“你们的话，是，就说是，不是，就说不是。若再多说，就是出于那恶者。” - 太 5:37

起誓在今天的许多文化中已经不常见了。

但是你是否曾经在没有生病的情况下请过“病假”？你是否曾经告诉你的朋友，你忘了做你说过要做的事，尽管你只是不想做？你是否曾经告诉同事你已经完成了一个项目，然后你匆匆忙忙地完成它，希望他们不会发现？

我们总是故意歪曲事实。圣经项目的蒂姆-麦基牧师称这是对事实的“粉饰”。就像照相馆可能会对一个人的照片进行“修整”，以去除瑕疵或皱纹，所以我们倾向于“粉饰”我们生活中无聊、尴尬或有罪的事，好使自己看起来更体面。

我们这样做是出于我们的不安全感。我们不相信别人会喜欢和接受我们本来的样子——包含着所有缺点、矛盾和无聊的情节。

但耶稣在这段经文中说得很清楚。我们的“是”应该是“是”。而我们的“不是”应该是“不是”。作为神在这世上独特的子民，作为盐和光，我们知道我们的言语是我们见证的一部份。

耶稣呼召我们成为正直的人，同时也要我们知晓，我们在神对祂儿女的爱中是稳妥的。

祷告

父啊，当我不尊重我的话语，或者当我扭曲事实，试图表现得比我实际更好的时候，求你赦免我。帮助我在你的爱中安息，并在任何处境下有勇气说真话。阿们。

马太福音 5:33-37

33“你们又听见有吩咐古人的话说：‘不可背誓，所起的誓总要向主谨守。’34只是我告诉你们，什么誓都不可起。不可指着天起誓，因为天是神的座位；35不可指着地起誓，因为地是他的脚凳；也不可指着耶路撒冷起誓，因为耶路撒冷是大君的京城；36又不可指着你的头起誓，因为你不能使一根头发变黑变白了。37你们的话，是就说是，不是就说不是；若再多说，就是出于那恶者。

Speak the Truth

"All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." - Matthew 5:37

Oath-making isn’t common in many cultures today.

But have you ever taken a “sick day” from work when you were not sick? Have you ever told your friend that you forgot to do something you said you would do, although you really just didn’t feel like doing it? Have you ever told a coworker that you have finished a project—and then you hurry to finish it quickly, hoping they won’t notice?

We bend and stretch the truth all the time. Pastor Tim Mackie of the Bible Project calls this “airbrushing” the truth. Just as a photo studio might airbrush a person’s photo to remove blemishes or wrinkles, so we tend to “airbrush” the boring, inconvenient, or incriminating parts of our lives in order to make ourselves look better.

We do this out of our insecurity. We don’t trust that we will be liked and accepted the way we are—with all of our faults, inconsistencies, and boring stories.

But Jesus is clear in this passage. Our yes should be yes. And our no should be no. As God’s distinct people in the world—as salt and light—we know that our words are part of our witness.

Jesus is calling us to be people of integrity, knowing that we are secure in God’s love for us as his children.

Prayer

Father, forgive me when I fail to honor my word, or when I stretch the truth to try to appear better than I am. Help me to rest in your love and to speak the truth in every situation. Amen.