Sharing. Do you know how hard a lesson that is for us to get? We watch our kids—without training from us—naturally battle and fight for the things they want. It starts so young! And when we get older, we’re supposed to have mastered the art of sharing. But have we? Have we learned to share as God desires us to share? Let’s see what God has to say to us through Paul today. From Ephesians 4:28.
Stop Stealing
28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer...
What an interesting command to drop right in the middle of this letter! Did they have a significant number of former thieves in their midst, that Paul would have to address this in a general letter? Or was theft just so common in his day—even among believers?
Thievery has been a problem all through history, as long as there was one man’s possession that another could covet. The Ten Commandments includes an injunction against coveting and another specifically against stealing. The Law prescribes penalties for those caught stealing other people’s animals or breaking into their homes to steal their valuables. Robbery and “cattle rustling” have been around for as long as people have kept flocks and herds and owned houses and valuables. Jesus Himself urges us to store up treasure in Heaven, where thieves cannot break in and steal (Matthew 6:20).
Were people who made their living as robbers—career criminals, as we call them today—also coming to Christ at the preaching of the Gospel?
What about the extremely poor, who might steal food in the local marketplace? We usually think of street urchins, orphans, like Aladdin in the cartoon movie of the same name? Or Oliver Twist? Scripture mentions the graciousness extended to the starving—unless he is caught:
Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house. (Proverbs 6:30-31, NIV)
They are driven by desperation, but theft is theft and must be paid for. Were such extremely poor people turning to Jesus and joining the local fellowship? Surely the believers were having compassion on them and helping them in their time of need! Surely! Perhaps even helping them get free of their desperate straits?
The Gospel has always been more attractive to the poor and the one who is conscious of his sin than to the one who is rich and considers himself blessed (by his own power and/or superiority).
But the early church in Jerusalem also had many landowners who joyfully sold lands and fields in order to give to the Apostles to provide for the poor among them.
There are instructions in Scripture specifically to the wealthy, especially that they not put their hope in their wealth. But we also know that some acquire their wealth by dishonest means.
How about Zacchaeus? In Luke 19:8 (NIV), he tells Jesus, “If I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Tax collectors had a special place in the hearts of Jews, and it was a very dark place! They were especially hated. Down through the ages, tax collectors have had a bad rap. Even today no one is very fond of them—unless you’re married to one. In the Roman empire, tax collectors were third-party vendors. They were hired to collect the required taxes, but they deserved a fee too—and sadly, with the government and military backing them up, they could extort just about anything they wanted.
That’s what Zacchaeus was saying. If he had cheated anyone, and he surely had—as had Matthew, no doubt, in his pre-Christian days—then he would pay them back four-fold! He must have been quite well off! And the faith in Jesus that prompted such repentance was enough to gain him a place in Christ’s eternal kingdom!
So obviously, it is not just the desperately poor or the career criminals—petty thieves or ruling mobsters—that need to be called out and corrected. No doubt there were even wealthy believers who may not have thought twice about taking from others—or withholding from them.
Paul gives special instruction to Timothy in regard to rich believers (1 Timothy 6:17-18, NIV):
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
Not all the rich, but enough that Paul and James felt the need to give directives, even rebuke, to those rich who were not acting righteously toward their brothers in Christ. It is not just the poor, but even some of the wealthy members of the church may have been stealing!
Perhaps it is another kind of person Paul has in mind here. The lazy son. Or daughter. Back in the time of the Judges, there was a man named Micah, and he stole 1,100 shekels of silver from his mother. Micah does not appear to be a young child, but a full-grown man, with his own household. We know he stole it, because when he heard his mother utter a curse regarding the theft, he “fessed up” and returned the silver. The rest of the story is no better. You can read about it in Judges 17 and 18.
The Law, interestingly, has instruction for those parents who have such a child:
If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. They shall say to the elders, "This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a profligate and a drunkard." Then all the men of his town shall stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid. (Deuteronomy 21:18-21, NIV)
“He is a profligate and a drunkard.” He wastes his life on his sensual pleasures. Not unlike the “Prodigal Son.” Can you imagine turning in your son to be put to death because he wouldn’t listen to you but instead was wasting his life? Yeah, sometimes love makes you coddle evil, especially if it abides in your own child.
These lazy, pleasure-seeking children steal from their parents, mooching off them instead of working to earn their keep. They too need this word from Paul!
And perhaps there is yet one other: The one who has discovered he can make a good living off of begging, instead of working productively. I’m sure you all know or have heard that not all who beg are actually poor. I have not looked for any research, but have only heard of anecdotes. Some beggars are very well off. Many prefer begging to actual work.
I spent some time driving for one of those ride-hailing apps. One morning I was called to an apartment complex on the southwest side of Cedar Rapids. A middle-aged lady came out the door with several heavy bags in tow. I helped her load her bags, then drove her to her destination: A large strip mall near Hiawatha. I helped her carry her bags to a local store, where she stashed them just inside the door, out of the way. After that, I took my leave, stopped to buy something elsewhere in the shopping center, then on my way out, I saw her standing at the street corner with a sign, asking for money. I’m not saying she was rich, but she had the means to use a ride-hailing app, and it was a pretty good profit for me!
There are those who are able to work, but choose not to. Rather, they would prefer to beg for money and live off whatever they can make. I mean, you’re your own boss! You can set your own hours! There are also those who are addicted to alcohol or drugs, who could work, but for their addiction. Some of them choose to beg rather than seek victory.
If they claim to believe in Jesus, Paul’s instruction here is for them.
Each one doubtless has their justification. But the only excuse that would fly—at least among men—would be desperate circumstances, against which there seemed no release. Though, sadly, there are even those in leadership in some churches who would gladly turn a blind eye toward those who shared with them their spoils, even if ill-gotten.
Paul is saying here that no theft of any kind is permissible by any true member of Jesus’ church. “He who has been stealing must steal no longer.” You’d think they would have understood that when they first heard the Gospel. Apparently, they didn’t. And so we have this command.
But surely no one in here needs to hear this, right?
Work
28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands...
There is a picture of true repentance in Paul’s instruction here. Paul specifically mentions that they must “work, doing something useful with his own hands.”
The thief once used his hands—and perhaps bragged at how dexterous those hands were—to take from others. Now Paul commands them to work, doing something useful with those hands. That’s a 180° turn, from using their hands to do wrong to using those same hands to do “something useful.”
That’s not to say manual labor is the only honorable kind of work, but more a contrast with what they’ve been doing with their hands—stealing! And perhaps an acknowledgment that they may not have the skills to do something requiring greater qualifications. But in the process of doing something useful, they can learn new, useful skills and go even further.
Those who have been unwilling to lift a hand to provide for themselves—though perhaps they were very skilled at lifting drinks or drugs to their faces, or rolling dice or shuffling cards or blazing through video games—the lazy gluttons who did little or nothing to benefit their parents or family now need to use those same hands to do “something useful.” Ah, but if they can win at the roulette table or gain enough followers on their gaming stream, then they could provide amazingly for their family and friends!
Paul has an even bigger vision than just providing for family and friends!
In the meantime, until they make it big or strike it rich, they’re freeloading off their parents and family while they build their skills. Are they making any kind of return for what they’re taking? That’s at least a small part of what Paul is talking about here.
Or the false poor, those who beg but are actually capable of working. They’re freeloading off the generosity of others, holding out their hands to receive a gift without working for it. Instead, they need to use those hands to work productively, producing something useful with their own hands. They might not be able to make as much money, but that should never have been the goal! It’s not about getting rich, but doing something useful—and perhaps a bit more.
Or the rich. They need to stop doing all they can to collect wealth and, as Paul told Timothy, they need to “do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share” (1 Timothy 6:18, NIV). They need to stop using their hands and their head to gather riches and start using their own hands to share with others.
None of you fall into any of these categories, right? All of you are working, all of you are doing something useful with your hands, to the best of your ability. But this isn’t just about gainful employment. It is even more about a heart change, a new vision for your life and a new reason for working for a wage.
Keep in mind: These are instructions to the church, to believers—not to unbelievers. Unbelievers may cheat and deceive and steal and rob, but anyone who professes to follow Christ absolutely must not do such things. And those who have a genuine need, we need to help according to their genuine need.
Share with the Needy
28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
Ah, there is a teaching in this verse for you and me, even if we’re not stealing from others. Paul’s instruction is that these former thieves work, doing something useful with their own hands—and then he points to the most important criteria for discerning whether our efforts are “useful” or not. He says that the once-thieves among us should work productively so that they may have something to share with those in need.
People are the criteria by which we judge the usefulness of our work and the value of our working. The goal of our labor—whatever work we do—should not just be to provide for our own needs. That is absolutely a part of it! But even more, we should aim to have an excess so that we can share with others. Then, in all our labor, we are able to be of benefit to those in need.
Perhaps when you hear that, you think, “Wow! I’m barely scraping by, and now Pastor Mark is telling me I need to make even more money? So I can share with those in need? There aren’t enough hours in the day already!”
That’s not what Pastor Mark or even the Apostle Paul is teaching you. Remember that this instruction is primarily given to those who used to steal—but all of us get to listen in and learn a lesson from it. They’re probably not going to go right out and get amazing jobs that pay incredible salaries. The best job they might be able to land is a minimum wage job, flipping burgers at the local burger joint—which pays pretty good these days! But they’re not going to become overnight millionaires! They’re not even going to jump right into the middle-class. They’ll probably just be scraping by.
In truth, the ability to be generous with others doesn’t depend on your income, but on your expenses. No matter what your job is, no matter what your income is, you can have excess to share with others if you keep your expenses inside of your income. It’s that simple.
I’m sure among the people in this room, we have or have had incomes that are pretty comfortable, greater than the national average, especially if you’ve been a two-wage-earner household. Even as missionaries, we came close! But if you’re like me, I’ll bet none of you ever considered yourself rich. You’ve probably often struggled to make ends meet. Do you realize that that has more to do with all the things we think we need to live and “thrive” rather than with all the things we actually need?
We should work to provide for ourselves and for our families—but what does that actually mean? What do we need to provide? Do you realize that everyone has a different standard in mind when we talk about “providing for our families,” perhaps unspoken, maybe you’re not even conscious of your expectations?
For the man with a wife and three kids living in a mud hut halfway around the world, it means enough rice or corn to make soup for at least one meal a day. It means a set of clothes to wear while the other gets washed—that’s a luxury in some parts of the world. Did you ever notice how significant a gift a “change of clothes” was in the Old Testament? For our friend across the globe, maybe providing for his family means the ability to pay school fees for at least one of his kids to go to school.
I have a running conversation with a rural pastor in Uganda and a couple others in India. You’d be surprised what needs they have. They’re praying for things we never think twice about! Check out Compassion International and see what they are trying to provide for the poor in all parts of the world.
We struggle to make ends meet not because we don’t have enough income, but because we find that there are so many “wants” that have become “needs.” And our excess income is eaten up in chasing those wants—we even go into debt to obtain them.
You and I may not be stealing from anyone, but how do we view our money and possessions? Do we only think about the things we can do for ourselves with all our money? Have you ever thought about all the things you have or want that you could do without? And if you did without them, how much extra income would you have rattling around your bank account?
Understand the difference between needs and wants. Even Jesus said His Father only promises to take care of our food, drink and clothing (Matthew 6:25-34)! Not even a house!
Your house, my house, they’re filled with all kinds of things we don’t actually need. They’re filled with more clothes than we need or can wear. More books than we can read. More knick-knacks than we can keep dusted.
How many TVs do we really need? How many cars? How new do they have to be? Do we really need to buy a new Easter outfit every year? Or a new Christmas outfit? Maybe because we keep eating too much, so we need to buy ever larger sizes!
No matter how poor you and I think we are, we are actually so rich! Beyond most of the world’s wildest imaginations! That’s why we’re such a draw for immigrants. Maybe once it was for our freedom, for our justice and righteousness. But mostly now it’s to get rich! It’s to become as rich as our poor, which is a huge step up for so many in the world.
You may not have the latest and the greatest New Thing™! But look at our homes, look at our property. We have closets and basements and storage sheds filled with things we haven’t seen for ages and don’t even remember we own!
Why? Why do we need all that stuff? It’s easy to point the finger at the hoarders on TV, but do we realize we’re actually just like them? Just because our house isn’t filled to the rafters with trash doesn’t mean we’re not also hoarding things we don’t need. Are we in fact finding security in Jesus Christ and the hope of eternity in His kingdom? Or are we putting our hope in the wealth of our possessions gathered around us?
What are we trusting in? And even better, who are we benefiting by storing up all these treasures on earth?
When we think of Jesus’ words, “Sell all you have and give to the poor,” we usually think of the rich, young ruler. And so we think it has nothing to do with us. We couldn’t be more wrong!
Luke records Jesus directing those same words to all His disciples, all those who were following Him, not just the Twelve (Luke 12:33)!
This concept of having our resources ready and available to those in need—by giving it away to those already in need!—is the heart of God’s teaching to mankind. It is the second greatest commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39, NIV). We’re not condemned for using and enjoying the things of this world, but that is not what God intended our lives to be! Paul perhaps says it even clearer in 1 Corinthians 7:
What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. (1 Corinthians 7:29-31, NIV)
There is an urgency in what Paul wrote there. But that was 2,000 years ago! And “everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:4, NIV). That’s supposed to be what the unbelievers say—not what we as believers say!
Time apparently wasn’t as short as Paul thought! Jesus still hasn’t returned, and generation after generation have lived and hoarded and died, leaving houses full of treasure to the next generation. That’s how we think and that’s how we live.
Today, time is short! But of course, you’ll can discount me saying so. Perhaps you think there’s still another 2,000 years. Or 10,000 years. Or billions, like the unbelievers say.
This lifetime may be the only chance we have to shower our kids and grandkids with all kinds of good things: sports activities, fun toys, terrific vacations. Because if they do not care about Jesus Christ, if they do not love Him and seek after Him to know Him and to do His will, then at the end of their days they will enter an eternity of torment. They won’t console themselves by remembering all the good times they had or the good things you gave them. They’ll be consumed with their pain and their anger at God for condemning them.
This lifetime is actually the only chance we have of storing up treasure for Heaven. This lifetime is the only chance we have of helping our family and friends and strangers believe in Jesus. This lifetime is the only chance they have of gaining entry to eternity with God.
If you really love your kids and grandkids, then you need to be teaching them by word and by example how vital it is they settle their eternity with Christ—and prepare well for their dwelling in God’s kingdom. This lifetime is the only chance we and they have to store up treasure in heaven. We’re so concerned about our comfort here, but what about there? Do you want to end up with a room in heaven without furnishing? Surely God wouldn’t do that. Would He?
What, then, is the point of this treasure Jesus tells us to store up there? If it means nothing, why tell us?
Do we think, “Hey, I’ve got my place in heaven secured! That’s all I need! I can live the rest of my earthly life for the joys and pleasures of earth!”
If that’s what we or those we love think, then they don’t love or understand Jesus. They don’t care what He thinks. They don’t understand what He died for. Because He’s the one who told us NOT to store up treasures on earth, but to store them up in Heaven. Does He know what He’s talking about? Do you want to receive a joyful welcome from your Master in Heaven? Or do you just want to squeak in by the skin of your teeth, so you can invest all your heart and thoughts and efforts on enjoying the things of this life?
“Investing for eternity” means foregoing many of the pleasures of this life in order to spend our time and treasure doing what matters to God. Just like any other kind of investing.
Your “life does not consist in the abundance of [your] possessions” (Luke 12:15, NIV)! What our life does consist in is the abundance of our interactions with people. God doesn’t keep a record of the things you’ve purchased and sold or the money you’ve earned and spent over your lifetime. He keeps a record of our good and our evil—and all of that traces back to how we have treated God and how we have treated this person and that person and the other person.
You store up treasure in heaven by walking in obedience to God’s commands, which means caring more about other people, especially that they know the Lord Jesus and walk in His ways. That should be your all-consuming desire for yourself, for your children and for your grandchildren. You don’t just try to get them to pray the “sinner’s prayer.” That’s not salvation! You don’t just try to get them into church, as if that’ll make them safe.
You and I need to start believing that Heaven so real that it’s the only thing to live for, and storing up treasure there is how we live for it. We set the example that believing in Jesus means believing that He is God and Lord and King, and so we had better do anything and everything He says, whether we like it or not!
Oh, but we don’t do so simply out of fear, but out of delight, knowing He will reward us for whatever good we do in accordance with His commands. And you know what? One of the biggest expressions of our faith is what we do with our money!
So what does Paul teach the former thieves in this church? Work so as to provide for your needs, and so that you can share with others. It’s not just a matter of paying back what they stole. It is a whole mindset shift, from making money to spend on themselves to making money to provide their genuine needs and having extra to help others know and believe in Jesus.
Stop and consider your bank account. How do you use all the money that comes in? Where does it get spent? How much is spent on yourself? How much is spent on family and friends, for their temporal pleasure? How much is spent on helping others know God and meet pressing needs out of love for them, in order to share the love of Christ with them?
There are lots of charities out there, but they don’t all tell people clearly about Jesus! Even among the so-called “Christian” charities. The non-Christian charities are quite often very hostile to the very thought of Jesus!
Are you investing in truly God-honoring ministries? Gospel-proclaiming ministries? They may be helping people in material ways, like Compassion International, ensuring one nutritious meal a day, helping with education, teaching hygiene, but also very deliberately teaching children and their families about Jesus. Are you giving toward ministries like that? If not, stop wasting your money on charities that care nothing about the salvation of souls. Redirect your funds to support groups like Compassion or Samaritan’s Purse or a truly Christian missionary!
Rob God?
Maybe you’re not stealing from anyone. You’re taking care of all your own needs and the needs of your family. But are you giving God His due? Or are you withholding what He deserves? Listen to God, through the prophet Malachi:
"I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty. "But you ask, 'How are we to return?' Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty. (Malachi 2:6-12, NIV)
Tithes and offerings. You know, God commanded that we give Him—to His servants and His dwelling place—a tenth of all He blesses us with. Ah, but you say that’s an Old Testament thing. Sure. So is “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5). And, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18) So are the Ten Commandments. Are we free to blow those off because they were given before Jesus?
Do you realize that Jesus never abolished the tithe? Paul’s writings in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 don’t teach about tithes; those are a special gift, a special offering to the needy in Jerusalem. And yes, we should even give our tithe willingly, gladly, not under compulsion but in gratitude for all God has done for us!
Actually, Jesus cranked up His expectations: He doesn’t just want 10%; He wants everything! He commanded us to sell everything and give to the poor. His calls us to let go of the worries and cares of this life and live for His kingdom and righteousness—and His Great Commission. We’re supposed to care far more about people and whether they’ve heard of Jesus and whether they’re walking in His ways. More than anything, we should want all people everywhere to know Jesus and love Him and walk in His ways, so that they can receive an incredible welcome when they meet Him face to face. And we show our commitment to Christ’s cause and concern for souls by literally “putting our money where our mouth is!”
Isn’t that what you want for your children and grandchildren? To see them enter into Christ’s presence and receive from Him a “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!” (Matthew 25:21, NIV) You know, all the things you want them to enjoy in this life will be available for at least a thousand years during the reign of Christ—as long as those things are not sinful!
Look again at your finances. Are you giving the bare minimum of 10% to God through His appointed ministers and ministries? The organizations who are truly sharing the Gospel, even if they’re also doing other work? Or the local church? Are you helping provide for the upkeep of this place in which we’re privileged to meet? Would you like a dedicated shepherd—whether me or someone else—one whose time and heart is torn in multiple directions? “The worker deserves his wages” (Luke 10:7, NIV). Even if those wages are nothing more than food, drink and a place to stay in your home!
And yes, pastors need to leave off pursuing wealth just as surely as all the rest of God’s people. I’m finally—suddenly—in a position to cut back hours at my second job, because our family expenses just dropped by a chunk. I don’t need to be rich. I don’t need a big house or a new...ish car. I can even trade down to a smaller car now that our camper is sold. I would rather have more of my time freed up to do the work of God and live to advance His kingdom. I’ll gladly take a pay cut for that! But I still hope to have an excess so I can give above and beyond a tithe of my income.
Conclusion
All this time you thought Paul was talking to others. Those people who are either poorer than us or richer than us, who are lazier than us or way smarter. They take advantage of the weak or the unobservant. They live by robbery or enjoy it as a hobby. But not us. I do hope it is not us.
But if we are not even giving God a tenth of our increase, we are robbing God. And we are showing where our trust truly lies. We can’t afford to give God His rightful share, because we’ve already spent it on ourselves, our families, our luxuries, our pleasures. If that is the case, today is the day to repent.
Perhaps you think you’re enjoying so many good things, it’s obvious God is blessing you. But God didn’t promise through Malachi that He would bless you with comfort—and a whole lot of debt or struggling to make ends meet. That’s actually a sign of God withholding blessing! We just struggle in such comfort, surrounded by such luxuries, we don’t see it as a curse.
God actually promised to bless you so richly that you wouldn’t have room for it! Not so you could build bigger barns to store it away and kick back and relax (Luke 12:15-21)—but so that you could abundantly, generously, lavishly share with others, the way God has lavished His grace and love on you (Ephesians 1:7-8).
He never wanted you to be fixated on the material blessings, but on the joy of sharing with others, of building community and blessing those in need—until God willing, there remained no one in need.
Ultimately, this promise will find fulfillment when Christ reigns for a thousand years. But will you be there? Or does this world own your heart and soul? Again, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money” (Matthew 6:24, NIV). Who is your master? I trust you all claim God as your Lord and Master. But what does your bank account say? Does something else own your allegiance? Are you entrusting your life to something else?