Matthew 5:33-37

2 Corinthians 5:14-21

Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12

Matthew 5:33-37

Jesus said to his disciples:

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,

Do not take a false oath,

but make good to the Lord all that you vow.

But I say to you, do not swear at all;

not by heaven, for it is God’s throne;

nor by the earth, for it is his footstool;

nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

Do not swear by your head,

for you cannot make a single hair white or black.

Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’

Anything more is from the Evil One.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, help me hear your voice amid the noise of the world. I want to respond generously to your call. I need to discern wisely what I need to leave behind to follow your Son. Grant me a wise and discerning heart so that I can live in your love and bring others to enjoy life with you.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Truth in the New Covenant: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus refers to several Laws of Moses that speak about making false oaths and fulfilling our vows. In particular, he refers to Leviticus 19:12, Numbers 30:2, and Deuteronomy 23:21. This is the fourth example of fulfillment. The first was bringing the prohibition of murder to fulfillment in fraternal love. The second was bringing the prohibition of adultery to fulfillment in spousal love. The third overturned Moses’ concession permitting and regulating the practice of divorce. The fourth brings the prohibition of false oaths to fulfillment in truthful speech. The New Covenant, then, is characterized by brotherly love, spousal love, faithful love, and truthful love.

2. What Oaths are Forbidden? The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible clarifies what oaths Jesus is forbidding and what oaths we can make. “Jesus forbids oath swearing for private purposes. Oaths are important, however, in the public sector for the good of society. Judges, doctors, soldiers, politicians, and other professionals swear oaths for public service. Oaths are also sworn to make or renew covenants (see Hebrews 6:13-18). In every context, God’s holy name is invoked to bring divine assistance (blessing) to the upright and divine punishment (curse) to those who violate their oaths. In Jesus’ day, the practice of oath swearing was something mishandled; people would swear private oaths for personal advantage. By invoking something other than God’s name (heaven/earth/Jerusalem; 5:34-45), oaths were taken lightly or even disregarded (Matthew 23:16-22). Jesus denounces this, teaching that truthfulness and integrity should govern private life” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 1734-35).

3. Current Moral Debates on Lying: When the Catechism of the Catholic Church was first published in French in 1994, it defined a lie as follows: “To lie is to speak or act against the truth in order to lead into error someone who has the right to know the truth” (CCC, 2483, 1994 edition). This was an attempt to tweak and refine the definition of a lie and narrow it in the light of centuries of debate about what a lie is and isn’t. Moral theologians were concerned that if any and all deception is intrinsically evil, then being a spy or undercover detective, playing card games that include bluffing, faking a spike in sports, or deceiving someone to prepare a surprise party for them, would all be intrinsically evil. In the end, however, the definition that was incorporated into the Latin edition of the Catechism was: “to lie is to speak or act against the truth in order to lead someone into error” (CCC, 2483). It didn’t include the narrower definition. And so, the debate remains open. One possible solution is to distinguish deception from lying, just as we distinguish killing from murder. The proposal is that just as killing is not intrinsically evil, but murdering is, so also deception is not intrinsically evil, but lying is. Lying would add something to deception, and what this addition is precisely remains to be clarified. Hence, the current debate. What is clear from today’s Gospel is that under no circumstances should we swear false oaths and use God’s name in vain to deceive others and lead them astray.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you have the words of everlasting life. I praise you for you are God, and I thank you for all you have done for me. I pray that I may always walk in the truth and in your light.

Living the Word of God: How am I living the Fourth Commandment to honor my parents and the Eighth Commandment to be truthful in my speech? What can I do better in my business to be more truthful?