Stealing "Less" Is Still Stealing

7/16/2024

Many of you will recall “Kingdom Principle Number One”: “Lest any man boast.” (Ephesians 2)

Going into someone else’s house and stealing things, most would agree—is a really ugly idea.

Calling him “mean” because he doesn’t let you steal what’s only his—is a really ugly idea.

Being proud of the fact, or wanting recognition for “stealing less this month than I used to”—is a really ugly idea.

“Kingdom Principle Number One”: “Lest any man boast.”

“What do you have that you did not receive?”

Stealing less than we used to from Jesus’ house is still stealing. Calling Jesus mean because he doesn’t let you steal something of His, His glory, in order to have something for ourselves, is not an improvement, but still theft.

Not wanting to hear about that because He’s mean if we don’t get to steal from Him and we want to gradually stop stealing, so we can feel better about it, “I’m improving,” doesn’t really get a free pass. You can imagine.

Is this verse from Jesus “hard”? No, not at all. This is just the perspective of: what belongs to God, belongs to God. We don’t get to use Him to steal stuff for ourselves.

And in context, a few exercise this kind of faith that everything belongs to Him, and we’re not using Him to get things for ourselves, He said then you will find out what the universe is made out of: the universe is made out of God and God alone. That’s how mountains get thrown into the sea, not “being somebody” or “being recognized” or “getting stuff for yourself...” But dying to yourself and just trusting. A.k.a. Faith.

This is not Jesus being “hard.” This is Jesus insisting that we see the universe properly, or we are not playing church and playing God to get things for ourselves, but are instead all in for Jesus “no matter what happens to us.”

That’s where the good stuff is. That’s where mountains (and mulberry trees, whatever that is :)) get thrown into the sea.

Read this carefully and please take it to heart when you’re viewing yourself, viewing others around you, and viewing God. We can’t be stealing from his house a little less and feel good about that. Let’s just stop stealing?

So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat?’ But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink?’ Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”