Matthew 5:33-37

Previously Jesus has referred to two of the Ten Commandments.  In this paragraph He refers to the application of Old Testament laws found in other places.  However two of the Ten are in play here: the third involving not taking the name of the Lord in vain; and the ninth, not bearing false witness against your neighbor (lying under oath).

·        Oaths were permitted under the Law (Deut. 23:21).

·        Obedience or the keeping of the vow was also commanded (Lev. 19:12; Num. 30:2).

·        However, not making vows was also an option (Deut. 23:21-23).

The difficulty is that in Jesus’ day (as in ours) maintaining one’s word had become a matter of gamesmanship.  It was like the childhood game “Simon says”: if one didn’t say the magic words then the saying was invalid.  Jesus refers to swearing by heaven, by earth, by Jerusalem or by your head.  This refers to different oaths that were more or less binding than others.  If you did not use the Lord’s name the oath was not as binding.  In other words, you could use an oath but still get out of it.

We are not unaware of this type of thing.  Have you ever heard of someone failing to fulfill their word because they didn’t sign a paper?  Have you every heard of someone contesting the signed contract, referring to certain language that makes it non-binding?  In Jesus’ day men would loudly proclaim their devotion and promises to God, so as to appear holy.  But then they would renege on the promise on the basis of the oath.  

As in the previous matters, so it is here.  Jesus says, “But I say to you.”  He calls people to a pure and simple form of communication: forget the oath and simply say “Yes” or “No”.  And then let the matter be based on that.  The Psalmist referred to this fulfilling one’s words when he referred to a man accepted by God as one who swears to his own hurt and does not change (Psalm 15:4).  He keeps his word even if after making the promise circumstances cause him to take a loss in the matter.  That is a righteousness uncommon in Jesus’ day and in ours.

Jesus is intentionally hitting where it hurts, so to speak.  He lovingly confronts us because we must come to acknowledge our lack of righteousness and then His fulfillment of righteousness.  Will you confess (agree with Him) your unfaithfulness in the matter of keeping your word to others?