Matthew 5:33-37
Key Verse: “But let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37 CSB)
Many of us, when we were younger, learned a simple trick. If we crossed our fingers when we said something, it meant that we didn’t have to follow through on it. It didn’t count. But, in case you haven’t figured it out yet, it doesn’t work. A promise is a promise. It still counts no matter what.
In Jewish Law, taking an oath was a common occurrence. In taking an oath, people would often use the name of someone or something greater than them to give more credibility to what was being said. By taking an oath and calling on God or others was to invite them to witness the truthfulness of what you said and to hold you accountable to the truth of it. Rightfully so, the expectation was that “You must not break your oath, but your must keep your oaths to the Lord” (v.33). Whatever you promised to do, you were expected to fulfill. Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it?
The problem though is that over the years people had distorted this teaching. The people began to teach that an oath or a vow was not binding if it did not include or imply God’s name. If you mentioned God or His name, you had to follow through. But if you made an oath by something else, you didn’t necessarily have to fulfill it. As a result, it became a complicated system of rules as to when it was and wasn’t okay to lie.
This is why Jesus said, “ But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne; or by the earth, because it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King” (v.34-35). Jesus was reminding His disciples that God stands behind everything. Heaven is His throne. The earth is His footstool. Jerusalem is His city. The point is that you can’t swear on something without ultimately referring to God. God is the Creator of everything on the earth. It all belongs to Him. Therefore we always need to fulfill the promises that we make.
Part of what it means then to follow Jesus and to live according to His kingdom teaching is to be people who value honesty and are committed to integrity. In the words of Jesus, “let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one” (v.37).
Are you someone who can be counted on to do what you say you will do? Do you keep your promises and follow through on the commitments that you make? Is there something that you agreed to do that remains outstanding? Today, commit before the Lord to let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes.’ Invite Him to help you to be a person who is committed to honesty and integrity in every situation.
Prayer: God, every promise you make, you always keep. Create in me a heart that loves the truth and deeply values integrity. Fill me with the strength to follow through on every promise that I make, just like you do. Grant me the humility to admit when I have not done what I said I would do so that I can make it right. Amen.
