Matthew 5:33-37
Jesus continues the repitition: "You have heard that it was said... but I tell you..." and this time he takes on oaths. If my premise is true (that this section of the sermon is all about treating people with the dignity, honour and respect they deserve because they are created in the image of God and reflecting the character of God - as one created in his image - in terms of holiness, purity, faithfulness, etc.) then I need to figure out how this section fits into the whole. Either there was something about how people were making oaths that was disrespecting people or there was something about how people were making oaths that was dishonouring God (or both). I know that Jesus took issue with how people made oaths in another passage because they would create loopholes based on what they had sworn on. This would not only be disrespecting people (tricking people into thinking that my promise was sure but backing out on a loophole) but it would not be a good reflection of God's character (truth).
Jesus certainly uses strong language here (anything beyond "yes" or "no" comes from the evil one) so he obviously has a strong opinion about oaths. The examples he uses as things not to swear by tie directly to God and his character (heaven is God's throne, earth is his footstool, etc.) and our inability to affect anything that has do with our lives (you can't change your hair colour - which isn't entirely true today!).
I think that Jesus is saying that our character should reflect God's character to the point that when we say "yes" to something, people are sure we will follow through on it and when we say "no" to something, people are sure that we mean it. I think Jesus is saying that we shouldn't need oaths to support our promises - our promise and reputation should be enough. I don't think Jesus is saying that we should necessarily refuse to "swear to tell the truth" in court or take an oath of office. He is just saying that we should have such a reputation for telling the truth and standing behind what we say that, for the people who know us, such oaths are unnecessary.
May all I need to say is simply "yes" or "no" and may I have the strength of character to stand behind my words and to be humble enough to admit when I have promised more than I can deliver. I guess that means that I also need wisdom to know what I can deliver and what I cannot.
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1 comment:
I agree, our character need to be like that of Christ, filled with honesty and integrity. People should be able to trust what we say and know that we will follow through on what we have said, and if we cannot we need the humility to tell people we were wrong. Character is so important, and our character needs to reflect God's.
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