When people are about to travel abroad, they often ask me what they should be most vigilant about. “Don’t drink the water, don’t eat anything raw that doesn’t have a peel, and beware of pickpockets!” I’ve accompanied too many groups that ignored the first two. In Ethiopia, one team member inadvertently moistened his toothbrush with tap water. He did not have a pleasant flight home—neither did anyone seated near him. A group I led in Ukraine became violently ill. I discovered they ate slaw, not remembering slaw was just cut-up raw cabbage. Yet, I couldn’t emphasize enough that people watch out for a thief. A pickpocket can spoil and inconvenience an entire trip. You can lose money, credit cards, passport, and visa. They can take your property and be gone before you realize it.
Jesus cautioned about spiritual thieves. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy (Jn 10:10a). Here, He is contrasting this with what He gives us; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly (v10b). The word thief is the Greek word kleptēs, from which we get the English word kleptomaniac. It gives the picture of a bandit, pickpocket, or thief so artful they can steal your valuables and go completely undetected.
Before examining this verse, let me ask, who is the thief Jesus is warning about? I’m sure the majority said what I’ve always heard—the Devil. However, the Devil does not appear anywhere in this passage when considering the context. Jesus, the good shepherd, directly responded to the Pharisees for mistreating one of His sheep, the blind man He healed on the Sabbath. Jesus clearly identified the religious leaders as thieves. Jesus also added that they weren’t the first to steal from God’s sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers (Joh 10:8). Even though the Devil isn’t the thief Jesus is charging, throughout the Bible, Satan exhibits these evil characteristics. He uses men, even religious leaders, to carry out his agenda.
It does not satisfy a spiritual thief merely to take the blessings God gives us. He plans to kill you, which has nothing to do with killing in terms of murder. To fully understand this, we must examine the word used for kill. It refers to the sacrificial giving of an animal on the altar. We can also translate this word to sacrifice, surrender, or give up something precious and dear to you. If the thief hasn’t already taken all your blessings, he will try to convince you that you must give up everything not already taken.
An evangelist came to our church to raise money for one of his projects. It was a worthwhile venture. But here is his last plea after a tear-jerking sermon. “I want you to write me a check for all the money in your bank account. Tomorrow, go and borrow an amount of money far beyond your means. Then send it for this project. Show your faith and trust God to give it back to you ten or even a hundredfold.” He may have claimed to be a church leader, but he really was a thief trying to kill us by manipulating people to give him all their blessings. This would also destroy us when the hundredfold didn’t come. The thief cannot bear the fact that you possess any kind of blessing.
The thief also comes to destroy. It pictures something ruined, wasted, trashed, and devastated. This kind of thief’s ultimate goal is to obliterate you to the point you end up feeling as if you are finished and out of business! A perfect contemporary example is Kim Jong Un and what he did to his uncle, whom he accused of treason. The leader ordered him brutally executed (some report it was with a rocket). They killed his entire family. Officials destroyed everything written about him and any trace the uncle ever lived. Soldiers destroyed the 500-acre theme park Jang Song Thaek built for the nation. Today you will find no evidence the man even existed. This horrific act of evil pictures the meaning of the word, destroy, and vividly shows what thieves desire for us.
An extended translation: “The thief wants to get his hands into every good thing in your life. In fact, this pickpocket is looking for any opportunity to wiggle his way so deeply into your personal affairs that he can walk off with everything you hold precious and dear. And that’s not all — when he’s finished stealing all your goods and possessions, he’ll take his plan to rob you blind to the next level. He’ll create conditions and situations so horrible that you’ll see no way to solve the problem except to sacrifice everything that remains from his previous attacks. The goal of this thief is to totally waste and devastate your life. If nothing stops him, he’ll leave you insolvent, flat broke, and cleaned out in every area of your life. You’ll end up feeling as if you are finished and out of business! Make no mistake — the enemy’s ultimate aim is to obliterate you….” (Rick Renner).
The older I get, the more I realize the blessings thieves stole from me—some friends, colleagues, leaders, fellow believers, etc. Their methods happened through false teaching, hypocritical friendships, manipulating praise, jealousy, and selfish leadership.
Sustaining Word for the Week: Think about what the thief has picked from your spiritual pockets. Begin to reclaim God’s blessings.