Read with Me
James 5:12 (HCSB)
Now above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. Your “yes” must be “yes,” and your “no” must be “no,” so that you won’t fall under judgment.
Listen with Me
James is still urging corrective action in the face of issues that he sees commonly in the Church. And in this case, he aims at the habit of making oaths.
James’ advice is taken directly from Jesus’ own words in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:33-37):
“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.”
In both cases, the base issue being addressed is lack of integrity. People who had little integrity, whose actions didn’t match their professions and who had broken their promises before often invoked oaths in an effort to get people to trust them this time.
People would swear by the temple, by the altar, by their dead mother, or father, or by anything that they believed would persuade others they were telling the truth, or that they would keep their promise.
But Jesus’ and James’ solution to this problem is as simple as it is profound. Each person, especially people who are part of God’s kingdom, are to live lives of such honesty and integrity of word and action that when they say yes, there word becomes their bond, and when they say no, there is no doubt in the minds of their listeners.
Jesus ended His instruction on an even stronger note than James did, stating that going beyond a simple yes or no is from the evil one. That is because oaths were frequently involved when someone was being false, used in an effort to persuade someone that their words were true when they were not, or used in an effort to cheat someone. Such weasel-worded oaths as Jesus pointed to in Matthew 23:16-22 we’re designed and delivered with intent to defraud, and thus have no place among those who are part of God’s kingdom.
Pray with Me
Father, it is easy for us to forget that our character as professed Christians, people of Your kingdom, reflects on Your character in the world’s eyes. If I am dishonest and conniving, You will be seen as dishonest and conniving in their eyes, too. If I have integrity, then Your own integrity shines forth through me, and you’re you are lifted up. Lord, help me to never try to persuade someone of my own goodness by my words or by my oaths. Let my character, my actions, and Your holiness living in and shining through me testify instead, so that everyone around me knows that my yes is a genuine yes, and my no a genuine no. Amen.