“And don’t say anything you don’t mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, ‘I’ll pray for you,’ and never doing it, or saying, ‘God be with you,’ and not meaning it. You don’t make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. Just say ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong. (Matthew 5:33, 34, 37 MSG)
Much of the Sermon on the Mount focuses on authenticity. Authenticity is so desirable because it exists in scarce amounts. The reason Jesus spends so much time on it isn’t because we see so much of it, but so little.
How many things do I say that I don’t mean? Our society is practically based on pretense and superficiality. We say, “I’m sorry,” when we aren’t and “I’m fine, how are you?” when we’re not fine and don’t care how they are. When we meet someone who says it like it is, we call them radical. Sure, you say, we must all get along. We can’t just say what we really think.
And why not? First, if I can’t say what I’m thinking, then I must be thinking wrong. If I’m afraid to say what is on my mind, then either I have a bad attitude I’m covering up or I’m unwilling to stand for what I believe. Both of these are wrong-headed. Second, if I am thinking right then I forfeit the opportunity to speak truth when truth is in such short supply. I make no difference in my relationships with others if I merely parrot along with the polite crowd. Scripture does not teach us to speak truth without regard to others, but to speak truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). If I really love others, I will speak plainly of the truth. If I am not willing to say it, then I don’t really believe it or I don’t really love them.
In this passage Jesus is saying I am no better off sounding good, using religious niceties, if I don’t mean what I say. In fact, using religious talk makes it less true, because I am spiritually lazy and relying on how I’ve heard others say nice things.
Instead, I should take the time to carefully consider my words so that they may stand on their own. I do no one any real good by just sounding nice instead of being nice–which means I have their best interests in mind, not my social acceptance among those who would care so little as to be offended by one thing I said.
Deep Questions 