Focus
Experience silence in the midst of your busy day. Take some time to relax into a time to be with God.
Read
Matthew 5:33-37 (NRSV)
“Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ’You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be ’Yes, Yes’ or ’No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.
Reflect
Do not swear? In what kind of world was Jesus living? Did he not realize that to swear was and is expected? But wait, he was not talking in entirety about the particular words we may use as much as the context in which we say them. I wonder if you, like me, have ever said something to the effect of, “God, if you will just…, I swear I will….” What I really mean is if God will get me out of the situation, the next time I’ll try it a different way.
In Jesus’ day, not many agreements were written down as a legal document. Most, if not all, were based on the person’s oath to fulfill the nature of the agreement. Instead, his “word” was a binding agreement. Same is true for us in our earlier years. Living in the South it hasn’t that long ago when many agreements and contracts were made on a person’s oath. However, things have gotten to the point that now we have to go through a lengthy, expensive, and arduous legal process for most purchases. Something has happened to our word.
I think what Jesus meant is that we need to be true to our word, be true to the promises we make—not only to God, but to those to whom we make them. Our world is surrounded by so many broken promises. Yet we know that the God we serve has never broken a single promise to us and never will. Long ago, God promised to send a Redeemer, who came in the person of Jesus Christ. That is being true to your word!
Pray
Gracious and loving God, help us to keep our word when we give it. Give us the courage to proclaim your love and mercy to all people. Amen.
Go with God.
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