March 9, 2016
Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:33-37
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
Questions for Reflection:
Our family had just moved to Evansville from Florida. I remember my parents looking at a house on Evansville’s east side. They liked the house and made an offer. My dad asked the owner if he wanted to write up a contract and the home owner said, “No. Let’s shake on it. A man is only as good as his word.” They shook on the deal and my parents walked away dreaming about their new house. Just a few days later, they learned that the home owner had decided to accept a different offer. How do you think my dad felt about the value of the homeowner’s handshake?
The Jewish culture of the day had created a system of promises with varying degrees of trustworthiness. Individuals would take oaths in the name of God, on heaven, on earth, by Jerusalem. It seems weird to us to hear that, but similar things happen today. Have you ever heard someone say, “I swear on my children’s life” or “I swear on my grandmother’s grave”? The idea behind those phrases is that they give extra weight to what we’re saying. Jesus points to the fundamental problem with this approach. What’s the problem?
Craig Keener in his commentary on the book of Matthew writes, “Jesus observes that since God witnesses every word we say anyway, we should be able to tell the truth without having to call God to witness by a formal oath.” The spirit of Jesus’ teaching seems to be that we should be people of integrity, dependable in our words and our actions. We should have, as Michael Wilkins writes, “such integrity of character and truthfulness of heart that whatever [we] say is absolutely believable and dependable.”
Evaluate your conversations this week. Have you spoken honestly with others? Have you tried to mislead through the use of oaths, swears or half-truths? Are you conducting yourself in a manner that is trustworthy? How have your words and actions reinforced your belief in who God is and his role in your life?