Do not swear by the heavens, for they are God’s throne; nor by the earth, because it is his
foot stool; nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great king. Do not even swear by
your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes’
and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything else you say comes from the evil one.

Reflect

“Called to a truthful life.” The Gospel for today tells about the teaching of Jesus on making
oaths. We continue to learn from Jesus’ teachings found in the Sermon on the
Mount. In this particular teaching, Jesus built on the Old Testament instruction concerning
respect for the Lord’s name (cf. Ex. 20:7; Lev. 19:12 and Dt. 5:11). In the Gospel
of Matthew, the respect for the Lord’s name is profoundly related to the virtue of
truthfulness. We may reflect on the fact that it is so easy to make false oaths, and to make
use of the name of the Lord to cover up our untruthfulness. Our untruthfulness normally finds
expression in the false oaths we make. Now then, it becomes understandable why Jesus
would teach his audience not to make oaths at all. The “yes” of a person with a truthful life is
enough. If one’s “yes” is truthful and truly meant by the one saying it, oaths are no longer
needed. As Christians, we are called to a truthful life. A life lived in truth is a life with God.
When we lead a truthful life, our simple “yes” can already stand by itself. When we are
truthful, God’s name is truly respected.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2024