Robbery, Stealing, and a Neighbour’s Honour

The priests and Pharisees murmured among themselves and said: 'He hath the wisdom of Baal and Ashtaroth, and so in the power of Satan hath he done this.'

Jesus opened his mouth and said: 'Our God commanded that we should not steal our neighbour's goods. But this single precept hath been so violated and abused that it hath filled the world with sin, and such sin as shall never be remitted as other sins are remitted: seeing that for every other sin, if a man bewail it and commit it no more, and fast with prayer and almsgiving, our God, mighty and merciful, forgiveth. But this sin is of such a kind that it shall never be remitted, except that which is wrongly taken be restored.

Then said a scribe: 'O master, how hath robbery filled all the world with sin? Assuredly now, by the grace of God, there are but few robbers, and they cannot show themselves but they are immediately hanged by the soldiery.'

Jesus answered: 'Whoso knoweth not the goods, they cannot know the robbers. Nay, I say unto you verily that many rob who know not what they do, and therefore their sin is greater than that of the others, for the disease that is not known is not healed.'

Then the Pharisees drew near to Jesus and said: 'O master, since thou alone in Israel knowest the truth, teach thou us.'

Jesus answered: 'I say not that I alone in Israel know the truth, for this word "alone" appertaineth to God alone and not to others. For he is the truth, who alone knoweth the truth. Wherefore, if I should say so I should be a greater robber, for I should be stealing the honour of God. And in saying that I alone knew God I should be falling into greater ignorance than all. Ye, therefore, committed a grievous sin in saying that I alone know the truth. And I tell you that, if ye said this to tempt me, your sin is greater still.'

Then Jesus, seeing that all held their peace, said again: 'Though I be not alone in Israel knowing the truth, I alone will speak; wherefore hearken to me, since ye have asked me.

'All things created belong to the Creator, in such wise that nothing can lay claim to anything. Thus soul, sense, flesh, time, goods, and honour, all are God's possessions, so that if a man receive them not as God willeth he becometh a robber. And in like manner, if he spend them contrary to that which God willeth, he is likewise a robber. I say, therefore, unto you that, as God liveth in whose presence my soul standeth, when ye take time, saying: "To-morrow I will do thus, I will say such a thing, I will go to such a place," and not saying: "If God will," ye are robbers.

'Whoso committeth sin, be he of what fashion he will, is a robber; for he stealeth time and the soul and his own life, which ought to serve God, and giveth it to Satan, the enemy of God.'

'The man, therefore, who hath honour, and life, and goods—when his possessions are stolen, the robber shall be hanged; when his life is taken, the murderer shall be beheaded. And this is just, for God hath so commanded. But when a neighbour's honour is taken away, why is not the robber crucified? Are goods, forsooth, better than honour? Hath God, forsooth, commanded that he who taketh goods shall be punished and he that taketh life with goods shall be punished, but he that taketh away honour shall go free? Surely not; for by reason of their murmuring our fathers entered not into the land of promise; but only their children. And for this sin the serpents slew about seventy thousand of our people.

'As God liveth in whose presence my soul standeth, he that stealeth honour is worthy of greater punishment than he that robbeth a man of goods and of life. And he that hearkeneth to the murmurer is likewise guilty, for the one receiveth Satan on his tongue and the other in his ears.'

The Pharisees were consumed with rage at hearing this, because they were not able to condemn his speech.