Wednesday 03 August 2016
"Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.' But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 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 one hair white or black. Let your word be 'Yes, Yes' or 'No, No'; anything more than this comes from the evil one." (vv. 33-37)
Psalm: Psalm 125
Background
(For those following this week's notes, you will notice thatsome of the material is repeated. This is intentional. So often weread a number of verses and do not have the opportunity to reflectmore closely on them. This week's passages offer the opportunityfor closer reflection, each following the same model and withsimilar questions.)
Verses 33-37 expose the fallacy of thinking that one can escapethe consequences of a broken oath by substituting something elsefor God's name. Jesus goes to the heart of it. Let your word itselfbe your bond.
Again note how the authority of Jesus comes out in all thesesayings.
To Ponder
- To what extent is Jesus' teaching here practicable in today'sworld?
- In what other ways should a Christian's conduct should gobeyond conventional standards?