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Murder, Theft, Adultery

 

 You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal. (Exodus 20:13-15)

 

          These next three commandments list no specific person. We aren’t to murder anyone. We are not to commit adultery with anyone against anyone. We are not to steal from anyone. God gives each of us what we have. He gives life. He instituted marriage, meaning that even if one believes that God doesn’t pick spouses for each person, it still means that He gave the practice to them. God gives each person what they have.[1] We do not have the right to take what God has given to someone for our own purposes, just as we would not think another person has the right to take what we have for their own purposes.

          What more can really be said about these. Their logic is obvious, but so is the propensity for people to protest that they face special circumstances, and to mis define the terms.

          Murder is “The unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another. Courts issuing death penalties are not murdering the prisoner unless it can be shown that they are acting outside the law or using the law in an unlawful way. Just because someone is executed does not mean a murder has taken place. Murders involve people killing people. Dogs do not murder people, and people do not murder dogs. That doesn’t mean killing a dog is acceptable, just that it’s not murder.

          On the other side of the equation, Jesus made it clear that hating someone was as bad as murder. Wanting someone to be dead is murder. Telling someone to “Go to hell” is murder. The intent is there, even if the courage or skill is lacking.

          Jesus also points out that adultery involves more than just sex outside of marriage. Lusting after someone is just as bad because the intent is there, even if the courage or opportunity is lacking.

          And then, there’s stealing. I haven’t found a comment from Jesus about contemplating stealing being the same as stealing, but I suspect it is. We are in a nation of self-righteous thieves. They take what they want because they’re bored. They take things because they think no one gets hurt – insurance covers the loss. They take things because they think they’ve earned them from society at large, even if the store form which they take them is not their employer. They take them claiming it’s what they’re owed for some historical wrong committed against someone else. But, I’m willing to bet that if someone took what they had – even what they had stolen, they would not consider it the right of that thief to take from them.

          And again, the commands make perfect sense.


[1] That does not mean that the person receiving it handles it as he/she should, but their doing something wrong with it does not justify  your doing something wrong by taking it away without legal action.

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