Listen

“Again you have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago: Don’t make a false solemn pledge, but you should follow through on what you have pledged to the Lord. But I say to you that you must not pledge at all. You must not pledge by heaven, because it’s God’s throne. You must not pledge by the earth, because it’s God’s footstool. You must not pledge by Jerusalem, because it’s the city of the great king. And you must not pledge by your head, because you can’t turn one hair white or black. Let your yes mean yes, and your no mean no. Anything more than this comes from the evil one.”

Matthew 5:33-37

Think

It can be easy to identify so closely with our habits and cultural norms that we lose sight of the universal reality underlying our routines: people are imbued with dignity, worth, and a capacity to love, simply because we exist. Therefore, we do not need to swear oaths or promises to make our words matter — they too matter because they exist.

Tying our integrity to this natural dignity is a powerful way of illustrating the Gospel: we are God’s people, created in God’s image, and nothing can separate us from God’s love.

Something to think about as we choose our words today.

Holle Tubbs

Pray

God, give me eyes to see past the distractions that pull my attention away from the innate dignity of people and the gravity of my own words.

Grant me discernment in my speech, and show me the peace that comes with letting my yes be yes and my no be no.

Amen.

Go

… A legal expert tested him.  “Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

He replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You must love your neighbor as you love yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”

Matthew 22:35b-40

Go forth in love.