OATHS -- GONE WITH THE WIND?

Leviticus 19:11-12

Matthew 5:33-37

Even if we've never seen the movie, Gone with the Wind, we're probably familiar with Scarlett O'Hara's oath. Framed by the sunset, Scarlet raises her fist in defiance and says, “As God is my witness, I will never be hungry again!”

In today's passage from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus leads us into a new understanding of oaths and profanity.

Did the character, Scarlett O’Hara in the movie, Gone with the Wind, take the Lord’s name in vain when she made her famous oath?

“As God is my witness, as God is my witness, they’re not going to lick me. I’m going to live through this and when it’s all over, I’ll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again.

Leviticus 19:11-12 tells us not to take oaths, make promises that profane the Lord’s name, that is take the Lord’s name in vain.

Scarlett’s oath is a profane one in that the actions she pledges herself to do not reflect the character of God or the Law of God’s Love (Ten Commandments). She promises to lie, steal, cheat or kill in order to accomplish her goal.

Throughout human history, there have been profanities done in the name of God: war, slavery, infanticide, genocide, racism, violence, discrimination and more.

These next two types of oaths, may not seem to us to be as profane as the type Scarlett made, but they are. They are the pointless promises Jesus is warning us about that result in distrust and doubt in even our witness to Christ.

The first are the promises that are made that are impossible to keep. It’s like me saying, “By God, I’m going to climb Mt. Everest in two days.” Or, which is one I have to be careful of, I will pledge my time and energy to something that was never mine to do. My reason for saying yes had something to do with my ego or some other unhealthy motivation. As a result, I can’t follow through, and I end up disappointing people and losing their trust.

The second kind are the oaths we make that we have no intention whatsoever on keeping – those empty promises that glorify the self, or are like some campaign promises. Or when someone is nagging me, and I say “yes” just so get them to go away and leave me alone!

Such promises are easily “gone with the wind.”

The issue that Jesus is addressing is not so much taking the Lord’s name in vain, as honoring our commitments with integrity – truthfulness in oaths and fidelity to promises made.

If we demonstrated we are not true to our word in keeping our promises, no amount of oaths, whether we’re swearing on the Bible or our mother’s grave, is not going to make us seem more trustworthy.

If we are mindful, intentional and prayerful about what we say yes to and what we say no to, our truthfulness and faithfulness can’t be enhance by oaths.

Zig Ziglar said, “The secret to a balanced success are honesty, character, Integrity, faith, love and loyalty.”

That’s success in all aspects of our lives – our jobs, our academic studies, and certainly as thriving Christians and a thriving church that witnesses to Christ in the totality of our life style.

Jesus is telling us to live with integrity, proving ourselves truthful and faithful in when and why we make promises we make. And whenever God or Christ requires something of us, God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit will be with us with support and guidance.

If this is an issue in your life, and you feel convicted about it, admit it, confess it to God. Ask, that the power of the Holy Spirit to renew your thinking, to put a guard on your mouth so you don’t make pointless oaths, and to continue the transforming work of grace that God has begun in you.

We are all works in progress – I know I still have a long way to go before I am perfected in Christ. No matter where we are on the journey, Christ is there with us to help us; in confidence and with faith, we can fully rely on the grace of God to transform us into the trustworthy, faithful people God has created us to be.