Today’s Reading: Matthew 5:33-37 (HCSB)
Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors, “You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord.” But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne; or by the earth, because it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. Neither should you swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. But let your word ‘yes’ be ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.
Today’s Question: How would you define the word integrity?
Today’s Commentary:
Swearing was a big, big deal—in the third grade. If I believed that I was telling the truth over someone else’s story, the playground rules called for a stronger swear than my opponent. But the ultimate swear came in the name of God. When someone used this oath, everyone walked away. Game over. That is, of course, unless one party had his fingers crossed.
Some people never grew up and made their careers in advertising. I hate the “fine print” because it usually means that whatever outlandish and incredible claim they used to get you to notice their product or service was really an exaggeration. No, I have not won $100,000,000 or an iPad. We have a culture of dishonesty, therefore we rarely trust a stranger (much less family).
Jesus faced the same issue in the Jewish culture during His day. The religious rulers often used oaths to manipulate people. They would flippantly swear, and as a result, lost credibility in their word. So, Jesus told the people to stop.
On the surface, it appears that Jesus is prohibiting oaths of any kind. An oath is a promise made before God. But this is not an absolute prohibition, because the Apostle Paul makes an oath in Romans 9:1 and Galatians 1:20. In addition, my marriage vows are a promise to God. The swearing that Jesus condemned was the casual use of a promise with little to no intent of keeping the oath.
In The Leadership Challenge, James Kouzes and Barry Posner propose a simple rule of integrity—DWYSYWD or “Do what you say you will do.” It is that simple. This cuts to the core of what Jesus is teaching His disciples. Do not mimic the empty words of the Pharisees and scribes. Be above reproach.
Again Jesus is addressing the issue of the heart. One who follows after Christ is called to be honest in every way, because God is holy and His Word is truth. Charles Spurgeon stated, “If we cannot be believed on our word, we are surely not to be trusted on our oath.” As disciples of Jesus, we proclaim God’s truth. The unbelieving world, however, will never pay attention if we lack integrity. Take the high road and the people around you will take notice (and eventually follow your lead).
“Follow One, Lead Others” Principle #21: Christ-honoring leaders can be trusted because they live with consistent integrity.
Today’s Prayer Point: Pray that God would give you the ability to keep your promises.
Shepherding Well 