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Lesson 8 of the Discipleship Making process.
I left you last time with the question of “Why do people make promises?”
Jesus smoothly transitions topics from adultery to vows. He links the two subjects by dealing with unfaithfulness (breaking oneness) both in marriage and in keeping one’s vows.
Read: Matthew 5:33-37
Swearing oaths, taking vows and making promises are sacred and not to be taken lightly. God is the witness to all that men say and by their words they will be judged. Jesus attests to this fact when He speaks with the Pharisees in Matthew 12:36-37.
Jesus tells the disciples that they should not swear oaths, vows or promises. All of these deal with giving or doing something at some future date. Oaths, vows and promises are presumptuous and based in pride. No one knows whether he will live long enough or have the resources to fulfill what he promises, except God alone. This point is best illustrated by wedding vows, most of which end with the words, “until death do us part.”
On the matter of swearing an oath by God, the disciples are taught that the one who swears in this manner is in effect saying that he has power over God and can demand that God accomplish his own personal will. Should the person making the oath fail to keep it, how will the other collect from God? Swearing in this manner only discredits a disciple’s relationship to God and ruins his testimony of Jesus Christ if he fails to keep his oath.
In the next statement Jesus uses the term “your head” to indicate an oath in the individual’s own name. The person who swears this type of oath offers himself as the pledge. He is declaring that he is God or at least equal in power and authority to Him.
Should the one who swears in this fashion not keep his oath he will be indebted to the other, thus having to render service to him and not God. Swearing by one’s self hides the truth, that men are not God, when in reality they are weak and in need of His help. If a disciple swears in this manner and does not keep his oath his testimony of Jesus Christ and His ability to save people will also be shrouded in doubt.
By saying, “let your yes be yes and your no be no”, Jesus is declaring that He expects His disciples to keep their word! To do what they said they would do. If the disciples don’t keep their word they will be known as liars and cannot be counted on to speak the truth or be trusted. How then will people believe, the message of the gospel that they preach? There is an old saying that goes like this: “A man is only as good as his word.” God is good. He always does what He says he is going to do.
The point of the lesson is to not put yourself in a position to lie.
With that, allow me to leave you with this question to consider, along with a little homework assignment until my next posting:
“How are friendships formed?”
. . . and the homework assignment . . .
Stop making promises, rather “let your yes be yes and your no be no”, keep your word, do what you say you are going to do. Like your Heavenly Father, be one who others can count on, speak the truth, otherwise, how will others ever believe the message of the gospel that you profess/preach.
Until next time . . . Godspeed!
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