Living Like Yeshua, part 11: Oaths (Matthew 5:33-37)

 

Yeah, I know. Its been a hot second since I posted. Life has been a bit intense lately, with not a lot of breathing space.

Anyway, it is time to continue the study on Yeshua's Sermon on the Mount, where He teaches His disciples, "this is what it looks like to be one of my disciples. This is the way I want you to live."

And we are now in the section of his sermon where He addresses the taking of oaths.

Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ But I tell you not to swear 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. Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one.
Matthew 5:33-37 BSB

 See, the thing is, when someone takes an oath, this kind of insinuates that you can't trust anything they say when they are not on oath. If a child asks a parent for a promise, the parent should hear it as an indictment, since it reveals that the child has learned he cannot quite trust his father’s word. His yes has not always meant yes. Ideally, a parent’s word should be so reliable that the child never thinks of guarantees. Indeed, every disciple should aim to be so reliable that no one asks him for promises.

This doesn't mean don't take vows or make promises. Rather, Yeshua says, just let your yes and no be what they are. Be true to your word at all times, and if you don't intend to do something, don't say that you will do it. Your yes is a vow. Your no is a vow. Don't go back on your word. 

And again, not to say that things don't happen. You say you will do something, but then you get sick, or you lose your job, or some other circumstance outside of your control. Life happens. But to the best of your ability, be true to your word. In Psalm 15:4, we are told that one of the marks of a righteous person is that he keeps his word even when it's to his own hurt.

Also, to this same end, be careful about what you say. Wedding vows and legal contracts are well-thought out and chosen carefully. Likewise, it is wisdom to carefully consider all you say. Don't make flippant spontaneous promises. Especially when you KNOW you can't or won't keep it, which is something the religious leaders of Yeshua's day did frequently. They would swear by the temple and then say, "oh, whell its only binding if we swear on the gold of the temple." No. Its ALL binding. And this makes flippant vows a dangerous trap.

1. Vows are about actions in the future, and the future is something over which we have little or no control.

2. Vows are solemn and sacred and involve powerful heavenly realities that we should not mess with.

3. Some people e.g. the Pharisees uses vows to make people trust them so they can trick and cheat others.

4. Breaking a vow can result in judgment (James) and the destruction of the work of our hands (Ecclesiastes).

5. We may make a vow that depends on the actions of another person, and that person may act in such a way to make fulfilling the vow impossible - such as a vow to be responsible for another person's debts.

6. Our circumstances may change so that we cannot keep the vow or pledge e.g. we may lose our job and be unable to pay the pledge to the church.

7. We may construct the vow in absolute terms using words such as 'always" or "never" and in reality life is too complex to say we will "always" do X or "never" do Y.

8. We may make an open-ended vow that traps us with its consequences using terms such as "whatever".  

And we still have a duty and obligation to uphold that.

Now, another aspect to consider is that we may encounter situations in civil society when we are required to take an oath (e.g., in a court of law, entering the military, etc.). In these cases, the oath we take is not voluntary, which changes the situation significantly. Voluntary oaths are taken to enhance personal credibility, which Jesus says is a sinful crutch, but involuntary oaths serve an entirely different purpose. 

Involuntary oaths are required as a matter of law to notify a person taking an oath they are subject to perjury penalties. This oath is not a guarantee of trustworthiness; it merely establishes legal authority to hold a person accountable for dishonesty. So a Christian may freely take an oath when required by law since this is not a voluntary act intended to compensate for un-trustworthiness. (In a sense, marriage vows also fit in this category. If you go back on your vows, you have been unfaithful, and may be on the edge of adultery. Hence why you should be careful and thoughtful about what you are vowing.)

But the fact is, when a Christian agrees to take an official oath as required by law, he or she is displaying respect for authority and law, which is consistent with trustworthiness. Conversely, a refusal to take a required oath would suggest less trustworthiness, which is not the witness a Christian should seek.