The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1881, Page 18

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18 The Lutheran Pioneer

(For the ‘‘Lutheran Pioncer.’?
The Seventh Commandment.

Thou shalt not steal.

What does this mean?
We should fear and love God, that we may not
take our neighbor's money or goods, nor get it by
false ware or dealing; but help him to improve and

protect his property and business.
(Luther's Small Catechism.)

Everybody knows or ought to know that
burglars, robbers and pickpockets are thieves.
So I need not say anything about such people
as we all know they do a great sin. But are
those persons the only ones that steal? Let me
show you how a great many people steal though
they are not like the stealing people I just
named. A merchant, storekeeper or clerk
steals by charging too high profits, or by not
giving full weight and full measure to the
costumers, or by passing off damaged and
worthless goods on the unsuspecting buyer.—
Anyone employing servants or laborers be-
comes a wicked thief, if he pays his workmen
too small wages, or does not pay promptly and
holds the pay back so long that the workman
and his family must suffer. Read James 5, 4.,
Jeremiah 22, 13., Leviticus 19, 3.—A laborer
or a servant becomes a thief not only when he
takes and carries away what belongs to his
employer, but also when he willfully damages
or wastes his employer's tools or materials or
other property; if he or she stops work or
works but lazily, whenever the eye of the em-
ployer or overseer is not on them.—To borrow
and not return, to buy and not to pay, is plain
theft. Psalm 37,21. To damage borrowed
things and make no offer to pay for or to repair
the damage, is stealing.—Beggars steal what
they beg unnecessarily. Gamblers steal what
they win. He that refuses to pay taxes or
pays less than he ought, steals from his gov-
ernment. Everything found and not returned
to the owner is stolen. Read Exodus 23, 4. 5.

and Deuteronomy 22, 3. If you see your neigh-
bor’s property or goods going to waste, or being
damaged or carried away or destroyed, and you
fail to advise him of it and do not help him to
prevent damage and loss, you have stolen the
amount of the loss. If you cause anyone to
lose his situation, work, or contract, you steal
his daily bread from him. To set your fences
over the line, thus taking from your neighbor’s
ground, is stealing. The most shameless and
most wicked kind of stealing is to rob widows
and orphans either by stealing their own out-
right or cheating them out of it. To disturb
anyone while at work, to make anyone unable
to do his work and duty, to cause anyone un-
necessary Iabor and loss of time, is stealing
"money and time, for ‘‘time is money”’, and
time is a gift more precious than gold. ‘To be
lazy and idle, is stealing. “The idler steals the
bread he eats because he does not deserve it.
Read 2 Thessalonians 3, 10—12. To conceal
stolen goods or to know of anyone haying
stolen and not report it, is stealing. ‘‘Whoso

_ is partner with a thief hateth his own soul.’’

Would to God I were done now, but I am| distinctly shows this difference when, on one
not. I must say something of those that steal] oceasion, He assembled all His disciples about
with their hearts. To be jealous of our neigh-| Him and said to them: ‘‘Ye know that the
bor, because he owns this or that which we} princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over
have not, is stealing. The mere thought and| them, and they that are great exercise author-
intention to steal, is theft. And though no] ity upon them. But it shall not be so among you:
police will trouble us, if we steal thus with our} but whosoever will be great among you, let
hearts, yet there is One who knows and does| him be your minister; and whosoever will be
care. He says: Thou shalt not steal, not even| chief among you, let him be your servant.’
with thine heart. Matt. 20. Although then, the Apostles were

People steal with their eyes. That greedy and | just those who were to gather, build, and lead
covetous look, which shows the longing of the} the Church, He nevertheless gave no one any
heart to have that which the eye sees, is in| authority or an office, which would have made
itself stealing. It is through the eyes, too,}a master over the rest, and would have em-
that the develish thought to steal creeps into} powered him to order or to say anything offici-
man’s heart. Read about Achan and notice | ally, which the rest must obey.
how he was led to steal by what he saw, Joshua} He likewise does not even establish any supe-
7, 21. Do not steal! Thieves shall not in-| riority or subordination among the Apostles, but
herit the kingdom of God! 1 Corinthians 6,}says to them: ‘‘But be not ye called Rabbi;
9.10. But help your neighbor ‘‘to improve] for one is your master, even Christ; and all ye
and protect his property and business.’’ That} are brethren.’
is, give him your best, unselfish advice. Speak] He who wishes to be or to become a shep-
a kind word for him and recommend him to] herd in Christ’s kingdom, must then not desire
others. Assist him with loans, with presents, | to govern, but to serve and only to serve. But
with work and in any other way, that may|let him who does not wish to do this, rather
help to increase, better, and protect his prop-| remain away from this office, for he would only
erty and business. F. B. | perform the duties with great injury to himself

ao BA and the congregation, even if his intentions

(For the ‘‘Lutheran Pioneer’.) | Were ever so good. O let pastors remember

Christ, the Model of a true Pastor. that it is great, unmerited grace that the Lord
By Rev. H. Hanser. calls them into the service of His Church.

And should pastors then wish to govern there,
I where the Arch-shepherd Himself has served
r with His blood? Should they not gladly wish

HOW THE OFFICE OF A PASTOR I8 TO BE | to serve there, where the King of heaven and
REGARDED: of earth did not disdain to perform hard

If we look upon the model which Christ has| service?
given us, in order to learn, first of all, how the
office of a pastor is to be regarded, we find that
our dear Lord Jesus, although He is and was
a Lord of lords and of all things, nevertheless
acted as a servant; His whole life here on
earth was a service, and upon this service He
bestowed all, finally even His body and His
life. To this, His example, He also refers His
under-shepherds, the Apostles, when in Mark
10. He says to them: ‘‘For even the Son of man
came not to be ministered unto, but to minister,
and to give His life a ransom for many.” Yes,
in order to make this still more impressive to
His Apostles, He once girded himself with an
apron, took a basin in His hands, and in turn
washed and wiped the feet of the disciples, and.
said to them: ‘‘Know ye what I have done to
you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye
say well: for so I am. If I then your Lord
and Master have washed your feet, ye also| How constant and complete ought to be our
ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have preparations to meet our God! How near we
given you an example, that ye should do asIjare to the eternal world and how ceaseless
have done to you.” John 13. ought we to be to keep our lamps trimmed and

It is then, according to the model of Christ, | burning, waiting for the coming of our Lord!
above all certain that a pastor has no right to| Oh, unspeakable blessing, to be ready to go in
exercise ruling power, but is called to serve.| with Jesus when He calls us! Thus let us live,

The Lord Looketh on the Heart.

On or into the heart, God looks. Thou,
God, seest me. He seeth not as man seceth.
This must be frightful news toa bad man. The
fact that there is no place in the heart—no
thoughts in the heart—no secret thing in the
heart—from which the lightning-piercing eye
of God is excluded. It even sees all the heart’s
motives. In view of this, how terrible the day
of exposure in which the heart shall be laid
bare. The light of an eternal day is to stream
upon it. The hand of God is to tear away
every rag which covers it. We are to be seen
just as we are. Deceptions, subterfuges, lies.
are not current things then.

That which in a temporal kingdom is entirely | with our hearts ever fixed on Christ; and then, -

in order, namely that those who stand at the| whoever of us is called first—for we must g0
head govern, but the rest obey, is in Christ’s| alone—it matters but little, for we will meet in
kingdom nothing but disorder. The Lord also| heaven and spend eternity together.

Or ee