Genesis 43

"Then the steward said, 'May you be well.  Don't be afraid.  Your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your bags.  I received your money.' Then he brought Simeon out to them."

Genesis 43:23

Joseph's brothers have come back to buy more food, this time bringing Benjamin with them.  They have also brought the money that had been returned to them the first time, out of fear that the Egyptians would think they are thieves.  When they tell Joseph's steward that they have the money, he reassures them that they are in no danger, and that Joseph (who they still don't recognize) is preparing a feast for them.

We rarely see this kind of open honesty in our current society...  When we're given too much change at the grocery store, we have a tendency to walk away with it, whereas we come back complaining if we're not given enough change.  With modernized cash registers, this doesn't often happen in either direction any more, but it's not just at stores that this kind of thing happens.

When was the last time you saw some money lying on the ground?  Did you make any attempt to return it to its owner?  If so, how much of an attempt did you truly make?

What about non-monetary goods?  When was the last time you picked up a piece of furniture from the side of the road or ate a snack at a friend's house without asking?  The list goes on and on, and would be different for every person.  My point is: when we do these things we are very rarely honest with the person we've taken something from.

Sometimes, this is because we don't think they'll notice or that they'll care.  Other times, it's because we're too ashamed.  Whatever the reason may be, taking something that doesn't belong to you without getting permission from the owner is stealing.  Our society shrinks the definition of thievery so that we can get away with it every day and keep a clear conscience, but the truth remains clear to anyone who looks for it.  Even if somebody gives you something by accident (like the sons of Jacob having their money returned to them), that does not give you the right to keep it.