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Matthew 5:33-37 (Oaths)

INTRODUCTION: We are continuing our series on the Sermon on the Mount and we are in the middle of a section where Jesus is revealing the true meaning behind various parts of the Old Testament law. Jesus said in order to enter heaven you must have a righteousness that exceeds the Pharisees and teachers of the law. Now in each of these cases he shows us what that surpassing righteousness looks like. So far in this section we have looked at murder and adultery, and today we look at the whole matter of truth-telling and taking oaths. (Read Matthew 5:33-37 and pray.)

In this section Jesus is talking about the importance of honesty and integrity in all that we say and do. Talk is cheap, and we need to make sure that our words correspond with our actions, and that our actions correspond with our words. There are few things more important to your reputation than simply speaking the truth about what you have done and doing what you say you will do.

Jesus is particularly talking about taking oaths in this passage, but his words would also apply to the promises and vows that we make. These are all similar, but an oath specifically means bringing God into the equation. When you take an oath, you are calling on God as your witness that you are telling the truth, and you are calling on God as your judge should you be lying or if you should break your word. The most common way people take oaths today is when we say things like “I swear to God …” in order to bolster our words.

So let’s look at what Jesus had to say about all this.

I. Promises, promises (33)

In verse 33 Jesus says: “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’” (Matthew 5:33)

This verse follows the same pattern that the previous verses in this section have followed. In each case Jesus begins by pointing out how the scribes and Pharisees have either restricted or misinterpreted the law, and then he goes on to tell the real meaning behind the law.

   A. Old Testament teaching on keeping oaths (Leviticus 19:12, Numbers 30:2; Deuteronomy 23:21-23)

Here in verse 33 Jesus presents a summary of several Old Testament commands related to the taking of oaths. For example we read in Leviticus 19:12: “Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:12) And so one of the ways we can break the third commandment, “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God” (Exodus 20:7), is when we swear falsely by God’s name. Or we read in Numbers 30:2: “When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.” (Numbers 30:2) And so the Old Testament says we must not make any oaths in God’s name that are either not true or that we do not keep.

   B. Legal loopholes and manipulation of oaths (Matthew 23:16-22)

Now there was nothing wrong with this teaching in and of itself. Remember, Jesus upheld the authority of the whole Old Testament when he said: “I have not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17)

The problem was that, just as with murder and adultery, the Pharisees were reinterpreting the law to find a way out. The problem wasn’t with the Old Testament commands but with the Pharisees’ legal loopholes and the manipulation of oaths to get away with deception. (You can read all about their various maneuverings in Matthew 23:16-22.)

There is a character in the Disney movie “Pirates of the Caribbean” who was a master at this legal maneuvering. Captain Hector Barbossa is a pirate who is always careful to keep his word, and yet he is intentionally deceptive at the same time. For example, at one point he promises to let a young maiden go free, and then he proceeds to make her walk the plank instead. One of the characters protests: “Barbossa, you liar! You swore she’d go free!” To which Barbossa responds: “Don’t you dare impugn me honor, boy! I agreed she go free, but it was you who failed to specify when or where.” And so he “sets her free” by making her walk the plank.

Well, the Pharisees were doing something similar with the Old Testament commands on keeping your oaths. When they taught the people, “Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord,” they focused on the phrase “to the Lord.” In other words, they found a loophole. Sure you had to keep the oaths you made to the Lord, but you didn’t have to keep the oaths you made to each other.

Of course, people would catch on to that pretty quick, so they became even more devious. They would make it sound like they were making an oath to the Lord, when in their minds they really weren’t. And so it all became a game to them. How can I trick you into thinking I’m telling the truth when I’m really not?

II. Don’t swear at all (34-36)

In the next verses Jesus will give us some actual real-life examples of how they played this game. But first of all Jesus lays down his own response to this manipulation of the truth. Verse 34: “But I tell you, Do not swear at all!” (Matthew 5:34) Even though the Old Testament allowed for oaths and commanded you to keep your oaths, Jesus says it would be better for you not to swear at all.

   A. Oaths actually weaken the truth

One reason for this is because oaths actually weaken the truth. There is an irony here. Oaths are meant to strengthen the truth, but they actually end up weakening it instead. As G. Campbell Morgan wrote: “An oath is always a revelation of a possibility of deceit.”
Think about it. The only reason oaths exist is because lies exist. If everyone everywhere always told the truth, there would be no need for oaths. Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes: “The Old Testament [condemned] the lie by the use of the oath. But Jesus destroys the lie by forbidding oaths altogether … The oath must go, since it is a protection for the lie.”

   B. God is always witness to what you say

God is always witness to what you say. And in these next verses Jesus absolutely destroys the Pharisees’ little game of manipulation. Look at verses 34-36: “But I tell you, Do not 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. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.” (Matthew 5:34-36)

So here Jesus exposes some of the real-life ways that the Pharisees tried to manipulate their oaths. Instead of swearing by God’s name, they would say something like: “I swear to heaven that I’m telling you the truth!” Or “I swear by heaven and earth …” Or “I swear by Jerusalem, you can count on me!” Or, “I swear by my own head I will be there!”

Now these all sounded fancy and even religious, but you’ll notice none of the oaths mentioned God directly. That was the point. The Pharisees taught you only had to keep the oaths you made “to the Lord.” And so by swearing by things that were related to God without actually mentioning God, you could make the other person think you were serious and still get away with breaking your word.

But Jesus will have none of these games when it comes to the truth. He says, “You think you can swear by heaven and get away with it? It won’t work, because heaven is God’s throne. Or you think you can swear by the earth? That won’t work either, because the earth is God’s footstool. You think you can swear by Jerusalem and get away with it? Sorry, Jerusalem is God’s city.”

And then what about people who swore by their head? To swear by your head meant to swear by your life. We have a similar saying people use today: “Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.” But Jesus said, “You can’t swear by your head, because you have no control over your head. You cannot even make one hair white or black.” Jesus was talking about the process of aging, and sure you can dye your hair, but it doesn’t change the fact that you are growing older. You can’t swear by your life, because you do not have control over your life, whether or when you will live or die. That’s God’s territory.

So what is Jesus saying in these verses? Jesus is saying you cannot escape God in your words. You cannot remove God from the equation. The Pharisees were trying to game the system by making it seem like they were making an oath in God’s name when they were really not. But Jesus says God is always witness to what you say – whether you call on him as witness or not.

Therefore, Jesus says don’t swear at all. Why? 1) Because oaths actually weaken the truth. And 2) God is always witness to what you say anyways.

III. Keeping it simple (37)

Finally, Jesus ends this section by telling us we should keep it simple. Look at verse 37 where Jesus says, “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37)

   A. Your “yes” or “no” should be sufficient

What is Jesus saying here? First of all, that your “yes” or “no” should be sufficient. If you need to add something to your words to make them more credible, it throws doubt on all your other words. There can be no double standards when it comes to the truth. No oaths are necessary when you always tell the truth. Think about it. If the other person has to ask you, “Do you promise?” that shows that maybe you haven’t been faithful to your word in the past.

So let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘no,’ ‘no.’ If you say you’re going to something, do it. If you say you are not going to do something, don’t do it. Be a person of your word, but don’t swear an oath about it. If you are a person of integrity, then your “yes” or “no” should be sufficient.

   B. Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44)

And then Jesus says: “Anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37b) Satan is the father of lies. Jesus said about Satan: “When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44) Satan is the father of lies, but Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. When we speak the truth we follow Jesus. But when we lie or deceive we follow Satan.

And Jesus says the best way to avoid all this is to stop swearing altogether. Keep it simple. Just say yes or no, and then stick with it. Be a person of such integrity that no one will ever doubt your simple word.

   C. Public oaths are not forbidden by Scripture:

Of course, this raises the question: Is it ever wrong to take an oath? There are certain oaths or vows that we make today. Let me give you some examples: marriage vows, ordination vows, church membership covenants, signing contracts, and sworn testimony in court. Is Jesus forbidding these things as well? Some people believe so, and so they refuse to take an oath even in court.

However, Scripture makes a distinction between public and private speech. And when we compare Scripture to Scripture, it becomes clear that public oaths are not forbidden by God.

      1) God permits and takes oaths (Deuteronomy 10:20; Hebrews 6:16-18)

For example we find in Scripture that God permits and takes oaths himself. God permits oaths in Deuteronomy 10:20 when he says: “Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name.” (Deuteronomy 10:20) And God even takes oaths himself. Hebrews 6:17 says: “Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.” (Hebrews 6:17)

   2) Jesus took an oath in court (Matthew 26:63-64)

Not only that but we have the example of Jesus who took an oath in court. We read in Matthew 26: The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. (Matthew 26:63-64)

   3) Paul calls God as his witness (Romans 1:9; 2 Corinthians 1:23)

And then we have the example of Paul who several times in his letters calls God as his witness – for example in Romans 1:9: “God … is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times.” (Romans 1:9)

It’s unfortunate, but in a world of lies, public oaths are sometimes required to better ensure that the truth is being told. It’s similar to carrying keys. In a world without theft, there would be no need for keys. In the same way, in a world without lies, there would be no need for oaths.

Charles Quarles sums it up nicely in his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount: “In summary Jesus prohibited the use of misleading oaths, but he did not intend to prohibit all use of oaths. Oaths in court, marital vows, oaths of office, and the use of other oaths on solemn occasions to emphasize one’s truthfulness comport both with biblical teaching and Christian practice.” And so it is not wrong to take a public oath in a situation that requires it, but for the reasons already stated, we should eliminate oaths from our personal, everyday speech.

CONCLUSION: So, what do we take away from Jesus’ words this morning? Let me close this message with three applications.

Three applications:

   1) Be truthful in your speech (Proverbs 12:22)

Number one: Be truthful in your speech. Proverbs 12:22 says: “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.” (Proverbs 12:22) That means no lying, no exaggerating, no distorting or shading the truth. Speaking the truth is absolutely necessary for trust. And speaking the truth brings great freedom to your life. Thomas Fuller wrote: “If I speak what is false, I must answer for it; if truth, it will answer for me.” Commit yourself to speaking the truth at all times, and it will revolutionize your life.

   2) Be careful what you promise (Ecclesiastes 5:2,5)

Number two: Be careful what you promise. Ecclesiastes 5 says this: “Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God … It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.” (Ecclesiastes 5:2,5) God is always witness to what you say, so you need to be careful about what you promise. Make sure you anticipate all potential obstacles before giving your word. And always leave room for God’s will. “If the Lord wills” is a good phrase to attach to all your plans and promises.

   3) Be faithful in following through (Psalm 15:1-5)

And then finally number three: Be faithful in following through. Psalm 15 says: “He whose walk is blameless … who speaks the truth from his heart … who keeps his oath even when it hurts … He who does these things will never be shaken.” (Psalm 15:1–5)

Speak the truth from your heart, and once you’ve given your word, be faithful in following through, even when it hurts. Did you say ‘yes’? Then make sure you follow through with ‘yes.’ Did you say ‘no’? Then make sure you follow through with ‘no.’ That’s what it means to let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘no,’ ‘no.’ Be people of truth, be people of honor, be people of integrity.

Of course, we all fall short in this area of truth-telling, promises and commitments, and this is where we once again turn to the cross of Christ. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: “The cross is God’s truth about us, and therefore it is the only power that can make us truthful.” Only God’s grace can forgive you of your sins. Only God’s truth can set you free. So let us live honestly in light of the cross, and let us keep our eyes on Jesus, who died for you so that you can live for him.

© Ray Fowler

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