Stuff Michael Meeks is doing

Off to NCC; Simon Matthews from Plumbline speaking, don't recall what he said. Back, lunc, bed - rather tired. Out to pray with Chris Hummersone before he heads off Cardiff.
Gordon sermon on Exodus 20 - "They'll Never Miss It" - The 8th commandment.
- You shall not steal. Interesting - the theft of the person of Joseph, when he meets his brothers again - they repeat 5 times in 20 verses Gen 42 that they are 'honest men', having let his Father think that wild animals tore him apart etc.
- Most of us like to think of ourselves as honest; admit to being lazy, struggle with self discipline, perfectionism, low self esteem - the 1 thing we cannot bring ourselves to say: I'm un-trustworthy, I'm dishonest; I'm a thief.
- U. Washington - 1 aspect of this self serving bias; told college students they would be tested for their intelligence - a timed test - a crossword. Everyone required when the bell rings - please put down your pencil immediately & stop working. To the social scientists lack of suprise 71% of students cheated & worked beyond the bell.
- This time - eye-level mirrors around the hall - so they could see themselves; this time only 7% cheated - apparently no-one likes to see a thief. Just that little gave enough self conciousness to allow them to hold onto their integrity. Why pharmacies & dept. stores - have eye-level mirrors; on columns - no-one sitting inside there; you looking at yourself.
- Not a guilt-trip; but allow us to see ourselves as scripture does; the Bible as a permanant eye-level mirror, in which you can see yourself measured against the standard of God's word - for conviction of sin of course; but particularly that we would cling to Christ - the only savior of thieves.
- The most serious - the stealing of persons; a primary application of the 8th Commandment & the most serious. Exodus 21:16 anyone who steals another person, and either sells him, or still has him when he is caught must be put to death. some render 'kidnap', no distinction in Hebrew.
- Most instances of property theft treated more leniently than in the ANE society - Hammurabi eg. in some circumstances 30times restitution, or mutiliation, or even the death peanalty (for stealing property); Assyrian laws: Wife steals from Husband: mandatory death penalty; if she steals from somone else: mutilation cut off the ears (and perhaps the nose).
- Biblical law stands out; in the OT. stealing property is never penalised by anything but restuitution - maximal contribution, is 5 times - if still have it and it's in good condition: 2 times; if you tell on yourself (Lev 6) you add only 20% - sort of amnesty programme.
- Don't think long to realise why the theft of persons has the most severe penalty possible. Think of Al-Queda's theft of people; or 1/5th of modern Kurdistan: ~1/5th of marriages initiated with bride abduction, a story of terror & rape.
- Kidnapping for slavery - important historically; but also for our day. The OT describes slavery, but most slavery then was debt slavery, or volentary slavery; also temporary. (Deut 15) someone in debt has the ability to sell the contract of his labour for 6 years; the owner doesn't own the person - but the labour. At the end - must be released & fill their arms with goods. Supply him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress.
- In 16th-19th C - the Western world: chattel slavery; the individual's person owned by the owner, not the labour. Not temporary, but life-long. The 8th commandment prohibits this. African slaves were kidnapped - Ex.21 by definition. Not suprising early church fathers: Crystostome, St. Augustine, etc. spoke against this. Crystostome (4C) encouraged Christians of means to buy whatever slaves they could: In Christ Jesus there is no slave, so buy them, and after you have taught them some skill by which they can maintain themselves - then set them free
- 17C - Dutch Theologian - by definition 8th commandment condemns the slave trade that had begun. Wesleyan Methodists opposed slavery because of the 8th commandment. In our own day - the UN tell us 27million for all intents and purposes are enslaved: de-facto slavery. Sex trafficing, sale of children, children abducted into the military, ... International Justice mission - in part dealing with this problem. Recently rescued 37 young girls trapped in brothels in Cambodia - de-facto servitude.
- Less severe - burglary, armed coercion: Lev 19, Ex 22, breaking & entering. More acceptable offenses like larceny - sensitise our concience to more common cases. The appropriation of Lev 6 property entrusted to us: embezzlement; a servant/employee - an expense account eg. just by mis-reporting an hour or two - padding the expense account or time sheet.
- Titus 2slaves/servants (employees) - be subject to your bosses in everything, to try to please them ... and not to steal from them: our honesty part of the adverisment for the transformed life. Theft - just as prevelant if not more so, among those who have more. Having more doesn't mean you steal less. Cato: Thieves who steal private property - spend their lives in prison. Thieves who steal public property strut around in gold & purple.
- Cynicism ? or warrented ? The big dig - the most expensive road project in American history. Federal audit - The most flagrent breach of integrity in the history of the 85 year old federal aid highway programme - perhaps politically motivated, from $2.2bn to $14.6bn & growing ? Having more does not make us want to take less.
- King Ahab - acquiring the field of Naboth - didn't want to sell the field of... eminent domain: accusing him falsely of blasphemy. Sent Elijah to denounce this sin: taking from the poor to enrich the wealthy.
- Look lightly on pilfering - interviewing hotel managers; 1/3 guests steal something. 1 New York hotel - 18,000 towels walked out the door 355 metal coffee makers, soaps/shampoos - unused, an uncountable number. + 100 bibles; (apparently stolen by those who hadn't read them yet). 61% of hotel users - admitted to having nabbed toiletries; 18% they had taken towels, 14% had swiped ash-trays, 2% stole bath-robes & bath-mats.
- Fraud - insurance research council - 1/4 Americans say it's ok to defraud insurers. 1/3 defrauding to make up for the deductable; 1/10 medics admitted to reporting signs/symptoms a patient didn't have in order to secure coverage for treatment.
- Stealing of intellectual property Jer:23, prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me eg. software / music industry.
- Cheating - giving value for money; Deut 25, condemning different weights / measures. Do we exagerate in our advertisments ? junk heap car: 'as good as new'. God is into truth in advertising, wrt. churches eg. Some adverts: 'the greatest church since the book of acts', 'our pastor rocks' 'services nothing but fun' - honestly !? - church is hard work. Christ came to take our sins, not our minds - engagement of the mind is tough.
- Over-pricing/profiteering: Lev 25. A fair-price law: not the rehabilitation of the gold-standard, but the application of the golden-rule: Luke 6:31. Every deal both for the seller & the buyer. Don't defraud those in your employ - the wage earner, under-paying your employees: do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight. Don't take advantage.
- Prov 20 condems those engaging in bartering It's no good, he says, then off he goes & boasts about his purchase.
- Discussion at party of theft: some with stolen art books; book from public library on the shelf, due date: 1955 still 'borrowing'. Someone stole a little floral nick-nack, from her own grandmother: all in the family; why not ok ? you can tell you stole it - not by how much you took from them, but how much you're keeping from them.
- Why is stealing so bad ? in a store, see a clearly mis-marked item: that's the one we want to buy. Could all still remember every one of these instances back to tenderist days; did damage. Gordon can't remember any of his high-school papers, only the one he plagerised completely. God's law is written on our hearts. Why do we sell our integrity for almost nothing ?
- Not how much we are taking; but, taking what God has given to another. Everything we take is something that God in his providence has given to another; we have sinned against God himself; not being content with what we have. True paternity The thief comes only to kill, steal and destroy - but I came that you might have life and have it abundantly.
- Good news: Jesus loves repentant thieves: eg. Zacheus - half of my goods I'll give to the poor, and anyone I've defrauded I'll pay back 4 fold. What does God want you to do ? if you were once a thief he wants to change your identity from a burglar to a benefactor. To repay that, to admit your fault.
- Jesus died in the midst of thieves. The scripture tells us - he was crucified between two robbers, he was numbered among thieves; and one of them - said to the other we are getting what we deserve - but this man is innocent ... Jesus - remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus said because of what he was doing on the cross - dying for us Today, you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23).

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Stuff Michael Meeks is doing

2005-07-03: Sunday