By: Juliet Constantine

“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’

But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.

And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.

All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:33-37)

How radical can He get? He wasn’t here to destroy the law; yet, His fulfillment of them seems to reinvent the spirit in which they were given. He brought a whole new interpretation and understanding which explained what was truly intended. Jesus juiced the text and showed the real intention behind Moses’ instruction.

The people were compelled to perform what they had pledged; and their mere words weren’t good enough. They were made to swear that the oath would’ve been performed, someway, somehow. Under the Mosaic system, somebody had to pay for the oath made: either yourself, your husband (for a wife), or your father (for a child). Failure to do so may mean anything from imprisonment to a life of slavery – you and your entire house. Some were faithful to their pledge but others used sneaky lying ways to get out of their pledge.

Jesus taught that there was no need to swear a pledge. In fact, there was no need to pledge, with the exception being for judicial purposes. People should be honest in their dealings and follow through on what they had promised to do. Even though promises seem to carry more weight when we swear before God that we will honor our obligation, this should not be so. Our word should be our bond – especially for Christians – and a straight ‘yes’ or ‘no’ is the honest path.

There are too many liars around: people who speak half truth through evasion or other means, who give false compliments with words which flatter the receiver, or who appear to be what they aren’t. We need to stop the pretense. We dishonor God when we lie to one another. Pledging and not honoring the pledge is lying. Do not let anyone force you to make a pledge that may not be kept.

Christian author Ellen White said: “Everything that Christians do should be as transparent as the sunlight. Truth is of God; deception, in every one of its myriad forms, is of Satan; and whoever in any way departs from the straight line of truth is betraying himself into the power of the wicked one. Yet it is not a light or an easy thing to speak the exact truth. We cannot speak the truth unless we know the truth; and how often preconceived opinions, mental bias, imperfect knowledge, errors of judgment, prevent a right understanding of matters with which we have to do! We cannot speak the truth unless our minds are continually guided by Him who is truth.” (TFMB pg68)

So, have you ever made a pledge and dishonor it? God will forgive you. Next time, do not pledge and do not swear. Practice transparency in your life so that others can take you at your word. Then say ‘yes’ or say ‘no’. If people fail to believe you, that’s too bad. Just be certain that between you and God, you spoke the truth. Let your conversation be ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Anything else is evil.

Thank You Father for the reminder that we are to be truthful as it is so easy to misrepresent the truth. Help us to live transparent lives so that our words can be our bond. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Copyrighted by Juliet Constantine 2014 (for “Alone With God – Finding Jesus In The Scriptures” Daily Devotional)