James and the Sermon on the Mount: Oaths

In our last article examining the relationship between James and Jesus’ teachings of Matthew 5-7 we come to a topic that may not appear to be totally relevant, oaths. We might think of oaths as being courtroom specific in modern western culture, but oaths have been a sacred part of cultures across the world since the beginning. When we look at these teachings closer, we may find more application than meets the eye. Let’s look at Jesus’ teaching first. 

Matthew 5:33-37

“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Given this teaching, Jesus seems to be straightforward, don’t swear at all, just say yes or no otherwise it is sin. Upon closer examination, we might wonder what Jesus means by swearing by the city of Jerusalem or by our own head. A quick context is in order. To make an oath more binding and serious, people would swear by God or things that belong to God, (temple, city, etc). By swearing oaths, people would try to add more validity to what they said, thus it is kind of deceptive in nature. If we are simply honest, there is no need for oaths or to try and make us sound more serious. We should be truthful in what we say. 

James echoes Jesus’s words almost precisely, “Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned” (James 5:12). James says we will be condemned for the foolish words we speak. We need to be full of integrity when we speak, meaning everything we say. Jesus and James are not forbidding all swearing of oaths, oaths in the courtroom do not affect our faith, for example. But when we feel the need to constantly swear by something, we need to reflect on what we say. Is what we say always honest and full of integrity? We need to focus on our words often and reflect on how we can be more intentional with our words because this reflects the character of God.