Matthew 5:33-37 The Law Explained Part IV Vows

There was a wealthy oil tycoon on his deathbed, and his pastor sat by his side and reminded him of God’s healing power. The tycoon made a vow: "if God heals me, I’ll give the church a million dollars." Remarkably, the man recovered and left the hospital a few weeks later. He then bumped into the pastor again on the sidewalk one day, and the pastor reminded him of the words he had said in the hospital. The tycoon replied, “Did I say that? I suppose that shows just how sick I really was.”

This morning, Jesus moves on to his fourth look at the law and its application for believers—regarding vows and oaths. What he shows us is that people of his kingdom are to be known for truthfulness.

In ancient Israel, and in Jesus’ first-century context, making vows and oaths was a common practice; they appear frequently throughout the Old and New Testament. Think of the story of Jonah, for example. In response to the wild seas that the Lord brings, Jonah 1:16 says, “Then the men feared the Lord greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord, and they made vows,” a very common thing to do.

Today, we do not usually call the promises we make “vows” or “oaths” in everyday life, but we do still use them in certain contexts. Really, a vow or an oath is a form of solemn promise. At the marriage altar, for instance, we take vows before God and exchange rings as symbols of our covenant commitment to one another. Another example would be if someone had moved or immigrated to New Zealand and wanted to become a New Zealand citizen; they would have to take a New Zealand citizenship oath. For example, it would say, “I 'Rhys' swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles the Third, King of New Zealand, his heirs and successors according to law, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of New Zealand and fulfil my duties as a New Zealand citizen. So help me God.” That is an up-to-date oath.

Vows and oaths are ways people hold themselves accountable to perform certain duties or actions; often they appeal to a higher power or authority to give greater weight to the promise of the vow, such as invoking the name of God.

Under Mosaic law, when an oath or vow invoked the name of the Lord, it was binding. An oath to the Lord was non-retractable. It was considered a debt to God to be paid in full. To make an oath invoking God’s name and then break it was like blasphemy; it was to take the Lord’s name in vain, to treat his name as if it meant nothing.

Deuteronomy 23:21 says, “When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you. And the Lord your God will surely require it of you.” Now why would someone invoke the name of the Lord in a vow? As I said, by appealing to a higher authority, one could deepen the trustworthiness and gravity of the promise.

This idea even appears in popular culture today. As I thought about this, I recalled a movie I quite enjoy: a Russell Crowe film called Robin Hood. At one point in the movie, Robin makes a passionate speech to the newly crowned King of England before they unite to fight off the French invaders. Robin pleads for justice in the form of a new charter of individual liberties—a liberty by law. The young King John responds, “I give my word that such a charter will be written. On my mother’s life, I swear it.” See who could deny such a vow when it’s elevated to such an authority as swearing on one’s mother’s life.

So what does this have to do with what Jesus is saying in the Sermon on the Mount here? The key point is that Jesus teaches that a believer’s word—in its various forms, such as promises, oaths, vows—ought to be so trustworthy that we need not swear by any authority at all. By our word alone, our yes ought to be yes, and our no ought to be no; no in-between. That is the point.

Let's move into understanding the interpretation of this passage before we begin to apply it.

The Interpretation

This passage is a little like a layered cake. Notice in verse 33 that Jesus refers to oaths and vows made directly to the Lord God. Jesus isn’t citing one particular Old Testament passage or law; there is a compilation in this verse of different passages.

Then, in verse 34, there is a more subtle, subordinate oath to God—that by heaven. Next, a little more subordinate to heaven itself is the city of Jerusalem, God’s city or the city of the great king, as he calls it. Finally, at another subordinate level, Jesus says not to take oaths even by your own head, or by things outside your own control.

So we have a layered cake: God, heaven, Jerusalem, your own head. What is he saying here? In today’s public discourse, just to give an example, a hot topic in the press lately—though it has settled down a bit—is a fierce debate over the meaning of the Treaty of Waitangi. One hot topic in first-century Judaism concerned the degree to which oaths and vows were binding. If someone wanted to make an oath, there was discussion over whether they could wriggle their way out of it by making the oath appealing to a lesser authority than God.

So if you wanted some wriggle room, you might not swear by God but by heaven, or by Jerusalem, or by the hairs on your own head. These still sound impressive, but they provide room for abandonment. That is the problem. Jesus says, no, no, no; your word as my disciple must be true. Do not make oaths or promises while leaving a back door fire exit in case of emergency. It dishonours God.

If you say yes, if you make a promise, then let it be so; let it be yes. If you say no, then let it be no. Anything beyond these, is evil. Jesus condemns people making evasive oaths and vows they can get out of. Christians are not to make promises they will seek to evade; Christians are to be truth-tellers. True character and true speech are of utmost importance for the Christian.

It is not that Jesus is simply condemning the taking of oaths in general. As in previous verses, we should not miss the hyperbole—the exaggerated statement—when Jesus includes, “make no oaths at all.” For of course, we have to take oaths and vows in different contexts or we could not function in society. What's more, the Apostle Paul takes oaths by the name of the Lord in the New Testament. It is not Jesus’ point to forbid all oaths, but to confront those who would make subordinate vows to lower degrees of authority so they do not have to be committed; they swear by something lesser just in case they need a way to evade.

We can look at the issue of false oaths in another context, Matthew 23:16ff. Jesus says, “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.’ “You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? “And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.’ “You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? “Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it. “And whoever swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells within it. “And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.” (Matthew 23:16–22).

In this context, Jesus pronounces judgment on the false teachers of Israel who had mishandled the law of God. They were like the blind leading the blind. Regarding oaths, they had taught there were degrees of oaths, some more binding than others; some could be sworn by lesser authority and be less binding. Jesus cuts through this nonsense. That's why he says, "Whoever swears by the altar swears by everything on it." You see before God, no matter what a person swears by, a broken promise or oath is a lie. His point is: tell the truth. That is what Jesus means by “Let your yes be yes and your no be no” in Matthew 5:37.

To say yes but then act as no would be a lie; to say no and act as yes would also be a lie, regardless of what you swear by. Jesus forbids evasive oaths and vows and commands us to pursue truth in all we say and promise.

Now that we have established the meaning, let me offer some brief points on a theology of truth in the believer’s life, which underlines Jesus’ point.

God Is A God Of Truth

Why should our yes be yes and our no be no? First, because God is a God of truth. When God revealed himself to Moses, he passed by saying in Exodus 34:6-7, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and truth.” Our God is a God of absolute truth; his essence is truth itself. There is no falsehood or deception in him. He is the standard and measure of all truth.

David declares in Psalm 31:5, “You have ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth.” Isaiah 65:16 calls him "the God of truth." God is to truth what the sun is to shadows; without a source of light, shadows cannot exist, and without God, there is no reference point for truth in our world. So Jesus wants the way we view our oaths, vows, and speech to align with the nature of God because God is a God of truth.

GOD'S WORD IS TRUTH

Second, God’s word is true. The one true God is truth, and the word that proceeds from him is truth. When he speaks, he speaks truth. Our confession as Christians is that we believe the word of God is God-breathed, divinely inspired, and the church is called the pillar that upholds the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). Why? Because it is the guardian of God’s revelation found in the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments.

In the Westminster Confession of Faith 1.4 it states the following: “The authority of the Holy Scripture... dependeth not upon the testimony of any man or church but wholly upon God (who is truth itself), the author thereof; therefore it is to be received because it is the word of God.” And so as Christians, we want to speak truth as God’s word speaks truth.

Jesus Christ Is The Truth

Third, why does the truth matter? Jesus Christ is the truth. God’s purpose in saving his people—the church—is that they might be conformed to the likeness of Jesus (Romans 8:29). This means that we would bear in our lives likeness to Jesus, to the praise and glory of God.

Imagine a coin—that bare metal coin passes through a mint and receives an image engraved on its surface. This is like what God is doing to the believer. God wants your character, speech, oaths, and promises to be likened to the truth found in Jesus. God is moulding you into that image.

When we observe the Lord Jesus, we find he spoke truth; there was no deceit or falsehood in his mouth. Christ is truth incarnate. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.” John in Revelation calls Christ the one who is “faithful and true” (Revelation 19:11). So should not those who profess Christ not be known for their true speech and character? Let your yes be yes and your no be no.

Let us apply this passage before we close.

Aligning Words And Actions

First, to fulfil the command of Matthew 5, we want our words to align with our actions. We do not want to be like those who make evasive vows with wriggle room to escape. We don't want loopholes, we want truthfulness. Psalm 51:6 says, “Behold, you desire truth in the innermost being.” If you think of a pair of synchronised Olympic divers, the best appear perfectly in sync. Their bodies move identically, like mirror images. Sometimes you watch others less trained who are not in sync; their timing and shape differ. They are out of sync.

Jesus says, “Let your yes be yes and your no be no.” In other words, are our words and deeds synchronised? Are we like medal-winning divers or last-place divers? We do not want people to notice a glaring contradiction—a misalignment of speech and actions. We want them synchronised in line with one another to fulfil Jesus’ call.

Known For Trustworthiness

Second, we must be known for our trustworthiness. One application is that as Christians, we should not need to swear by anything, for our word ought to be trustworthy. If I promise you something, I should not have to swear on my mother’s life or by heaven or Jerusalem or any sacred city or cow. The point is that we ought to be known as truthful people so that our word is enough and will be kept.

We belong to the truth; we are born of the Spirit of truth. The Holy Spirit lives within us so we must live as truthful people in character and speech. Proverbs 12:22 says, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal faithfully are his delight.”

Conclusion

Let us conclude by thinking about Jesus. In the Incarnation, Christ submits himself to the will of the Father. The Son came to complete what the Father gave him to perform. In John 6 we find these words, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.” (John 6:38–39)

Theologians call this "giving" of the Father to the Son the covenant of redemption. A biblical covenant is a solemn and binding oath. Scripture shows that in eternity past, the triune God decreed that the Son, who was to be incarnate, would be given a people as a love gift to the glory and praise of God; the Father gifts the Son a people.

In the Incarnation, Christ comes to fulfil an oath; he comes to fulfil a promise that had been made in eternity past. A vow, and he will not disappoint the Father but will accomplish all that he has promised. If you are a Christian this morning, you are part of this love gift that the Father gave to the Son, and the Son took upon himself an oath to save your soul, to redeem you in time and space, to the glory and praise of God.

Your salvation was born out of an oath, a vow, a promise—that Christ would go to a cross to redeem the sinner’s soul. He died the death we deserve, and he rose again so that all who believe in him might not perish but have everlasting life. The point is this: Christ kept his oath; he kept his vow; and the outcome was Christian salvation.

Maybe we ought to think about this as we give our word to others, as we make promises and oaths: do we mean to carry them through? Christ, who has gone before us, has carried out the oath that secured our salvation. He has gone before us.

So the question is: does truth permeate our speech? Does truth permeate our actions? For the Lord says, “Let your yes be yes and your no be no.”