Gray Area Around Clear Commands

Scripture: But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither 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. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. Matthew 5:34-36

Observation: Jesus is teaching a basic lesson that many of us now know, and that lesson is a simplification of the commandment not to lie. If we do not lie, then there is no reason to "swear" that our word is true. The only reason to swear is because ... sometime we lie, yet in some cases we want to prove we aren't lying by binding our word to something we value. Jesus goes through a hierarchy of things people might swear by - heaven, the earth, Jerusalem and the temple, or our own lives - and shows these are all bad.

The message is to keep is simple. Rules don't matter because they complicate and deceive. If the command is "don't lie" then ... don't lie. Rules about swearing to things introduces legalistic complexity that actually exists only because the command is being broken. If the lie is "don't commit adultery" then rules about lust and divorce only introduce complexity about what to do if someone commits adultery. If the command is "love one another" then guidelines about seeking revenge during conflict only exist to govern situations where that love is absent.

Of course, this simplicity of the commands is what makes them hardest for flawed humans to comply with. We are sinful, and thus the black-and-white nature of the commands means we will fail. We will get angry. We will lust. We will lie. Therefore, the real lesson of Jesus is likely found in how to deal with such failures ... address them in your life, rather than creating rules that define gray areas where the sin can therefore exist unaddressed.

Application: Where have I created gray area and thus allowed myself to sin without addressing it? Certainly I have done this. I think nothing of anger toward others - thinking people stupid or complaining about them in my mind - as long as I treat them well enough. This is explicitly unloving. I have other areas as well.

So what would my daily walk with the Lord look like if I truly complied with the commands? If there was no gray area, I would have to love everyone, always. I would never lust, never swear, never covet an object or position or honor or success. In all these, my life would likely become ... better. I would find contentment and joy. I would build relationships. Sure, some may decide I was passive, or false, or unambitious, and certainly there would be some negatively directed toward me. But I would likely be happier, and God would be also.

Prayer: Lord, your commands are good for me. I know that obeying your laws and precepts would actually bless me and my family. May I do a better job at this. I will not be perfect, and I will fail daily, but may I start with loving others more and more, by at least having fewer bad thoughts and assumptions about others. Please soften my heart toward strangers, acquaintances, coworkers, family, and friends. Amen.