied to Peter and the Holy Spirit about the offering they were giving. They both died on the spot for stealing from God and lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-11).
Stealing is the opposite of love. Paul wonderfully sums up the attitude we should have towards all people and shows us how love overcomes sin. “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.”
The commandments of God are all linked together. Stealing is one of ten yet it is integral to all. The commandment not to steal is clear, concise and a part of all the commandments. It is an attitude of a deceitful and wicked heart which leads to stealing. Jesus is the cure all for theft as He simply says, “Love one another.” (John 13:34b).
I called my dad who came to the school and picked me up. We had to cut the bike loose from the bike rack and pick up a new lock on the way home from school. It is a sad world how we treat one another. What’s yours is mine and what’s mine is mine is the attitude of the world. No! We are to simply “love one another.” It is this Godly attitude of love which will put the lock smiths out of business.
