July 13, 2021 - Woe number three that I am writing about today is found in Matthew 23:16-22. It is longer than the two previous woes combined! The topic that Jesus was criticizing the religious leaders that were around him was swearing. Not what you do when you step on a lego or when you hit yourself with a hammer. We are talking about taking on an oath. We still have pledges today. You may have taken an oath of citizenship, a marriage vow, or even an oath of office. While the oaths are lofty and hint at notes of grandeur, they are still oaths taken in a fallen corrupt world. Therefore, they are susceptible to men and women breaking them. Oath are as good as the parties that hold them.
When we do break them, we often try to rationalize our actions. For instance, we make a pact to act civil, but then our promise is no longer remembered after some action has taken place. In the aftermath, when asked why we broke our word, what do we say? We might say that the person pushed us over the edge or that we couldn't control ourselves. Another excuse that I've heard is that "boys will be boys," as if that washes away all lousy behavior or is a valid reason.
We see similar ethical gymnastics in the text. The religious leaders had removed the severity of oath-breaking, making it dependent on what you swore on. They suggested that there was no real need to uphold an oath sworn using the temple to swear on. However, if one swore on the gold in the temple, that did create an obligation. This created extra-biblical standards on when one needed to hold to an oath. Verse 17 gives us an excerpt of Jesus' criticism, so I encourage you to read the whole passage to get the context. The verse reads, "You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?"
Jesus argues that where the oath was taken and what the promise was sworn on doesn't matter because it is all the same. We, as Christian, are told that the standard is to be oath keepers, to break an oath is to sin, and that we are habitual oathbreakers.
That is why the Gospel message is not based on our oath keeping but God's oath keeping, God keeping his covenant promise. We rest on Christ keeping his word and not breaking his promises. It has been promised that all who believe in him will have their sins covered by the blood of the lamb and will be forgiven.
Wynter is an Elder at Mariposa Reformed Baptist Church. Find out more at MariposaChurch.org or email him at wynter@mariposachurch.org. Visit Mariposa Reformed Baptist Church on Facebook.
Pastor’s Corner is a column from Pastor Wynter Sturtevant III of the Mariposa Reformed Baptist Church.
The Church has moved locations, services are now held at the Bootjack Stompers Hall (located at 4662 Morman Bar Crossing) across from the Mariposa County Fairgrounds.
Time of service is at 10:00 A.M. on Sunday.
I am happy to announce that MRBC has its own sermon podcast. Please check it out by clicking on the link below or searching MRBC Sermons on iTunes. New sermons will be posted every Wednesday.
https://mariposachurch.transistor.fm/episodes
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