Acknowledge reality

 This weeks verses are Matthew 5:33-37:

“Again, you have heard that it was said to an older generation, ‘Do not break an oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not take oaths at all—not by heaven, because it is the throne of God, not by earth, because it is his footstool, and not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. Do not take an oath by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. Let your word be ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no.’ More than this is from the evil one.

Jesus is talking to his audience about the Old Testament law and how God's will for our lives is actually more strict than the law's strictest interpretation. It's a similar theme to what he was saying about adultery and about anger. Sometimes a little goes a long way, in the wrong direction.

In Jesus' time, as in ours, people would say whatever they had to say to be nice. You'd ask someone to dinner and they'd be like "Yeah definitely, I'll be there Friday" and not show up. You'd ask your friends to help you move and they would all agree, but then you'd be dragging that couch down the stairs yourself because your "friends" were just too polite to say "no." Or maybe they were just impulsive and didn't consider the consequences, like if they actually followed through with helping you they wouldn't be able to watch the game they forgot was on.

If you wanted to tell the truth, then and now, you would make a vow. You would promise and say "I swear I will do it." That is how you signaled to people that you were telling the truth, this one time, exceptionally. We still make people do that in court and when taking official office, because the consequences of the kind of "white lies" we see every day would be too great in those situations.

But that's not how we're supposed to live! Our God is the God of truth. Satan is the father of lies. Why do our lips make us look like Satan's children instead of God's children? Is it worth the confusion just to not have to be stuck to one plan or possibly hurt someone's feelings?

And our oaths are worthless anyway! If you swear on the Bible, what is the Bible going to do with you if you're lying? If you swear by heaven, or Jerusalem, or even your life, it's meaningless because you can't forfeit any of those things as collateral if you are a deceiver or if you decide later not to follow through.

Jesus says if you mean "yes," just say "yes." And if you mean "no," just say "no." Simple! Our words should shape our behavior and acknowledge reality. They shouldn't try to create an alternate universe that only exists between the ears of the victim of our lies.

If you speak the truth, people can trust you. When you share your witness, they will hear your words as the words of someone who does not distort reality. Nobody has to guess "If he said yes, should I go ahead and order another pizza or should I wait and see if he actually shows up?" Nobody has to wonder "Should I call someone else to help me fix my flat in case he doesn't show up?" Your words and your actions match.

And if you speak the truth, the horrors of your inner character are laid bare. What does it say about you if you tell someone "No, I won't come over to your place for dinner this Friday, or any Friday, ever," or "No, I wouldn't help you move your couch this Saturday even if I was the only person in the world who could help you, because I'd rather get drunk and watch a bunch of multi-millionaires play a teenager's game in a big field of fake grass in a stadium thousands of miles away." People would think you're a cold heartless person, and they'd be right! At least on some level.

Obviously there's ways of telling the truth without being that rude, but you get my point. Telling the truth makes us vulnerable. It binds us in the service of others, even if a better offer comes along in the meantime. Vulnerability and faithful service are both Christlike traits. They're how we're supposed to do church.

If we have to say a magic incantation like "I double pinky swear" to let people know that this time we really mean it, we're giving ourselves permission to be liars the rest of the time. And that's Jesus' point: Not only are we not supposed to lie under oath, but we're actually not supposed to lie at all.

So pay attention to your words this week. Does what you say match the reality of how you feel? Do you keep your promises? Is your yes, yes and your no, no? Measure yourself against the standard Jesus gives us, and if you fall short, ask for his grace and his help.