You must make restitution.

Exodus 22:1-9 You must make restitution
Few days ago, I went to the one dollar house, where I saw the words, "If we break we cry, if you break you buy." This means, if the owner breaks the article, he becomes sad because of the loss, but if a customer breaks the article, he must make restitution for the broken article. It is very simple but very witty sentence that makes us smile.
Brothers and sisters, think. If you are the owner of the store, and if someone breaks some articles and go away without making restitution, you won't think he is a honest man, and you will be angry and say to him, "Hello, you must restitution for this damage.".
But if the customer says to the owner like this, "What ? Why do I have to restitute for that ? Haven't you heard that 'A customer is a king.' I don't want to restitution for that".
In this case, the owner may insult him, "You, xxx !". Or the owner may call the police. Or the owner may pray, "Don't come to my store again".
Brothers and sisters, have you ever suffered some losses and damages in your life or in this year 2001 ? On the other hand, have you damaged others ? Of course, the damage means not only financially but also physically and spiritually as well. If the damage happens, what do you think is the best way to solve the problem ?
Of course, the person who damaged must make restitution for that. Today's scripture also says, "You must make restitution double, four times, five times, with his body, with the best."
Think, if God does not teach him the lesson of restitution and only forgives him, God will be the God of aiding and abetting sins.
Think, if a man breaks other's teeth, and does not restitute for that, instead says only 'Sorry !', it is not the good way to solve the problem. If someone killed the other person by the car accident, 'Sorry !' is not enough to solve the problem. He must make restitution for that.
God teaches us the law of restitution thoroughly. For example, "Life for like, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise". (Exodus 21:23-25)
Someone may say, 'Oh, God is the merciless God !" However, God himself says, "I am compassionate". Then, why does God say these words ? It means that we must make restitution,
One day Jesus visited the house of Zacchaeus, the chief tex collector. Zacchaeus said to Jesus, "Look, Lord. Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount" (Luke 19:8).
Then, Jesus said to him, "Today, salvation has come to this house, because this man, too is the son of Abraham." (Luke 19:9). That is the man who makes restitution is the real man of God.
If you caused the financial damage to someone in the past, but if you are not able to make restitution now, you'd better visit the man and say, "Sorry ! I have come to you because God told me to make restitution. But now I am not able to do for you. Please wait until I am able to restitute. I will surely restitute."
If the debtor is so hard that you cannot even say to him 'Sorry !', you can pray to God like this, "God, bless me so that I can restitute."
But if you don't have any mind to make restitution but only pray, "God, give me blessing, give me blessing !", it is not the good thinking.
If you damaged someone's heart, the bible says, "If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother, then come and offer your gift." (Matthew 5:23-24)
Then God looks with favor on you and your offering. If you hurt someone's heart in the past, go to him and say, "I have come to you to apologize because God told me to make restitution. Please forgive me." Then the man may say, "Oh I'd like to believe the God whom you believe.
Brothers and sisters, as you know, all of the humans including you and I commit sins. But we are not able to restitute for our sins, so that we are to be destined to die, to face curse, diseases and judgement.
But Jesus has come to us. Why ? To make restitution for your sake and for my sake. On the cross, Jesus said, :It is finished " (John 19:30)
It means "Restitution is finished.". Therefore the devil's accusation against us is not valid because Jesus has already made restitution for you and me on the Calvary (Golgotha). Hallelujah !
That's why God answers to our prayer because Jesus has restituted for us. In other wards, "Where there is restitution, there is reconciliation." "Where there is restitution, there are salvation, healing, blessing, eternal life and the kingdom of heaven."
Without the restitution of Jesus, you and I are still the enemies of God, the salves of the Satan and the heroes(heroines) of the tragedy. But today when we pray in the name of Jesus who has already restituted for us, the grace of God will be with us.
Brothers and sisters, when we look back on the past days of this year, if you remember that you hurt God's heart, don't you think that you must make restitution ?
If you ask me how to restitute ? I can say, "It is very simple. Just say to God 'Lord I am sorry ! I have sinned !"
If you say to God with the repentant heart, 'Sorry ! I have sinned !', you will be reconciled with God again, and your heart will be full of joy especially when you come to the church. May this joy be with you always !. Amen !