Exodus 20:15

Seventh Commandment

Esteem Property

"You shall not steal.

Once again, as believers we ask ourselves the question: "What must I do to obey God?" The answer is: "Love your neighbor." How do I love my neighbor? After respecting our neighbor's life in the fifth Commandment and his spouse in the Sixth Commandment, God tells us to love our neighbor by esteeming his property and helping him to preserve and improve it.

This commandment seems quite straightforward. But Luther's explanation once again draws out the deeper implications: "We should fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor's money or possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income" (Luther's Small Catechism, p. 13).

This commandment not only applies to breaking into someone's home or business to steal his goods, but also to the many more subtle forms we have invented for getting what belongs to others, such as cheating in everyday business by mis-representing our product or overcharging. It requires that business contracts be honest, that we do not overcharge our customers, that we do not deceive or lie to get someone's business. It also means that if we are undercharged by mistake or the cashier gives us too much change back we are to be honest and set it straight. This command also covers still other things such as being lazy or idle at work or unfaithful to your employer. Yet we still expect to be paid. On the other side this commands an employer to be fair and to pay a just wage. This commandment includes looking to others such as friends, charities, or even government to support you when you are capable of working yourself and earning your own livelihood honestly.

On the other hand this commandment requires us to help our neighbor to improve his business and increase his fortunes. We should work for our employer to increase his income and cut down on unnecessary costs. We should help improve the home and property of our neighbor instead of being greedy and envious of what he has.

Greed is really at the heart of this commandment. The issue is not overt stealing itself. The issue is taking advantage of another for one's advancement. The issue is making someone else's loss your gain. The issue is false dealing, oppressive dealing, greedy dealing. The issue is one's soul.

Jesus warned, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?" (Mk 8:36). St. Paul warned, "The love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs" (1 Tim 6:10). James warned, "Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. . . . Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you" (James 5:1, 4).

Have I taken advantage of others in their desperate need for my own advantage? When someone had to sell possessions because of need, did I buy them for an unfair price? Have I hired people for a job and paid them a paltry wage because they were willing to do it? Have I withheld a decent tip from a waitress just because I thought she, or the diner, were lower class?

If so, I have stolen. I have oppressed the weak. I have taken advantage of their weakness for my own good. I have been greedy. That is the issue in this commandment. God is a God who revels in generosity. In Jesus' parables, God rejoices to be generous with his servants.

God gives the worker who came in at the last hour the full wage (Mt 20:1–16). He cancels the huge debt of his servant, because he pleaded for mercy (Mt 18:21–35). He generously entrusts ten and five and one talents to his servants and then doubles them for his faithful ones on his return (Lk 19:11–27). Thank God he is generous. He does not reward us according to our iniquities and failings. He blesses us according to his unfailing generosity.

The price for disobedience to this commandment is death. We owe a debt to God for all the times we fail to live up to this commandment. Our debt is huge, much to big to every pay off. In fact the price is our life. We can never pay the debt we owe God so out of love which we do not deserve God paid it for us. The debt has been paid and satisfaction has been made. Jesus died in payment for our disobedience. Because of Jesus' death God "does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us" (Ps 103:10–12). Our Lord wills only our good. He died, rose, and now reigns so that he can "graciously give [you] all things" (Rom 8:32) in time and—most important—for all eternity.

In Christ God Generously Gives Every Good Blessing to Us, Including Our Very Salvation.

And then he sends us out saying, "Go, and do likewise" (Lk 10:37). Help and protect your neighbor. Be honest with your boss—on your time sheet, on your expense account, and on your phone calls. Be honest with your classmates—don't cheat on tests and papers. Be honest with authors and composers—don't duplicate their articles or their music or movies.

Be honest with your God—do not rob him of his tithe; for all that we have is from him and belongs to him. We are but stewards of his wealth and are to use worldly possessions according to his will, not for our own self interests. Be honest with the next generation—do not take their money and their natural resources. Be honest with your fellow citizens—pay your fair share of taxes. This commandment calls us to live a life of integrity and generosity.

As the Apostle Paul tells us: "Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. . . . Be rich in good works, . . . be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure . . . as a good foundation for the future, . . . [and] take hold of that which is truly life" (1 Tim 6:6–7, 18–19).

Now then, after protecting our lives, our spouses and families, our goods and possessions, God gives us the 8th Commandment to protect our fame and reputation:

Eighth Commandment

Exodus 20:16

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Perhaps the most stupid proverb in our culture is "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Words can hurt us to the core of our being. Child psychologists say it takes ten positive remarks to compensate for one negative remark—and I think that remains true for us as adults.

The Eighth Commandment has to do with the power of words. How does one endure being falsely accused? One of the most irreparable injuries is the loss of one's reputation. The Fifth Commandment protects life. The Sixth Commandment protects marriage. The Seventh Commandment protects property. The Eighth Commandment protects reputation.

As with any other broken commandment, the penalties were severe. False witness, gossiping, lying, and deceiving destroy the fabric of society. Without trust and sincerity there can be no human community.

We are warned against false witness, deceiving, and gossiping ten times in the Book of Proverbs. Two witnesses were required to convict a person of any crime (Deut 19:15). At Jesus' trial before Caiaphas, the two witnesses could not agree, so Jesus couldn't be convicted on the basis of their charges (Mk 14:56). Jewish law also was careful about prejudiced witnesses. No relative, friend, enemy, heir, or person of a disreputable occupation was allowed to give testimony.

A false witness received the same punishment the accused would have received. If the punishment was stoning, the accusers were the ones compelled to push the convicted person over the cliff (the Jewish manner of stoning) and throw the first boulder. No one took lightly accusing another of wrongdoing.

Why? One's reputation is his or her most important legacy. You can leave behind children. You can found an organization or business. You can make a lot of money and pass on a huge inheritance. But your real value to the world is who you are, your character, your example, your influence. You don't really care about Henry Ford or John D. Rockefeller or Ted Turner. You recognize their moneymaking ability, but they mean nothing personally to you.

Who means something to you? The people of character in your life. The people who have inspired you, formed you, and supported you. Their reputation gives you strength and direction in life. Specifically, who is that in your life—a parent, an aunt, a friend, a teacher, a coach, a local public figure? What would happen to you if that person's reputation was destroyed? You, too, would be devastated.

This commandment protects something more valuable than property or even life itself. It protects our value as a creation of God. It protects all that we are and want to be. And it is so vulnerable. How do you protect yourself from a false accusation? How do you undo your gossip against others? A reputation built up over years can be destroyed in seconds by a false accusation. It can never truly be restored. Confidence and trust are lost.

James warns us, "How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire" (James 3:5–6). The tongue can ruin marriages and devastate children. It can destroy careers or start wars between nations. It can cause suicide.

That's why Luther in his explanation encourages us not only to avoid perjury in court but to actively protect reputations. "We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way" (Luther's Small Catechism, p. 13).

That's how God looks at us. He knows you and me at our worst. He's seen us when we did the things nobody knows about, not even our spouse or best friend. But on account of Christ, "He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities" (Ps 103:10). Jesus took our place in God's wrath and punishment. Jesus stands at our side to defend us. He tells the accuser all sins have been paid for by his death on the cross in our place. He covers us with his perfect life so we can stand in God's presence holy and perfect. We are completely forgiven. The Father knows all we've done and all we've failed to do. Yet, in grace, he adopts us as his own children. He calls us "precious in my eyes, and honored" (Is 43:4).

Jesus Fulfills the Law for Us and Defends Us as Our Great Advocate.

No matter how badly or how often we have failed in the past, our heavenly Father continues to have great plans for us in his kingdom. He continually thinks well of us. He continually has hopes for us. He never gives up on us. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jer 29:11).

He wants us to think as well toward those around us—love them, forgive them, as he would—and, as Luther emphasized, "defend [them], speak well of [them], and explain everything in the kindest way." This is how you protect your neighbor's reputation, and in so doing build your own—as a Christian, a little Christ, being the light and salt of the earth.