From the Mouth of the Master- Part 9- Matthew 5:33-37

Introduction

Jesus here again references a common practice of the day which was upheld in the letter of the law but which was in reality completely being misapplied.

This passage deals with the swearing of oaths to support the truthfulness of a statement or the validation of a promise to be kept.

It was a common practice among the people of the day to swear by heaven, by the earth, or by Jerusalem in order to avoid swearing by God.

These oaths were often used to support falsehoods and where God’s name was not used those who swore them were considered guiltless.

We live in a day in which it is difficult to trust anyone and falsehoods are spread as truth and presented as facts without regard for the consequences.

Here again Jesus presents another interpretation which directly contradicts the common practice of the day.

Again we must remember that Jesus is specifically instructing His disciples in these passages. If they should choose to follow His instructions their character would stand out as distinct from that of the unbelievers and it is this distinction that would give them the opportunity to make a difference.

“Omniscient Father: Help us to know who is telling the truth. One side tells us one thing, and the other just the opposite. And if neither side is telling the truth, we would like to know that, too. And if each side is telling half the truth, give us the wisdom to put the right halves together. In Jesus' name, Amen.” -Chaplain of the Kansas Senate

Again we see first...

The Letter of the Law (Vs. 33 & Leviticus 19:12, Numbers 30:2)

The letter of the law that Jesus speaks of here was that a person must keep any vow or oath that was made in God’s name.

Leviticus 19:12 KJV 1900

And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.

Numbers 30:2 KJV 1900

If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.

This again was narrowly interpreted to mean that oaths and vows were to be kept when God’s name was invoked, but that an oath made by any other token was not to be considered binding.

Illustration- it used to be that a simple word and a handshake was enough to make a contract binding, but now there must be lawyers, legal documents, and witnessed signatures, and still we must be careful of the fine print!

We live in a society that is much the same as it must have been in Jesus day, where people will go to great lengths to convince someone that what they say is true even though they are fully aware that it is false.

It is all too common for people to swear an oath to do something or to repay someone and then to neglect to keep their oath on some technicality.

Today it is not uncommon for someone to swear an oath in God’s name and still to lie and deceive.

Again we can easily imagine the abuses of the law under this narrow interpretation as men would swear an oath by something other than God’s name to assert their commitment or truthfulness, and then not hesitate to break the oath because it was not in God’s name.

Illustration- “I swear on my mother’s grave”

Jesus deals with these abuses specifically as He offers...

A Fresh Interpretation (Vs. 34-36)

Again here we see Jesus authority on display as once again He offers this fresh interpretation and speaks with divine authority.

He begins this fresh interpretation with a bold statement “swear not at all.” This would have been an unthinkable statement to many who were listening for swearing was such a prominent part of their culture.

In view here in Jesus fresh interpretation is the swearing of an oath between men and basically Jesus is saying that this is completely unnecessary.

In this fresh interpretation Jesus also sheds some light on the abuses that His instruction was intended to correct. He mentions first of all the swearing by heaven, by the earth, or by Jerusalem.

These were apparently substituted in the place of God’s name and were considered viable alternatives for asserting the truth of a statement or a response.

These were considered especially useful substitutes because of their association with God and thus were used to assert a truth without bringing guilt upon the individual. These were often used in cases where an oath may not be kept as a means of avoiding the absolute commitment to an oath.

Jesus asserts that to swear by heaven, the earth, or by Jerusalem is equivalent to swearing in God’s name and that the oath taken under these associations is just as binding.

He also asserts that a man must not swear by even his own head for even this is under God’s sovereign control.

The problem with the former interpretation is that it had been used to justify deceptive speech and falsehoods in everyday speech and even in oaths that were not taken in God’s name. Jesus is essentially asserting the idea that every commitment we make and every word we speak must be truthful and it should not be necessary to swear to support the veracity of a statement.

The reason that swearing oaths had become so common is that falsehood and deception had become so rampant that this was looked upon as a means to combat it and to discern the truth of a statement made.

This is the same reason that legal contracts have become the norm in our society today, because men cannot be trusted to keep their word.

Now we must turn our attention to...

The Practical Implications (Vs. 37 & James 5:12)

Jesus concludes His instruction on this subject with a simple positive statement as to the responsibility of the disciple to speak plainly the truth.

His instruction basically amounts to let your yes be yes and no be no and let there be no need for further support.

If we must support the truth of our statement with the swearing of an oath then it is clear evidence of a lack of character on our part.

When we make a commitment or give a response there should be no doubt as to our intent to keep the commitment or to speak the truth without deception.

The disciple of Christ should be known as one who always speaks the truth and does not engage in the deceptive practices of the day. The disciple of Christ may sign contracts or speak under oath but this is wholly unnecessary for he recognizes his responsibility to God to speak the truth.

The disciple of Christ speaks the truth not because he is under obligation to men to do so or because he has sworn an oath but because he understands that to lie and deceive is to sin against almighty God.

This willingness to speak the truth and to avoid swearing and deception in all matters would have made the disciples of Christ a distinct class of people.

Each of the instructions which Jesus gives is given in order that the disciples of Christ would be distinct from unbelievers and the religious leaders alike.

Those who will rise to these new standards (not by their own efforts, but by the power of the Spirit of God which works in them) show evidence of the power and effectiveness of the gospel.

When we conduct ourselves as others do, telling half-truths and engaging in deception, we lose our distinction from the world and with it the ability to make an impact upon the world.

When we conduct ourselves as Christ has instructed we will stand out as distinct from the world and this affords us the opportunity to make an impact upon the world.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people were eager to have business dealings with Christians because they knew that they were true to their word in all their dealings?

Wouldn’t it be a great testimony for Christ is Christians were the most sought after witnesses because of their propensity to tell only the truth?

Far too often we allow ourselves to slip into the ways of the world and we engage in the same deceptive speech that others do and we thus bring shame and reproach to the name of Christ.

How much damage has been done to the cause of Christ in recent years by Christian leaders who have been caught in a web of lies and deception?

Let’s turn the tide and make sure that we are a people of truth!

Conclusion

Again we see Jesus confronting the common ideology of the day and calling His disciples to a higher standard.

As disciple of Christ, may we be a people who speak the truth and who are known for keeping our word.

Maybe today for the first time you have recognized that you do not measure up to God’s standard. The fact is that none of us do, we have all fallen short.

Romans 3:23 KJV 1900

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

The wonderful news is that Jesus came precisely because He knew that we could never measure up to God’s standard. He died to pay the penalty which we deserved and He rose again conquering death, hell, and the grave. Today He will save you and make you righteous if you will only place your faith in Him!

Then He will place His spirit within you and will enable and empower you to live for HIM!