A reflection on Matthew 5:33-37
Saturday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
©️2024 Gloria M. Chang
Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow. But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the Evil One.”
Matthew 5:33-37
Origin of Oaths
Why do humans swear oaths? In the beginning, Adam spoke with pure transparency, his heart undivided. But when desire coiled him in suspicion and mistrust, he doubted God’s goodwill. God and neighbor became rivals, their intentions probed before trust could be forged.
After generations of estrangement, God met humanity in its brokenness. As a simple “yes” or “no” no longer sufficed to reassure his children, God swore an oath to Abraham, promising to bless him and multiply his descendants like the stars of heaven (Genesis 22:16-18).
In the fullness of time, Jesus revealed the Father’s heart, walking in unwavering trust even to the cross. As the new Adam, Christ restored the “single eye” of God’s children, created in his image.
“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is single, your whole body will be full of light.”
Matthew 6:22
Adam began with a single eye,
But desire forked his tongue in a lie.
Where truth is ubiquitous,
Oaths are superfluous.
Traditional Chinese Translation
《人類為什麼要發誓》
亞當以純潔的心開始，
但慾望卻讓他的舌頭陷入了欺騙。
在真理無所不在的地方，
誓言就是多餘的。