Week 7 (14 Feb) Day 5

Matthew 5.33-37

33 “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.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

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Personal Reflections Jesus’ teaching about oaths is so radically different from what the people were used to (cf. Lv 19.12). They are our promises to others around us. As people of the kingdom, there should be transparent truthfulness as an expression of our right relationship with others. There is no need to resort to swearing, invoking the name of God or any object to persuade others to believe us. Neither is there a need to invoke any contingent disaster in the event of our being found lying.

Is truthfulness a trait of yours? Can your family, friends, clients, schoolmates, etc take you at your word? Or are you guilty of half truths or even exaggeration in order to bolster your position, whether in your personal life or in your workplace or school?