I was born in the countryside where every household has a field to cultivate. Our village planted mostly soybeans and cotton, which are economic crops and can be sold for good profits. But as you might expect, I was not interested in those at all, and I often asked my mother to plant some crops that we could eat at home, such as tomatoes, watermelon, or corn. However, my mother always had her plan for cultivation and so she never paid attention to my request.
One summer day when I was only eight years old, the sky was still bright when I came home from school. My mom and dad were not at home because they usually worked in the fields until it was almost dark. I decided to go outside and look for them in the field, but I could not remember the exact location of my family’s field. I could only remember the direction that my parents walked when they went to work each day. So, I crossed the bridge along a country lane, and then came to the large expanse of fields cultivated by all our village families.
At this time of day, there were not many people working in the fields, and I suddenly realized that I could not find our family field, nor my parents. Being so young, I started to cry. I was ready to go back home, but at that moment I noticed row after row of sweet corn that had not yet been picked. It looked like an entire forest of corn, and I said to myself, “So much corn! Picking just a small one would never be noticed.” And so, that’s just what I did, wrapping one ear of corn in my clothes, and then walking home as if nothing had happened. Conveniently, my parents were not there when I arrived, so I quickly boiled some water in a kettle on our stove and then threw the corn into the pot, expecting it to be ready soon. I knew that I had to eat this “evil” corn and leave no traces before my parents returned.
As time passed, I unexpectedly fell asleep on the couch. Suddenly, I felt someone grabbing my ears and lifting my head off the couch. How painful it was, and then I realized that my mother had returned home and that she had found the corn still in the kettle. She held the corn in front of my eyes and proceeded to scold me. As she did so, her face looked just like the cooked corn, bright yellow. I immediately thought to myself, “This corn is cooked and ready to eat, and even if I receive a severe beating, I can still enjoy the corn after the beating.”
My mom seemed to know what I was thinking and fortunately, I did not receive a beating. But what she made me do next was worse that a beating. She simply said, “This is Uncle Chan’s corn. You must tell him that you have stolen his corn and return it to him and apologize.” I said to her, “A small ear of corn, how could he ever know that it was missing from his field?” My mother reminded me that I must never steal from anyone, and that I must go and apologize to him for doing such a shameful thing.
I then asked her, “Should I go by myself?” My mom answered immediately, “Yes, you must go by yourself.” She pointed me in the direction of Uncle Chan’s house and then followed me from a distance as I walked. When I arrived, I was very nervous, but even more, I was ashamed. I was afraid to knock on his door, and I really wanted to leave the corn behind and run away. But I knew that my mother was standing on the street behind me, and so I had to brace myself and knock.
Uncle Chan came to the door, and I said, “I’m so sorry that I stole your corn. But… but… I have not taken even one bite. Here is your corn. It’s all cooked and ready for you to eat. I hope you can forgive me!” I stammered out these few words and then blushed. Uncle Chan was startled at what I told him, and then he said with a warm smile, “That’s all right. It’s just an ear of corn, and besides, we are relatives and neighbors! Please take it home to eat! I was even preparing to send some to your family just as soon as the corn is fully ripened!” I was so relieved, and I thanked him for forgiving me. But when I turned around to walk back home with the ear of corn still in my hand, my mother looked at me sternly, and I knew that even though I had apologized, I could not take the corn home and enjoy eating it. So, I stopped, turned back toward Uncle Chan, and gave him the ear of corn, and then ran home as fast as I could.
So many years have passed since this happened. Even though I can’t remember what my mother wore on that day, I will never forget the look of shame and disgust in her eyes. Her look has been engraved on my heart, and the emotional distress that I endured that day is always fresh in my mind. Even though Uncle Chan did not consider it a serious offense and easily forgave me, it took many years for me to understand why mother insisted on heaping such shame on me by making me admit that I had stolen other’s corn.
Now that I have grown up, I have come to realize the seriousness of stealing, reminding myself that stealing is stealing, whether one ear of corn or a dozen. I will never do such a shameful and unforgivable thing again! This internal warning has helped to shape my character to this day. Now, I won’t take anything that doesn’t belong to me, and I will never forget that “Taking other’s corn is just plain wrong.”
Additional Comments – At only eight years old, this student learned a valuable lesson about stealing. Whether a single ear of corn, or a dozen, she said that “stealing is stealing.” Of course, robbing a bank is far different than taking a pen from the supply cabinet at the office, but once again, she is right on target – “Stealing is stealing.”
Did you notice her words in the third paragraph? God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on the Mountain, and “Thou shalt not steal” is one of those Commandments. I doubt that she had ever read or even heard of the Ten Commandments, and yet, she knew quite well that stealing, even a single ear of corn, was wrong. Notice that she called that single ear of corn “this evil corn” and that she must leave no trace for her parents to discover her “crime.” Guilt had overwhelmed her from the moment she picked the corn and then hid it in her clothes as she walked back home.
The Apostle Paul makes it clear that even Gentiles (non-Jews who had never heard of God’s commandments) still knew the requirements of the Law. How can that be? Here is what Paul said,
“For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them” (Rom. 2:14-15, underlining mine).
This is God’s Law that is written on everyone’s heart, including yours and mine. Everyone “instinctively” knows what is right and wrong, and our own conscience bears witness to the fact that when we do something wrong, we feel a sense of “guilt” over it. Though her mother may have been a little harsh with her daughter, both before and after her apology to Uncle Chen, she was right in helping her daughter understand the seriousness of stealing. She knew that it was wrong in her heart, and her mother confirmed that fact and made her apologize.
If we are guilty of breaking even one of God’s commandments, we have sinned. Yes, whether just one or all ten, we have sinned against God and need to be forgiven by Him. Paul writes, “Aren’t you aware of God’s patience toward you, knowing that His kindness leads you to repentance” (Rom. 2:4)? God is patient and kind and wants us to simply acknowledge our sin and confess it to Him. The result is God’s full and complete forgiveness (1 Jn. 1:9), removing our transgressions from us “…as far as the east is from the west” (Ps. 103:12). If you have something to confess to Him, He is ready to hear about it and forgive you.
