As a kid any size TV was a good TV. But since they were prohibitively expensive, your family took what they could get, and you dreamed of one as good as the one at your friend’s house. Obviously, the Florida thief must have been trying to hurry along his childhood dream when he stole a 43-inch TV from a Walmart. He planned the heist like a professional—well, almost. He exited the store with his prize at exactly the moment that his accomplice arrived to whisk him away on a motor scooter. The video recording showed the scooter wobbling as the thief got on the back with TV in hand. Consequently, the TV slipped out of his hands, hit the ground and broke on impact. Not to be deprived of his newly acquired 43-inch TV, he leaned down, picked it up, and they rode off into the night. He went from criminal to clown in seconds. Though the TV may have been shattered, you can guarantee that his sense of entitlement remained intact. A stolen TV can hardly be compared to food stolen to feed hungry children.
However, some would think me rude for saying so. The heart that covets is father to the hand that steals. Jesus puts it best: “For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you” (Mark 7:21-23). Generally speaking, we usually just pray that our offender leaves his life of crime for better things. As nice as that is, what we really should be praying for is that whatever it takes, he will see the state of his heart and repent. It is then that the heart stops planning evil, and the hands start building a righteous life.
More articles, sermons and classes online at: morningsidechurchofchrist.org.nz
0 Comments