Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not foreswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: but I say unto you, swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by the head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea: Nay, nay, for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
Matthew 5:33-37
Jesus words here can appear hard to understand. Is He condemning oaths? If so, then that would contradict the instruction on vows in Deuteronomy 23. What about marriage vows? Is the church in sin when we ask the head of household to make membership vows? No Jesus is not condemning oaths. He is condemning man in his pride and arrogance.
You have given your word to do something. Good. But that is all you can do. If your word is not good on it’s own than extra promising won’t help. You cannot back your word up by swearing it by heaven or by earth or even by swearing upon your own head. Your own life cannot guarantee your word because you don’t have control over even that. Can you keep your hair from turning gray? No. Can you keep your hair from falling out? No. Then stop acting like you have control over all of life. Yes, be honest, all the way down to your toes. When you say you will do something, do it. Keep your word. Let your yes mean yes, and your no mean no. Parents, this is incredibly important for you. Never allow the word “maybe” to become codeword for “no”. Don’t say “I’ll do it in a little bit” with the knowledge that you will run out of time and then never do it. Protect the value of your word at all costs. But combine truthfulness with the humble knowledge that you are just a man. You will wake up tomorrow morning only if it is the Lord’s will. Check your pride. Check your promises. You are not God. Your days are like grass and your plans are a vapor.
Zach Browning – March 3, 2024
