Read Matthew 5: 33-37
Do you keep your word as a leader?
Why would consistent integrity be essential for the person who claims Christ as Lord of his/her life? What about the pastor and church leader?
Oaths in the ancient world were extremely important. They were so important, they were almost acknowledged as currency. The Jews during Jesus time swore to all kinds of things, from serious matters to the trivial. They were a statement of the person’s truthfulness and ability to meet a commitment anywhere, from the paying of debts to the promise of marriage.
Most of the Jews would make elaborate oaths to testify to the truth of their words and their commitment by claiming the importance of the Temple, or their house and goods–anything except God and His standards. In so doing they elevated the importance of material things over spiritual things; they measured their word and integrity by others, not to the standards of God.
The Law forbids irreverent oaths, especially the misuse of God’s name! If the Lord’s name was used in a transaction, the depth had to be paid also to the Lord. Thus, Jesus cuts through the complex additions the Pharisees have made to the law, right to the heart of the matter, and simply states, we are to tell the truth- period!
They had a good reason, so they thought, because, if they broke their word, God’s name was not in vain. But, this became epidemic as the oaths became more and more elaborate, the integrity became worse and worse, and those oaths quickly became broken and worthless. So, the Pharisees and various Rabbis would judge what oaths were binding and what ones were not. As long as God’s name was not in it, the oath could be broken, and people were free of responsibility to their word and commitment.
Jesus calls us to be true to our word as a testimony to our Faith in Him. We are not to be worldly with our words or integrity or drag His good name and defile it with feeble, easily retracted words.
There is nothing complex about truth. If you seek to make it complex, you have no regard to truth or to the God of truth!
So, why do we seek to make it complex, seeking loopholes to escape responsibility and righteousness?
Filed under: Leadership Issues, Spiritual Maturity | Tagged: Christ as Lord, Commanded, consistent integrity, faith, God and His standards, God’s truth, integrity, keep your word, loopholes, Oaths, responsibility, Truth | Leave a comment »
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