Someone said, “Looking for people of integrity in our generation could be compared to searching for the proverbial needle in the haystack. Indeed, it may be easier trying to identify a grain of salt in a snowstorm.” That is a bit of an overstatement, but there is some truth to it. People with integrity are hard to find in our society.
Are you a person of integrity? Is your life characterized by honor and virtue? As citizens of the kingdom of God, our lives should be a portrayal of honesty and truthfulness. People should be able to see that we do not just say what we do, we do what we say. So, the question is, can your word be trusted? Can others count on your word when you make a promise? Jesus challenges those who would be His disciples to be people of their word.
Matthew 5:33–37 (ESV)
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
The Law of Moses and Oath-Taking
Three passages of scripture show us clearly what the Law of Moses taught concerning oath-taking and making vows (Leviticus 19:12; Numbers 30:2; Deuteronomy 23:21). These passages show us that making an oath was not something that was forbidden by the Law. However, the Law demanded that a person be honest and ready to keep any vow that he made. The emphasis of the Law was on truthfulness and faithfulness to one’s word. We serve a God who can be trusted because His Word is firm and unmovable. God keeps all of His promises, and He demands that we do the same (Psalms 15:1-2; 24:3-4).
The Misapplication of the Law
The elders of Israel perverted the Law (ver. 33). They concluded that the only vows that were binding were the ones sworn to the Lord. They emphasized the part of the Law that said, “When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it,” but they ignored the portion that demanded that they always speak the truth. The result was that their interpretation of the Law made it alright to sometimes be dishonest.
The scribes and the Pharisees took this to another level by arbitrarily deciding when a vow was unto the Lord and when it was not. So, the Pharisees justified swearing evasively (Matthew 23:16-22). This is what led Jesus to say what He did in vers. 34-37. He was not condemning oath-taking altogether, just the kind that became popular among the Jewish leaders. The truth is, sometimes God commanded the Jews to vow (Deuteronomy 10:20). Even God has been involved in the business of vow-making (Genesis 9:9-11; Luke 1:68, 73; Acts 2:27-31).
The Righteousness Demanded in The Kingdom of God
In ver. 37 Jesus says, “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.” The real message here is that our character should be marked by honesty, which must be the character of the godly person who is a citizen in the kingdom of God. Our character should be such that we do not have to use strong language to convince others that we are telling the truth. Our track record should be enough to convince people that our word can be trusted.
As you wind down for the night, think about these things.