Disciples Know Jesus’ Heart about Oaths and Being a Person of One’s Word
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.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
~ Jesus
Oaths are not totally out of order. They are recognized in covenant-making situations like wedding vows, religious commitments and court proceedings. Even God Himself swore oaths (Hebrews 6:13).
Hebrews 6:13-14
13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”
In Matthew 5:34, Jesus said, "do not swear an oath at all". Jesus explained the "at all" part of that by giving examples: "by heaven", "by Jerusalem", "by your head". Jesus' example of "swearing by Jerusalem" was an example of going beyond simply saying "Yes" or "No".
Jesus was not meaning to swear no oaths at all, as in never. Instead, Jesus was teaching that swearing by all things (heaven, Jerusalem, your head, or other things) was coming "from the evil one".
You may know some modern-day ones: by my mother’s grave, pinky-swear, God’s honest truth. What’s the big deal? Why does Jesus emphasize that anything beyond a simple “Yes” or “No” is from the evil one?
People of Jesus’ day (and sometimes in our current age) differentiated between the gravity of oaths bound to God or lesser things. Jesus removes any such distinction. Remember – Jesus is a revealer of motives in His sermon. Why do people swear oaths anyway? The one swearing “Honest to God” is often trying to manipulate a person or situation.
How do you react to someone attempting to manipulate you? Few like it. Jesus pulls the proverbial curtain back on verbal manipulators here – and the evil influence behind it.
Prayer For the Week
All you need to say is simply 'Yes' or 'No';
anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
~ Matthew 5:37
Lord Jesus Christ, don’t let me get wrapped up in trying to manipulate people. I want to be straight-forward and honest, with my “yes” meaning yes and my “no” meaning no, leaving no room for the devil to gain an edge with me. Amen.
Micro-Meditation
Psalm 84:1-8
- How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord Almighty! - My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God. - Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
Lord Almighty, my King and my God. - Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you. - Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. - As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools. - They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion. - Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty;
listen to me, God of Jacob.
Read the verses of the Psalm.
Mark the words or phrases that catch your attention.
Meditate: talk (or better, write) with God about those words. Ask Him to impress things upon your heart and mind; expect responses.
Pondering Point
Psalm 84 from the Lord’s perspective
The next two weeks of micro-meditations will be in Psalm 84. You’ll be pondering an imaginary conversation from God to you based on words from this Psalm. It’s a great way to “pray.”
If You can find time this week..
The Sermon on the Mount
Episode 14
Why Does Jesus Say Not to Swear Oaths?
In Matthew 5:33-48, Jesus offers three case studies about how people can work together despite conflict. The first case study focuses on the ancient practice of oath keeping. By the time of Jesus, ancient Israelites no longer spoke the divine name of Yahweh out of respect, but they would still swear oaths by things closely related to God – like the sky, land, temple, etc. Some people used these oaths as a loophole because they felt less serious to break (“I only swore by the temple!”). In this episode, Jon and Tim discuss Jesus’ teaching on oaths, which demonstrates God’s wisdom on the integrity of our words and the danger of even small deceptions.
https://bibleproject.com/podcast/why-does-jesus-say-not-swear-oaths/