A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW      

WORDS MATTER 

Matthew 5:37 (see verses 33 – 36) “ All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No;’ anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”   

You have most likely seen on T.V. an enactment of a witness in a court of law putting their hand on a Bible and swearing to “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God.” There is, in fact, a law that if a witness does not tell the truth they can be fined or put in jail for telling an untruth. Their “vow” or “pledge” to tell the whole truth is taken seriously within the context of the United States court system. 

Today’s devotional verses are about making an oath. When Jesus was on earth, the Jewish culture included making many oaths. There were so many the culture had a listing of importance of the oaths. Jesus, in His words here in the Sermon on the Mount said simply, do not break the oaths you make. It is especially essential that all oaths sworn directly to Yahweh would be honored.   

Think of the oaths you have made. If you are married and were married before the altar of God, you made an oath not only to your spouse but also to God that you would love, honor, and obey one another recognizing that Jesus has said, “What God has joined together let not man separate.” (Matthew 19:6)   

As a Christian your word (promises and commitments) are your contract. Your yes is yes and your no is no. There are no greys, no if’s, and’s, and but’s. Ephesians 4:15 says we are to “speak the truth in love.” Ten verses later Paul again said, “ . . . each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor . . . “ (Ephesians 4:25) Solomon, writing about wisdom wrote, “Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right. My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness. All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse.” (Proverbs 8:6-8) Yes, a wise person reverences Yahweh by speaking words of truth in love. 

Prayer: Lord, may the words of my mouth be acceptable in Your sight. In Jesus name. Amen. 

Where charity and love prevail There God is every found;  
Brought here together by Christ’s love By love are we thus bound. 

With grateful joy an holy fear His charity we learn;  
Let us with heart and mind and soul Now love Him in return. 

Forgive we now each other’s faults As we our faults confess,  
And let us love each other well In Christian holiness. 

Let strife among us be unknown; Let all contention cease;  
Be God’s the glory that we seek; Be ours His holy peace. 

Let us recall that in our midst Dwells Christ, His only Son; 
As members of His body joined We are in Him made one. 

For love excludes no race or clan That names the Savior’s name;  
His family embraces all Whose father is the same.  (LSB 845)