Thursday

Matthew 5: 33 – 37

Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

This passage is from the Sermon on the Mount, the title given to Jesus’ moral and ethical teaching (Matthew, chapters 5-7).

Jesus’ popularity was growing (Matthew 4:25). In the beginning of his ministry, people came because of his healing of sick persons. When Jesus began to teach, the people stayed to hear what he said. He also taught with authority and this impressed the people. Although many people heard the Sermon on the Mount, it was primarily directed to Jesus’ followers (or disciples).

In Matthew 5:33-37 Jesus teaches that we should not swear at all. He says, “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” An early example of an oath is found in Genesis 24:1-5, between Abraham and his chief servant regarding the selection of a wife for Isaac.

Today, in how many of the situations that we face do we say “maybe” or we lie?

WK