Oaths, Retaliation & Love
Sermon on the Mount • Sermon • Submitted
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Oaths
Oaths
3
“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’
We all know we should tell the truth, right?
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
But to swear an oath is something more.
to swear falsely v. — to knowingly tell an untruth while swearing an oath; or perhaps to break an oath previously sworn.
oath n. — a solemn promise, usually invoking a divine witness, regarding your future acts or behavior; often including penalties for failure within the contents of the oath.
oath n. — a solemn promise, usually invoking a divine witness, regarding your future acts or behavior; often including penalties for failure within the contents of the oath.
To swear an oath is to have God as your witness.
We tend to invoke God as our witness to prove the truth of our statement.
The assumption being that to do so falsely would incur God’s wrath.
Yet even the need to appeal to God to prove our veracity is an admission that we don’t tell the truth.
I’ve even gone so far as to stop using the phrase “To tell you the truth”,
Because it assumes I usually don’t.
So what does all our oath taking say about us?
But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
mt 5 34
But Jesus says we should not swear at all.
Why?
Even the need to appeal to God to prove our veracity is an admission that we don’t tell the truth.
I’ve even gone so far as to stop using the phrase “To tell you the truth”,
Because it assumes I usually don’t.
So what does all our oath taking say about us?
And why does Jesus point out not to swear by heaven?
Is it because to swear by heaven is to swear by God’s throne?
Or is it because you are pledging by something you do not own,
Like getting a bond to insure your honesty.
You are pledging something you could not give if you fail.
nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Is it because to swear by the earth is to swear by God’s footstool?
Or Jerusalem because it is the city of the King?
Look at all the things people swear by that they do not control.
Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.
mt 5
Maybe we shouldn’t swear by our head because we cannot make a hair black or white?
You can’t even control your own body, so how can you swear by it?
In verse 34, Jesus said “do not swear at all”.
Why?
But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
Your words should be all you need.
If you need to invoke the name of God to support your statement, then you are not known for being truthful.
I’m training myself to stop saying “To tell you the truth” because it assumes I don’t always.
The same way that having to get God to “co-sign” your statement assumes that you are not worthy enough on your own.
Is that being salt and light to the earth?
What does it say about the Christian who’s word isn’t good enough on its own?
To invoke anything more than your word is from Satan.
It’s trying to wrap yourself in God to cover up your falsehood.
Jesus paid for our sins, isn’t that enough?
Retaliation
Retaliation
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
mt 5 38
There are several verses in Jewish law that deal with making the punishment fit the crime:
“If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
ex 21 22-
‘If a man causes disfigurement of his neighbor, as he has done, so shall it be done to him—fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has caused disfigurement of a man, so shall it be done to him.
lv 24 19-
If a false witness rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing, then both men in the controversy shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days. And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother, then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother; so you shall put away the evil from among you. And those who remain shall hear and fear, and hereafter they shall not again commit such evil among you. Your eye shall not pity: life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
The idea is simple.
If you cause unjustly harm to someone else, you suffer that same punishment.
But Jesus says not to retaliate.
If Jesus is the fulfillment of the law, why is He telling us not to follow the law?
Because like so many things, we focus on getting revenge rather than loving our neighbor.
We want someone’s eye as retribution rather than justice.
Then they want retribution against us.
Now look at our so called “justice” system today and tell me?
Are the punishments about justice or retribution?
If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.
mt 5 40
So which is more Christlike?
To exact your punishment on those who injure you, or to forgive their debt?
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
It is not that we do not have the right to our “pound of flesh”,
But it is more Christ-like for you to forgive.
BTW, this applies to individuals, not governments.
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
rom 13 1,4
For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.
Governments hold the sword to punish evil deeds,
But Christians are told to forgo what is owed to us,
Just as through Christ, God forgoes what is our due.
Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
mt 5
Not only are we to avoid retaliation, but we are to be generous.
Generous with our time, our talents and our money.
Since everything we have, even the air we breath, came from the generosity of God,
Shouldn’t we be like Him and as generous as possible?
Love
Love
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
mt 5 43-45
There were many enemies of Israel, and God poured out His wrath through the sons of Jacob.
But any idiot can hate those who they see as their enemies.
Often acting as if they are not people created in the image of God.
Jesus says love your enemies.
[agapao /ag·ap·ah·o/] - Care for.
Agape
Bless them.
Do good to them.
Why?
So we may act like the sons of God.
The devil hates his enemies, but God sent His Son to rescue His enemies.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Who do you want to act more like?
If you don’t forgive, you are acting more like the devil.
If you forgive, you are acting more like Christ.
For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
mt 5 46-
It’s easy to love those who love you back.
It doesn’t take a new heart to do that, even tax collectors and sinners do it.
If we are to demonstrate that our heart of stone has been replaced with a heart of flesh, we need to act differently.
But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
If you are a new creation in Christ, shouldn’t it show?
Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Do you want to be perfect?
Then we have to live the perfect life.
If we want to be like our Father in heaven,
Then we must love others,
Especially those who do not deserve it.
Because God loved us, even though we didn’t deserve it.
Conclusion
Conclusion
We often study these from the Sermon on the Mount in isolation, so we don’t see how they are connected.
So what do oaths, retaliation and love have in common?
Acting like you are a child of God.
Acting like you are a child of God.
You should not need an oath,
The example of your life, your character should be enough.
You should not require the debt from your enemies,
Because God did not require your debt from you.
You should love everyone, especially those who hate you,
Because God loved you when you were His enemy.
