Our words often get away from us, making promises we never intended to keep, or exaggerating things to make the stories more believable. Rather than just setting out to do our best to care for others or follow through with promises, we run our mouths and hope that no one notices when things don’t go quite like we said. Jesus had something to say about that thousands of years ago.
Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: 35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. Matthew 5:33-37
Old Testament Law ruled that vows made before God must be kept, unless an unmarried woman’s father or a married woman’s husband overruled her. All vows made were binding otherwise. (Numbers 30). Of course, people have a way of finding loopholes in laws, and the Jews were no different.
In Matthew 23:16-22, Jesus described how the scribes and Pharisees twisted God’s Word to justify their broken vows. By claiming that they had only sworn by the temple and not the gift on the altar, they could break whatever promise they had made. Jesus emphasized that any vow made, no matter how it was made, was made before God. He hears every word spoken and misses nothing.
In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught that it was better to make no vows, but to just live sincerely. Less talking, more action. Just act on what would have been vowed without spending time telling everyone about it. This would fit nicely with his upcoming passage on how to pray and give without making it a production for people to see.
This passage could also speak against using curses, especially to Jesus’ Greek listeners. Curses would often be added to a person’s promise if he did not follow through with it. However, those curses would not have been within the realm of the person’s control. An example would have been, “May Zeus strike me with lightning if I do not follow through.” Just as no one can make their own hair white or black, they cannot call down lightning upon themselves if they do not fulfill their vows. For both the Greek and Jewish listeners in the crowd that day, Jesus’ words would have called them to a higher expectation for how they spoke to one another.
Jesus still has high expectations for a believer’s words and actions. Proverbs contains a plethora of instructions pertaining to the wise use of the tongue. Ephesians 4:20-32 includes a list of instruction, specifically emphasizing speaking truth with love, not lying, and avoiding corrupt communication. Followers of Christ speak differently than those who do not follow Him. Even better, their actions speak louder than their words! Again, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is just as relevant today as it was so long ago.
His Song in the Night 