CD - The Seventh Commandment - Matthew 7:12

The seventh commandment is “God’s Gift of Possessions.” Interesting, we often hear about how God owns and man owes. We often hear about how everything belongs to God and we are just using it. All these things are true and it is equally true that God gives us these possessions. How do we understand this? We understand this ownership, possession “stuff” in the same way that we understand ownership and possession in a family. A child talks about how it is his bedroom, his bed, his desk, his toys, etc. Did the child purchase these items? Are they really his? Certainly, the parents purchased all the things, the possessions which belong to the son, so they are his, yet they are also the possessions of the parent. In the same way, our Lord is a gracious gift giving God. He has given us everything. Yet, when we pass on from this earth, all these things will remain here to become the possessions of someone else, someone to whom the Lord will give them for them to use while they are on this earth.

The seventh commandments outlines, what we are not to do. We are not to take anything from anyone in anyway which is not appropriate. We are not to steal in anyway, by robbery, theft, cunning, usury, overcharging, borrowing without returning, laziness and so on. We are to be honest in all our dealings.

The seventh commandment is also full of the things we get to do. We get to help our neighbor. We get to rejoice when our neighbor improves his lot in life. We get to help our neighbor improve and protect his property, possessions and income. We get to help our neighbor also understand that all things, all that he has is a gift from the Lord. We get to help our neighbor rejoice and be thankful for all that the Lord has given to him. We get to help our neighbor in every need. This commandment reminds us that we are not in competition with our neighbor. We are not to see if we can keep up with our neighbor and begrudge them if they get something we do not have or something better than we have. We are to rejoice with them. What a wonderful witness we can make to our neighbor when we rejoice with them in their improving their property and lot.

What we get to do does however go against our very grain. We live in a capitalistic, materialistic, competitive world. We live in a world in which we would do well to “one-up” our neighbor rather than rejoice with them. Again, what a wonderful witness we can make when we do not follow the ways of the world, but instead follow the ways of the Lord and rejoice with our neighbor. But we do not do this rejoicing on our own, as if we could. No, it is by the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us that we are able to rejoice with our neighbor. And in so doing we will also fulfill Jesus command to us, “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Dear Lord, thank You for all that you give to me. Thank You for all that You see fit to give to my neighbor as well. Forgive me when I begrudge my neighbor of anything. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I might be able to rejoice with my neighbor and that I might be able to help him improve and protect his property and lot in life, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.