The Well

Connecting Hope to the Hurting

Wednesday
November 5, 2008

DON'T SWEAR

"Blind guides! How terrible it will be for you! For you say that it means nothing to swear 'by God's Temple' – you can break that oath. But then you say that it is binding to swear 'by the gold in the Temple.' Blind fools! Which is greater, the gold, or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? And you say that to take an oath 'by the altar' can be broken, but to swear 'by the gifts on the altar' is binding! How blind! For which is greater, the gift on the altar, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? When you swear 'by the altar,' you are swearing by it and by everything on it. And when you swear 'by the Temple,' you are swearing by it and by God, who lives in it. And when you swear 'by heaven,' you are swearing by the throne of God and by God, who sits on the throne."
Matthew 23:16-22

I don't know about you, but I think the bottom line of Jesus' message is that we don't need to be swearing – period. Here Jesus is getting at the heart of hypocrisy.

Warren Wiersbe, in his "Chapter-by-Chapter Bible Commentary," makes this statement: "Failing to reach your goals or to be all that you want to be is not hypocrisy. Pretending that you have 'arrived' is hypocrisy. The word hypocrite comes from the Greek word for the mask worn by an actor. Hypocrites deliberately play a part so people will think they are more spiritual than they really are. The remedy for hypocrisy is honesty with yourself and with God."

I believe Jesus was trying to get the message across that:

  1. When we covenant with God about something, whether we lay that covenant on the altar or not – it is binding in the Kingdom of Heaven.
  2. When we covenant to love our spouse "for better or worse," it doesn't matter whether it was done in the judge's chamber or the church – it is a covenant with God.
  3. When we covenant to give a tithe of our income, whether that is a vow we made at the altar or in our quiet time – it is binding to God.
  4. When we covenant to serve God in the ministry He calls us to, whether that vow was made at the altar or privately – it is a promise to God.

I'm sure that you have been on the receiving end of many promises that weren't fulfilled. It could be as small a promise as someone promising to call you or pray for you, or as large as loaning someone money that they never repay. No matter whether it's large or small, an unfulfilled promise is both frustrating and hurtful. God doesn't want that happening in our lives. So, we need to be sure that when we say "yes," we mean, "yes."

I am the worst at this, but God has convicted me in this area and I vow right now, that I will work harder at being very careful before I make a promise.

Thank You Lord for the convicting power of Your Word and the Holy Spirit. I know I have failed many people in the area of broken vows. I ask and receive Your forgiveness. I also make the choice today to forgive people who have broken their promises to me. We thank You for grace and the ability to start over with Your mercies that are new every morning.
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All Scripture is taken from "The New Living Translation unless otherwise notated."
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