The Perfect Crime
Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 27:14-26
"There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known." Luke 12:2
This is the true story of a bank robber. But this robber didn't burst into the bank with a gun and grab cash from a frightened teller. No, this robber was a bank employee, responsible for calculating the interest the bank paid to depositors each month. And from every customer, every month, he took a small fraction of a penny and deposited it into his own account.
In some ways it was the perfect "victimless" crime. The bank's customers never noticed the small amounts that were missing. The bank itself continued to make lots of profits. For years, the employee got away with his scheme, and because it was a large bank with many customers, he was able to steal thousands of dollars monthly. The bank finally stumbled onto this scheme accidentally--or it might still be happening today.
In our Scripture for today, we read of sins that are more specific than the Ten Commandments--and some of them might be considered "perfect crimes." They are done in secret, or with an accomplice who also profits from the crime. They are done to victims like the blind or powerless. But in God's eyes there is no such thing as a "perfect crime." Jesus warned his followers that even the person most skilled at hiding sin will not escape exposure to God's all-knowing mind.
How about you? Any hidden sins in your closet?
Father God, we confess to you what you already know--the sins we try to hide. Forgive all our sins, including the secret ones, we pray, and turn us back to your ways. Amen.
About the author — Fred Bultman
Fred Bultman began a “second career” as a pastor in 1997, after a first career in the banking business. He served as pastor to congregations in the U.S. and Canada. In retirement, he continues to enjoy sharing in the ministry of the churches in and around his home in Fremont, Michigan.
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