June 28

He Who Has Been Stealing Must Steal No Longer

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

Ephesians 4:25-28      

In some societies and under certain circumstances, the negative command not to steal and the positive exhortation to work with one’s hands are mutually exclusive—that is, if the hands have already been cut off as punishment for stealing. Stealing is a grave offense in African societies, and thieves are sometimes punished almost as severely   murderers. Mika Banzako of Zaire, was one of those who experienced the harsh penalty of being branded a thief.

Mika was a compulsive thief who had been apprehended and imprisoned for his crimes, but in prison he stole from other prisoners and the guards. Local authorities did not know how to stop him. The only solution, the local magistrate insisted, was to cut off his arm, a punishment more severe than the old, now outlawed, practice of cutting off the hand. Chloroform was used to deaden the pain, and male nurses were ordered to perform the mutilation of amputating Mika’s left arm at the shoulder.

The loss of an arm did not deter Mika. His old ways continued until he was caught breaking into the home of a government official. Again he was imprisoned, and this time warned that if he was caught stealing, his right arm would also be cut off. Fear gripped Mika, and for a time he controlled his urge to steal, but soon he was back to his old ways. The threatened punishment became reality, and Mika was forced to endure the agony of having his remaining arm amputated.

Amazingly, Mika adapted. He learned to eat and dress himself, using wires held in his mouth. He also learned to steal with his mouth. One night he was in a chicken house stealing eggs when the householder discovered him. He outran his pursuers, but a sense of failure overwhelmed him. What was the use of living? He contemplated suicide.

As he approached a nearby town, he heard singing and saw great crowds of people surrounding a platform. Curiosity brought him closer until he could hear the voice of John Makanza, the country’s most well-known evangelist. At the close of his message, John made an appeal to those who wanted to turn their lives around—to make a completely fresh start—and commit their lives to Christ. It was the message Mika needed. He was ready for a drastic change, but how could he make that known? The evangelist was asking people to raise their hands. But suddenly he looked Mika in the eye, and asked him directly, if he wanted to receive Christ as his Savior. Mika nodded, and he went on to live a changed life. ²⁸