Swearing

One

Don’t Swear

In the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, the most important core of moral teaching ever delivered to the human race, Jesus gives a very interesting set of rules about oath-taking or swearing.

This is what he says, “You have heard it said, ‘Do not swear falsely, but perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all – neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne, nor by earth, for it is his footstool, neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither swear by your own head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be a plain yes, and your ‘No’ a plain no. Anything else is from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:33-37).  

Jesus tells us there are four things not to swear by: Heaven, which is God’s throne. Earth, which the Psalms tell us is God’s footstool. Jerusalem, which is the city of the great King (who is, of course, Jesus Himself). And finally, our own heads.

What do these four things have in common? Heaven, Earth, Jerusalem, and our own heads? Simple. They all belong to God. And if they all belong to God, we should be careful in how we talk about them.

Two

Heaven, Earth, Jerusalem

Swearing by something is normally like betting. When we’re sure of something, we might say, “I’d bet the bank,” or “I’d stake my reputation on it.”

We’re trying to emphasize how certain we are, how confident, and we invoke something that we’d be willing to risk. But if there’s something we’d be willing to risk, it sort of implies we have authority over it. And Christ is reminding us that we don’t have authority over what belongs to God.

We don’t have authority over Heaven, or Earth, or even the local political communities where we live. We don’t have authority over Heaven or Earth or Jerusalem, or the Church, or the global community, or the United States. So we shouldn’t act like we have authority over those things. We shouldn’t talk in an arrogant, self-important way. As though we have some kind of prerogative, or some kind of right to dogmatize about what’s really going on. As though we have a God’s-eye view of everything.

In other words, being obnoxiously opinionated about everything is kind of like swearing by Heaven, Earth, and Jerusalem. It’s talking with authority about what only God ultimately has authority over. And that’s something forbidden to a Christian.

Three

Your Own Head

Okay, so we shouldn’t speak authoritatively about what doesn’t belong to us, what we don’t have authority and control over. But then Jesus reminds us that we don’t ultimately have authority or control even over ourselves. We can’t control our own aging process, or know when death will take its course. All that is up to God. And the truth is, we don’t even know ourselves much better than we know the ultimate structure of the cosmos or the inner workings of political affairs. We’re weak and confused and largely dominated by forces of which we’re not even aware.

So God-forbid we fall into the sin of being opinionated, of speaking with too much authority, even about ourselves. And God-forbid we ever bet or gamble with our lives or our souls, which don’t belong to us any more than the earth and the heavens do. God forbid we ever speak or act like we own ourselves, when the truth is we belong completely to God alone.

Four

What is Yours?

So if everything in heaven and on earth, including us, belongs to God, it raises the question: what does ultimately belong to us? And the answer is, nothing but our own sins. The rest comes from God and belongs to Him. And the further we get from our own sinfulness, the closer we will get to a state of absolute poverty and dependence on God.

And then, then maybe we’ll speak with the humility and peace of people with nothing to put on airs about, and with nothing to lose. Then maybe our “yes” will more often be a plain yes, and our “no” will more often be a plain no. Because we won’t be trying to bet with what doesn’t belong to us. We won’t be trying to invoke what we have no authority over. And when we speak, we’ll speak without pretensions. As tiny, largely ignorant, and dearly beloved children of God the Father.

Five

Speaking Truth with Love

We are supposed to seek the truth, conform our lives to it, and never compromise it. But here in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is condemning pride in the form of arrogance in our speech. This is the desire to make everyone think like me and the contempt I feel towards others, especially when they do not conform to my perspective. 

If we are humble, we acknowledge the limits of our knowledge and experience. Practicing humble, charitable speech. Own your uncertainty. Instead of declaring, “I’m right,” try, “Here’s how I see it—I could be wrong.” That openness invites dialogue, not debate.

Ask before you judge. Say, “Help me understand your view,” rather than dismissing someone outright. Genuine questions show respect and help you learn. Choose respectful language. Swap harsh critiques (“That’s ridiculous”) for clear observations (“I notice you interpret it this way…”). You can be honest without being hurtful. Listen actively. Put away distractions, make eye contact, and let the other person finish before you respond. Showing you’re fully present builds trust.

Focus on facts, not character. Debate ideas, not people. Point to specific evidence or experiences (“According to X,” “In my experience…”), not “You always” or “You never.” By admitting you might be mistaken, asking thoughtful questions, speaking kindly, truly listening, and sticking to the issues, you honor both truth and the dignity of those you’re talking with.

Suggested Resolutions:

Choose one resolution for today to help you grow closer to God, or create your own. Here are some ideas to inspire you. 

• Today, we’re going to offer up a chore we have to do around the house, specifically for the conversion of our loved ones.

• Be conscious of your language this week. How often do you say, “I swear to God. I swear on my life. I’d bet my life on it,” and what can you do to stop using these phrases?

• It’s easy to prioritize being right over being a good friend, but this week, when you want to prove someone else wrong, stop yourself and try to be patient (so long as it’s not a moral imperative). Acknowledge the limits to your knowledge and try to respond humbly.