Readings: 2Thess.1:1-5.11-12, Ps. 96, Matt.23:13-22
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia
STOP SWEARING UNNECESSARILY
Oftentimes, I hear people say: I swear to say the truth, nothing but the truth. These are the words we often hear people say in the courts, in the streets, in the market places and even in the Church to express and affirm what they want to do or what they want to say. But I wonder why we don’t mean what we say or fulfil what we promised.
This very ugly attitude is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today, where the Scribes and the Pharisees, who had the responsibility to lead people to the Kingdom of Heaven, have become an obstacle for they neither enter nor allow those who want to enter to go in.
Thus, Jesus called them hypocrites and blind guides because they misused the gift of leadership entrusted to them. For they say, “If a man swears by the Temple, it has no force; but if a man swears by the gold of the Temple, he is bound.” But Jesus said to them you fools and blind! Which is of greater worth, the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred?
Therefore, when a man swears by the altar he is swearing by that and by everything on it. And when a man swears by the Temple he is swearing by that and by the One who dwells in it. And when a man swears by heaven he is swearing by the throne of God and by the One who is seated there.’
Here, Jesus is referring to the ceremonious way in which the Pharisees took oaths. It was one of the things in the culture of their time. That is, people swearing oaths with impressive sounding words before the congregations without fulfilling them like our politicians today. But what were the words of these oaths anyway?
They were forms of words designed to impress people. There were no indications that the person swearing the oath had any power over the things that the oath mentioned. It was just using words to impress and so produce acceptance of things in relation to the oath, when in fact, this is completely fraudulent because the persons taking the oath do not intend to keep the promises or commitments that they were confirming by taking that oath. They were just fooling the people. Jesus is saying, in essence, that we should not let this foolery ever be part of us because it is hypocrisy, and Jesus is against hypocrisy in all its forms, especially when it has to do with taking the name of God in vain.
To take the name of God in vain means to invoke His name unnecessarily or profanely, to use it without humbly acknowledging the holy character of the One whose name we are invoking. To invoke the name of God in an oath or vow when our statement is false, inconsequential or when we do not intend to honour our words is a direct violation of the third commandment of God. Therefore, the issue Jesus is addressing here goes to the very core of our character as Christians, to the heart of what it means to live as a child of God, especially in a society like ours, where deception and falsehood are the order of the day.
Dear friends, Jesus calls us today to be sincere in everything we do or say. That is why he commanded us not to swear an oath; rather, we should say yes when we mean yes and no when we mean no so as not to become hypocrites and liars. So, today, we are called not to be hypocrites or blindguideses but good leaders who are committed and responsible with whatever we are entrusted with.
Little wonder St. Paul, in our first reading, tells us to stand firm and keep the traditions that were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself strengthen you in everything good that you do or say.
LET US PRAY: Lord God, oftentimes we have been hypocrites, blind guides of the things you entrusted to us. May we never take your name in vain or tired of doing what is good. And may we be guided along the path of truth, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful week ahead.
