Yes or no – that is the question here
Series: Metamorphosis | Bible text: Matthew 5:33–37
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus challenges us to speak the truth. The tension between truth and lies runs through the whole Bible. Lie is the mother tongue of Satan, truth is the mother tongue of God. In order to find the truth, our hearts must be changed by the one who is the truth. In the process, we are confronted with the abysses of our heart and being. No problem, Jesus can transform our being!
A proverb says: «The pen is mightier than the sword.«You can achieve more with words than with violence. This is how Dr Martin Luther King’s speech changed «I have a dream«or the 95 Theses of the reformer Martin Luther have had a lasting impact on the world. The Sermon on the Mount is also about words, and specifically about speaking truth or lies. Jesus only repeats Solomon, who said: «The Lord detests those who do not keep their word, but takes pleasure in those who fulfil it»(Proverbs 12:22NLB).
Again, Jesus is not about defining different degrees of truth with sophisticated formulations. Being a Christian would be a real cramp if we just had to try a little harder to get everything right. Rather, it is about promoting the virtues of truthfulness, integrity and fairness. It is a problem of our heart that we often do not tell the truth or half-truths or leave things out. «From the heart come evil thoughts such as murder, adultery, fornication, theft, Lies and slander»(Matthew 15:19 NLB).
This is the Gospel. It is not a matter of telling the truth by one’s own strength, but of recognising: Lord Jesus, you are truth and live in me! I allow you to be true in and with me.
Truth in speech
«You have also heard that in the Law of Moses it says: «You shall not break an oath; you shall keep the promises you have made before the Lord». But I say: Do not swear at all! When you say, «By heaven!», that is a sacred oath, for heaven is God’s throne. And if you say, «By the earth!», that too is a sacred oath, for the earth is His footstool. Nor swear, «By Jerusalem!» for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. Do not even swear: «By my head!» for you cannot make a single hair on your head white or black»(Matthew 5:33–36 NLB).
According to the instruction of the Old Testament (Exodus 30:3), the Jews were not allowed to break an oath. Jesus, on the other hand, says: Do not swear at all! Then as now, for example, as a witness in court one had to swear to tell the truth. Professional groups such as doctors or mountain guides also take an oath. The non-re-elected American president took an oath on two Bibles when he was inaugurated. And towards the end of his term, he showed up in front of the venerable St. John’s Church with a Bible in his hand. He wanted to express that he was committed to the truth with the invocation of God.
There are church groups such as the Mennonites who took this sentence of Jesus so seriously that various professions and offices were withheld from them. Jesus does not forbid all swearing here. Jesus himself takes an oath before the high priest (Matthew 26:63f) and God also takes an oath (Hebrews 6:13).
One swears by something greater than I am. That is why American presidents put their hand on the Bible. You take God as a guarantor for your own statement, just as we need a guarantor or certain reserves when we take out a loan. When swearing, one expresses: I have something greater behind me that testifies to what I am saying now. Because the Jews were not allowed to pronounce the name of their God – Jehovah or Yahweh – they swore by heaven, by earth, by Jerusalem or by their own bodies.
The problem back then was that people only told the truth when they took an oath. If someone always has to say «word of honour», «I swear», «for sure», then that is not a good sign for the credibility of that person. The other should believe you not because you swear, but because you speak the truth..
Truth as a character trait
«Just say «yes» or ’no». Every word beyond that is of evil»(Matthew 5:37 NLB). This sentence challenges people who like to talk. Should we only say «yes» and «no»? That is hardly what Jesus meant, because our relationships live from communication. Jesus is concerned with straightforwardness, that we become true personalities. Personare means literally ringing out. A strong personality is a person whose true heart resounds through to his speech. Our level of truth and honesty ultimately shows how much our heart has been made new by God, or what mother tongue we speak.
The lie is the mother tongue of the devil. «Just say «yes» or ’no». Every word beyond that is of evil»(Matthew 5:37 NLB). Lies and half-truths are of the devil. In another context Jesus says: «You have the devil for a father: you love to do the evil things he does. He has been a murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is according to his nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.»(John 8:44 NLB). The first sin in the Bible is a lie. The serpent hissed: «You will not die!» (Genesis 3:4 NLB). The latter sin of the Bible is also lying (Revelation 21:8). Lies are omnipresent in this world. No news is known to be true. The devil, «the sphere of power of the air rules» (Ephesians 2:2 NLB), has contaminated this world.
Truth is the mother tongue of God. «Jesus said to him: «I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me».»(John 14:6 NLB). God is the Father of light. There is nothing false, nothing hidden with him. Truth is the only language of God, therefore He loves truth and honesty. God can do everything – except lie. :-) It is so liberating: we can always come to God and know He is true. He has no second face.
Which mother tongue do we speak? Being honest and telling the truth is one of the most important character traits. Through our speech we reveal whose child we are. Metamorphosis is about building virtue and character.
«Even Satan pretends to be an angel of light»(1 Corinthians 11:14 NLB). He does not lie bluntly and straightforwardly, he is too clever for that. With us, too, lies and half-truths are often very well disguised. We ferret them out:
Slander. Satan often asks questions to spread lies. «Did God really say?» (Genesis 3:1 NLB), «Do you think Job fears God for nothing?»(Job 1:9 LUT). Bad-mouthing works in the same way. You don’t speak badly about someone directly. That is unchristian. But one asks questions: should one really do such a thing? – How did you experience this meeting? That’s how you put others on the track. It is not difficult to infect someone with bad thoughts about someone.
Forward messages. I receive messages forwarded via social media at a high cadence. We should check news for truthfulness when we spread it.
Seeking one’s own advantage. After the British and Americans bombed Dresden in the Second World War, Joseph Goebbels simply added a zero to the number of civilian casualties in his propaganda. In this way he killed two birds with one stone: he was able to win his own army over to total war and in the rest of the world he triggered an outrage at the ruthless actions of the Allies. How often do we exaggerate or leave it at partial truths to gain our own advantage?
Cover something up. We often lie because we want to hide something that embarrasses us. Again and again we have the experience of discovering damage in our premises without ever hearing a confession from anyone. Some time ago, a woman caused damage to our car while parking. She assessed the damage and drove away.
Hypocrisy. The Greek word for Hypocrisy is hypocrite. The same word is used for an actor. An actor pretends to be something on stage that he is not. A pretender tries to present himself better than he is. This can be in a group where someone puts themselves very much in the foreground and cuts up. Christians sometimes pray fervently for lost people in a prayer group, but the request does not come up in their personal prayers. Or one sings «Lord, I love you so much» in worship, but in everyday life I don’t spend a minute with Jesus. Another type of hypocrisy is the urge to justify oneself all the time. One fears that the other person will think badly of one.
On the other hand, it is simply refreshing and attractive when someone is thoroughly honest and can even laugh at themselves. How do we become such people? By taking on more of God’s character through the transformation of our being.
A sincere character can be fostered in the upbringing of children. A child should experience the following principle with his parents: The mess I made is not as bad as if I cover it up with a lie. Or put another way: If a child stands by a mishap, he or she should always have an advantage over the situation of lying. Moreover, you should only tell the children what you are going to do. Sometimes a child rushes because he or she desperately wants something. The father says: «No, you don’t get that.» The child knows immediately that the no is not a no, but only the beginning of a discussion. The child continues to scream and beg until the father shouts annoyed: «There you have it!» Clear guidelines help a child to become honest and truthful. Every child needs boundaries and fences. It is normal for them to step up. Yes is yes, no is no – this gives children security and character.
Truth makes free
«You will know the truth and the truth will set you free»(John 8:32 NLB). A person who is true in his being is free and finds true quality of life. Lying always comes from a false and corrupt heart, it is only the symptom of a deeper heart defect. That is why Jesus never got hung up on appearances. He condemned adultery but was merciful to the adulteress. Likewise, he condemned theft but ate with the tax collectors. Jesus was interested in people’s hearts to help them with their deeper problems.
What are the deeper issues that tempt us to untruth?
want to please people. This was already a problem in Jesus» time: «Many people, including some of the leading men, believed in Jesus but were afraid to admit it. They feared that the Pharisees would exclude them from the synagogue because of it. The recognition of the people was more important to them than the recognition by God»(John 12:42f NLB). To look good in front of people, we prefer not to tell the truth.
Wanting to be more than we are. Adam and Eve were both naked – completely truthful, honest, dependent, vulnerable. They lived a thoroughly unclouded and true relationship. But then man wanted to be more, to be like God. And then they were ashamed and hid. We lie because we often want to be someone we are not. How liberating it is when we could stand before God and man and say: «This is who I am and I am grateful for it!»
That is why we are to come to him who is the truth. Only in the presence of Jesus Christ do we know that we are loved, saved and wanted. When a person is certain of God’s love and acceptance, change begins from within. As a free person with a full yes to himself, he can become truthful and honest.
Possible questions for the small groups
Read Bible text: Matthew 5:33–37; James 3:1–12
- Read James 3:1–12 together and share about the power of words.
- What does Jesus mean by the sentence: «Just say «yes» or ’no». Every word beyond that is of evil»? Should we talk less as a matter of principle?
- What types of lies are there? What are the ones you are most likely to use?
- Why do we lie? Are there examples from your own life?
- Truth is the mother tongue of God. So what is the potential for us on the path to more honesty and truthfulness?
- What are the prerequisites for a fundamental change of heart? (cf. 1Corinthians 3:17,18)
