Simple Language
Does your speech align with your actions?
Verse of the Day
“Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.”
Today’s Devotional
Let’s look at this entire passage of Scripture. “You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’ But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:33-37)
I found a wonderful explanation from bibleref.com to help us understand this. “Here, Jesus explicitly explains why using oaths to “enhance” a promise is not only unwise, it’s sinful. When someone declares a promise with an oath, they’re undermining their own personal integrity and honesty. The oath implies, “I really, truly mean what I am saying,” which suggests other, non-oath-bound statements might not be so sincere. There’s a built-in suggestion that the oath-swearer has a varied commitment to honesty. It’s also a form of manipulation, seeking to get agreement from the other person using dramatic terms.
Christ’s command for believers is simple: let the words “yes” and “no” be binding in all cases. Anything more comes from evil. A believer ought to be honest in what they say and do—they should not need the pressure of an artificial oath to follow through on their commitments. And, the believer should live a life of integrity such that others trust them without seeking such oaths. Modern culture echoes that with phrases such as “that man’s word is his bond.” This is the ideal: if you say you will do it, you will, period. No oaths required.
What Jesus does not refer to here are “oaths” such as contracts, marriage vows, or swearing in a witness in a courtroom. He is not forbidding believers to make promises, but to use oaths as an artificial form of honesty.”
Our words should match our actions. Jesus is teaching us to say what we mean simply, and if we say it, we should follow through. This makes me ask myself, “Do I obey this teaching? Am I prone to elaborate in order to be convincing? Are my “yes” and “no” enough based on my actions? If I say “yes”, am I reliable?”
One of the things that comes to mind is saying “no” when it’s necessary. We can be tempted to say “yes” to a request so that the person asking will view us favorably, when we know that our answer should be “no”. Jesus is teaching us to be honest and to be reliable. Are we willing to behave in such a way that people don’t ever need any more than “yes” or “no”? Are we people of our word?
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How has someone broken a “vow” or promise to you? How did that affect you?
Are you prone to verbal exaggeration?
How could you simplify your language just today?
How do you need the Spirit’s help to be honest and reliable?
Does your speech align with your actions?