The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
September 4, 2005
In
This Issue:
Looting
by
Steve Klein
The
Path to Greatness
by
Jack Glover
Looting
Among the more disturbing things occurring in New Orleans this past week was the rampant looting of stores and homes that had been abandoned in the hurricane. Is it right for people who have been left destitute by a storm to take things that don't belong to them? Is it OK for them to take things so long as they are only taking necessities? Can they take things with the intention of coming back later and paying for them? What, if anything, should law enforcement do to stop the looting?
If you are like me, you've probably heard many different opinions in answer to these questions over the past few days. It is evident that some are confused about what is right and what is wrong, and that others just don't know what to think. As always, I am thankful to have God's word, which tells us what is right, what is wrong, and how we as God's people should think. Here are just a few observations from Scripture:
1. Robbing those who are already afflicted is wrong, and God will punish those who do it. "Do not rob the poor because he is poor, nor oppress the afflicted at the gate; for the LORD will plead their cause, and plunder the soul of those who plunder them" (Proverbs 22:22-23). "The LORD will enter into judgment with the elders of His people And His princes: 'For you have eaten up the vineyard; The plunder of the poor is in your houses'"(Isaiah 3:14).
2. People who steal food because they're starving should be made to make restitution. "People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving. Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; He may have to give up all the substance of his house" (Proverbs 6:30-32).
3. Instead of stealing from others, the person with the Spirit of Christ will work to have something to give to others. "Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need" (Ephesians 4:28).
4. If we love others we will not steal from them, covet what they have or do them any harm. "For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'You shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." (Romans 13:9-10).
5. The government has the God-given responsibility to use lethal force to protect good people from bad people. "For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil" (Romans 13:4).
As we live in this world filled with moral and ethical questions, let us always remember that "the word of the LORD is right" (Psalm 33:4).
--Steve Klein
Washed any feet lately? If I were to suggest that act as a path to greatness, would you think me foolish? Certainly, in our nation, foot washing does not denote the same thing that it did when Jesus lived, but He used the custom to teach a lesson about humility and greatness. In John 13:4-17, shortly before His death, Jesus took the opportunity of the Last Supper to teach several lessons. After washing the feet of the disciples, he asked, "Know ye what I have done to you"?
The disciples were men with worldly emotions and desires. Like us, they needed guidance and instruction. Some even desired to be elevated to positions of prominence in the kingdom (Mk. 10:35-37). What they failed to see, and what men still fail to see, is that Jesus' kingdom is different than any ruled by mere men.
To be elevated in it requires that we lower or abase ourselves, not seek the top positions (Mt. 20:25-28). From the beginning Jesus discouraged performing actions for the purpose of self-reward. "Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly" (Mt. 6:2-4).
Pride always has been a problem for man and an instrument of temptation used by Satan. He used it on Eve (Gen. 3:6) and uses it on us today with the same results (Prov. 16:18). That is why Jesus asked, "Know ye what I have done to you"? In one of His final acts, He was trying to get his disciples to see that greatness in the kingdom (church) comes from serving others.
It does not come from titles (Mt. 23:9). It does not come from works performed to impress others (Mt. 6:1). Greatness in the kingdom comes from service to others, humbly performed, without seeking the praise of men. "But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted" (Mt. 23:11-12).
The temptation to think of ourselves as better than others is present every day. Better jobs often come to those who will do anything to out maneuver others. Government leaders seek to humiliate their opponents by "digging up dirt." Our children face the problem in schools. And in the Lord's church men reject the commandments against gossip, holding grudges and resolving differences in love, instead choosing slanderous e-mails, articles and the proverbial friendly knife in the back.
All of us should heed Paul's warning in Galatians 5:15: "But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another."
God's view of greatness is different than man's (Mt. 20:25), so His requirement for greatness also is different (Mk. 10:43). Let us seek to do what God requires, "for, behold, your reward is great in heaven" (Lk. 6:20-23).
--Jack Glover