Teddy is a Thief

Teddy is a thief. To be more specific he is a food thief. Let those who leave their plates unattended beware, Teddy will not spare you the agony of an empty stomach. He cares little that you will go to bed hungry, as he licks his lips with the morsel meant for you. He is an unrepentant burglar of biscuits and such.

Jesus sat with the disciples at the Last Supper and made an astonishing prediction. He flatly stated, “one of you will betray me.” The air must have gone out of the room at that point leaving His followers aghast. They had followed Him through thick and thin only to have someone in the group sell out to the highest bidder. A weak link was among them and the chain was destined to break. Sorrow filled the room as the men struggled to process what their Master had just prophesied.

The question they asked next intrigues me. The disciple inquired, “Is it I?” Up to this point, most of their insights and questions lacked a basic understanding of Jesus’ mission, but on this occasion, there was a wholesale display of spiritual growth within the group. They did not ask, “Is it him?” No finger-pointing occurred in the upper room. The disciples were beginning to see, within their own hearts, the potential of betrayal. This is progress in the right direction.

Back to our “Teddy thief.” My daughter-in-law, Rebekah, had just sat down to enjoy her dinner when she realized she needed sauce to accompany her pork chop. Leaving her plate, she walked to the fridge to hunt some BBQ sauce. It is then that the evil deed took place. Silently, her little dog Teddy, hopped up on her chair and began feasting on the unattended meat. My son, who was sitting in an adjoining room heard the hollowing cry, “He’s got my pork chop!” Running in, they faced the perpetrator licking the last drop of juice from the floor. (at least he cleaned up after himself)

What is the problem? Does my son need to go buy a taller table? Does my daughter-in-law need to carry her plate with her everywhere she goes? No. The dilemma lies in the fact that Teddy is a thief. To be more specific a food thief. It is not until he faces his condition that he will have the hope of a clean conscious and a better life. He will remain a canine criminal until he does.

The disciples in the upper room were beginning to understand the need of forgiveness and redemption when they all asked the same question, “Is it I?” It is not until we confess that in us dwells ‘no good thing,’ that we will begin to trust His ability to redeem our lives. We are all thieves. We must fully cry out, “Not I,” before we can declare, “But Christ.” Galatians 2:20.