Contemplative Bible Reading

Leviticus 6:4-5 (New Living Translation)

4 If you have sinned in any of these ways, you are guilty. You must give back whatever you stole, or the money you took by extortion, or the security deposit, or the lost property you found, 5 or anything obtained by swearing falsely. You must make restitution by paying the full price plus an additional 20 percent to the person you have harmed.

These verses are from the old law. That old law has fine detail about this and that and just about anything you could think of. And people had to know and obey and keep track of everything.

These verses contain a simple principle: if you take from someone, you have to give back what you took and a little more. The “little more” here is specified as 20%.

It isn’t enough to be even or give back what you took. You have to give more. Why more? Why not make it even and call it a day? No harm, right?

No. Sin costs something. Here it costs 20% more. Hurting someone else costs something. Putting someone through suffering of loss costs something.

This is tough. I mean, I said I was sorry, I gave a formal apology, isn’t that enough? No it wasn’t and it isn’t.

Well, how do we do all this? How do we live together and wrong one another and pay back everything plus 20%? Where am I going to get that extra 20%?

The questions go on and on. Solutions? Well, to start, don’t steal, don’t hurt the other person. Don’t sin. Don’t sin? (yet another question)

How about we do something instead of not do something. Instead of not steal and not all those other things, let’s love. Let’s live in justice and righteousness. Let’s be right before God and other folks. Please God, help me in my unbelief.