WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.825 --> 00:00:07.125 Grace to you, from God, our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ in the 2 00:00:07.125 --> 00:00:11.825 name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 3 00:00:15.725 --> 00:00:18.025 The title of my message 4 00:00:18.025 --> 00:00:21.725 this morning is taking an oath. 5 00:00:22.725 --> 00:00:28.925 It is based on James chapter 5 verses 12. 6 00:00:30.625 --> 00:00:36.925 During the month of September, the liturgical calendar 7 00:00:36.925 --> 00:00:44.225 if we look at the Liturgy calendar, it draws our attention to the Book 8 00:00:44.225 --> 00:00:45.025 of James. 9 00:00:46.025 --> 00:00:52.225 A book that has much practical teaching on many area of our life. 10 00:00:53.725 --> 00:01:01.425 One area of life that James gives, plenty of instruction is on how we 11 00:01:01.425 --> 00:01:02.125 speak. 12 00:01:03.925 --> 00:01:11.925 If we look at the Book of James, it contains five chapters almost in 13 00:01:11.925 --> 00:01:12.625 each chapter 14 00:01:12.625 --> 00:01:15.825 there is some advice about speaking 15 00:01:15.925 --> 00:01:21.725 ad about your tongue. James chapter 1 verses 19 says my dear brothers 16 00:01:21.725 --> 00:01:22.525 and sisters. 17 00:01:22.525 --> 00:01:23.825 Take note of this. 18 00:01:24.825 --> 00:01:29.125 Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become 19 00:01:29.425 --> 00:01:30.025 angry. 20 00:01:30.625 --> 00:01:33.525 Then in 26, those who considered 21 00:01:33.725 --> 00:01:38.525 themselves religious, and yet do not keep a tight rein on their 22 00:01:38.525 --> 00:01:43.425 tongues deceive themselves, and their religious religion 23 00:01:43.625 --> 00:01:47.725 Is worthless. In chapter 3 24 00:01:48.525 --> 00:01:50.325 he had shown what 25 00:01:50.325 --> 00:01:53.525 awful hurts and terrible destruction 26 00:01:54.025 --> 00:01:59.825 this small little tongue can cause when it is used in a sinful manner. 27 00:02:01.225 --> 00:02:08.825 Then in chapter 4, he warns his reader not to slander one another. And 28 00:02:08.825 --> 00:02:16.025 as we come to James chapter 5 verses 12, which is the sermon of today, 29 00:02:16.725 --> 00:02:20.825 he highlights another sin of our lips. 30 00:02:21.925 --> 00:02:29.725 Let's listen carefully to what James says here. Above all a my brothers 31 00:02:29.725 --> 00:02:30.725 and sisters. 32 00:02:31.325 --> 00:02:36.725 Do not swear not by heaven or by oath or by anything else. 33 00:02:37.425 --> 00:02:40.825 And you need to say is simple 34 00:02:40.825 --> 00:02:42.425 yes or no. 35 00:02:43.125 --> 00:02:46.625 Otherwise, you will be condemned. 36 00:02:48.625 --> 00:02:54.725 The fact that James returns to this subject again, and again, tell us 37 00:02:55.125 --> 00:02:56.825 one important things. 38 00:02:58.625 --> 00:03:05.325 We must take the sins of our lips very seriously. 39 00:03:06.225 --> 00:03:09.325 We cannot afford to ignore them. 40 00:03:10.325 --> 00:03:15.925 And this is not an easy things to do, especially when we live in a 41 00:03:15.925 --> 00:03:20.925 world that thrives on such sin. 42 00:03:22.125 --> 00:03:25.325 One of the one of the most powerful quotes 43 00:03:25.325 --> 00:03:28.225 I read while I was preparing this sermon. 44 00:03:29.025 --> 00:03:36.125 Is it goes like this. Our society and he means here the American 45 00:03:36.125 --> 00:03:37.025 society 46 00:03:37.025 --> 00:03:42.925 and the Western Society in general is built on framework of lies. 47 00:03:43.425 --> 00:03:48.525 The whole society is built on framework of lies leading one to wonder 48 00:03:48.525 --> 00:03:54.125 whether our social structure would survive if everyone were forced to 49 00:03:54.125 --> 00:03:56.425 speak the truth for even one day. 50 00:03:58.425 --> 00:04:03.925 There is a pervasive culture of deceit into this world. 51 00:04:04.525 --> 00:04:09.225 Look at the media media commercial make the most extraordinary claims 52 00:04:09.225 --> 00:04:15.725 about the product just to boost their sales. Politician make promises 53 00:04:15.725 --> 00:04:19.425 they cannot keep to gain more votes. 54 00:04:20.225 --> 00:04:24.925 I think we all must admit, like, Isaiah did that 55 00:04:24.925 --> 00:04:28.025 we are a people of unclean lips. 56 00:04:28.625 --> 00:04:33.325 And we dwell in the midst of the world of unclean lips. 57 00:04:34.525 --> 00:04:40.025 However, as a baptized believer, we cannot just make this and excuse 58 00:04:40.425 --> 00:04:42.725 to keep on doing the same thing. 59 00:04:43.225 --> 00:04:47.125 It is so tempting to say, everybody is doing it. 60 00:04:47.925 --> 00:04:52.225 We must be different from the world because we are God's people. 61 00:04:52.625 --> 00:04:54.625 We are baptized God's children. 62 00:04:55.625 --> 00:04:58.125 We no longer belong to the devil. 63 00:04:58.625 --> 00:05:00.625 Who is the father of lies. 64 00:05:01.125 --> 00:05:02.425 We Belong to God. 65 00:05:02.725 --> 00:05:07.525 I must change the way we speak because he is a God of Truth and 66 00:05:07.525 --> 00:05:11.325 therefore being truthful matters a lot. 67 00:05:13.025 --> 00:05:21.625 And this is the whole point of the injunction that James gave in this 68 00:05:21.925 --> 00:05:22.725 passage. 69 00:05:23.725 --> 00:05:29.625 So, into this message, I will speak about the practice of taking oath 70 00:05:29.625 --> 00:05:30.625 in James time. 71 00:05:31.425 --> 00:05:39.725 And then how that oath was abused and then what is the prescription of 72 00:05:39.725 --> 00:05:40.525 speaking 73 00:05:40.725 --> 00:05:42.125 truthfully. The 74 00:05:42.225 --> 00:05:44.525 practice of taking oath. Here 75 00:05:44.525 --> 00:05:49.925 James deals with the practice of taking oath in the Old Testament, for 76 00:05:49.925 --> 00:05:55.725 example, and I'm here talking in front of world, renowned New 77 00:05:55.725 --> 00:06:00.725 Testament Scholars. You know in the Book of Numbers Chapter 30 verses 78 00:06:00.725 --> 00:06:06.525 2 the Israelite were told if a man vows a vow unto the Lord or swear 79 00:06:06.525 --> 00:06:09.125 an oath to bind his soul with a bound. 80 00:06:09.325 --> 00:06:11.325 He shall not break his word. 81 00:06:11.625 --> 00:06:12.025 He shall 82 00:06:12.125 --> 00:06:16.225 do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. 83 00:06:17.225 --> 00:06:17.825 Oath 84 00:06:17.825 --> 00:06:20.725 were taken for two important reason. 85 00:06:21.125 --> 00:06:21.825 Number one. 86 00:06:22.425 --> 00:06:27.525 It was a guarantee that truth of what a person said. For example, when 87 00:06:27.525 --> 00:06:32.025 taking the oath to tell the truth in court as a witness one is 88 00:06:32.025 --> 00:06:36.725 required to do, what place his hand on the Bible, and swear to tell 89 00:06:36.725 --> 00:06:37.325 the truth. 90 00:06:37.725 --> 00:06:39.325 So help me God. 91 00:06:40.225 --> 00:06:46.025 Every court of law in this world can can serve Justice only as far as 92 00:06:46.025 --> 00:06:46.525 the witness 93 00:06:46.925 --> 00:06:49.125 are willing to speak the truth. 94 00:06:49.925 --> 00:06:51.125 No justice at all 95 00:06:51.125 --> 00:06:56.825 can be served if people do not speak the truth in court. The second 96 00:06:56.825 --> 00:06:57.425 reason why 97 00:06:57.425 --> 00:07:00.325 oath were taken was to ensure 98 00:07:01.925 --> 00:07:08.025 the keeping of a promise by elevating it to the status of a sacred 99 00:07:08.025 --> 00:07:10.025 vows. For example 100 00:07:11.225 --> 00:07:16.025 in a church wedding when a bride and groom stand before the 101 00:07:16.025 --> 00:07:18.725 congregation and take their marriage 102 00:07:18.725 --> 00:07:19.425 vows. 103 00:07:20.125 --> 00:07:26.525 God is called upon to be the principal witness to the truthfulness of 104 00:07:26.525 --> 00:07:27.725 their vows. 105 00:07:28.425 --> 00:07:32.625 Some may ask a question, can an oath or vow ever 106 00:07:32.625 --> 00:07:34.825 be legitimately broken. 107 00:07:35.725 --> 00:07:40.825 The answer is only when they violate God's law. For example, 108 00:07:41.025 --> 00:07:47.325 we read in the book of Acts chapter 23, that a band of Jewish 109 00:07:48.725 --> 00:07:55.225 bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they murdered 110 00:07:55.225 --> 00:07:55.725 Paul. 111 00:07:56.625 --> 00:07:58.625 Is that considered a sacred vows? 112 00:07:59.125 --> 00:08:00.525 No, that's against. 113 00:08:00.725 --> 00:08:03.725 How come you take an hour not to eat and drink until you kill 114 00:08:03.725 --> 00:08:04.325 somebody. 115 00:08:05.325 --> 00:08:10.625 So these kind of law, such sinful oath must be repented off and 116 00:08:10.625 --> 00:08:11.825 confessed to God. 117 00:08:12.225 --> 00:08:17.125 God alone has the authority to forgive as well as to release a person 118 00:08:17.325 --> 00:08:18.225 from the 119 00:08:18.525 --> 00:08:19.525 sinful oath. 120 00:08:20.725 --> 00:08:22.725 How the oath was abused. 121 00:08:23.125 --> 00:08:28.425 Why James is telling us just say yes or no. 122 00:08:28.725 --> 00:08:30.825 Don't swear by anything else. 123 00:08:31.525 --> 00:08:32.025 Okay. 124 00:08:33.925 --> 00:08:37.925 All oaths are supposed to be made in the name of God. 125 00:08:38.325 --> 00:08:43.025 The person who swear is appealing to God himself to be his witness. 126 00:08:44.325 --> 00:08:46.025 That what he said is truth. 127 00:08:46.925 --> 00:08:49.025 And if what he said is not true 128 00:08:49.025 --> 00:08:52.025 then he will be under severe condemnation. 129 00:08:52.525 --> 00:08:58.225 However, when we look here at verses 12, you will notice that James is 130 00:08:58.225 --> 00:09:03.925 speaking of swearing, not by God's name, but by Heaven and Earth also. 131 00:09:04.525 --> 00:09:06.625 Apparently many people were doing this. 132 00:09:07.425 --> 00:09:11.825 Why did they swear by heaven or by Earth? First 133 00:09:12.225 --> 00:09:13.825 they were doing this to avoid 134 00:09:14.125 --> 00:09:15.825 taking God's name in vain. 135 00:09:16.925 --> 00:09:21.025 They did not want to be condemned for breaking the third commandment. 136 00:09:21.025 --> 00:09:21.425 That's 137 00:09:21.425 --> 00:09:22.925 according to the Jewish law. 138 00:09:23.825 --> 00:09:28.625 Number two, they needed to make distinction between oath that are 139 00:09:28.625 --> 00:09:32.725 less binding and oath that are more binding. 140 00:09:33.325 --> 00:09:39.325 This provide an excuse that they could use to avoid their oath. 141 00:09:40.125 --> 00:09:45.525 And of course, when we read the gospel, we see that even our Lord 142 00:09:45.525 --> 00:09:46.525 Jesus Christ 143 00:09:46.725 --> 00:09:50.925 condemned, these kind of behavior. 144 00:09:50.925 --> 00:09:52.625 Don't swear by anything. 145 00:09:53.225 --> 00:09:58.225 In when we read this in the Gospel, according to Matthew chapter, 146 00:09:58.725 --> 00:10:02.525 chapter 23, verses 16 to 22. 147 00:10:03.325 --> 00:10:06.825 Jesus said, woe to you blind guides. 148 00:10:08.225 --> 00:10:11.125 You say if anyone swear by the temple, it means nothing. 149 00:10:11.125 --> 00:10:15.625 But anyway, who swear by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath. 150 00:10:16.225 --> 00:10:18.425 And then he goes again, harsh word. 151 00:10:18.625 --> 00:10:20.125 You blind fools. 152 00:10:21.425 --> 00:10:25.525 Which is greater the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred. 153 00:10:25.925 --> 00:10:29.125 You also say, if anyone swear by the altar, it means nothing. 154 00:10:29.125 --> 00:10:31.225 But anyone's were by the gift 155 00:10:31.225 --> 00:10:33.425 on the altar is bound by the oath. 156 00:10:34.025 --> 00:10:40.125 Again, you blind men, which is greater the gift or the altar that 157 00:10:40.125 --> 00:10:42.325 makes the gift? Therefore, 158 00:10:42.625 --> 00:10:46.025 and here James is reiterating 159 00:10:46.025 --> 00:10:51.025 what Jesus said, therefore, anyone who swear by the 160 00:10:51.225 --> 00:10:56.125 altar or by it or by it and by everything on it. 161 00:10:56.325 --> 00:11:00.325 And anyone who swear by the temple, swear by it, and by everything in 162 00:11:00.325 --> 00:11:00.625 it. 163 00:11:01.325 --> 00:11:04.625 And anyone who swear by Heaven, swear by God throne 164 00:11:04.825 --> 00:11:10.325 and by the one who sits on it. What is the context of this issue here? 165 00:11:11.025 --> 00:11:14.325 When we read the rabbinic Judaism or a rabbinic tradition 166 00:11:14.525 --> 00:11:20.025 we see that the Jewish have developed a very sophisticated system to 167 00:11:20.025 --> 00:11:21.025 judge how 168 00:11:21.125 --> 00:11:27.125 Hhow binding an oath really was. Incredible distinction proliferate 169 00:11:27.725 --> 00:11:30.925 under such a system. To them 170 00:11:30.925 --> 00:11:34.625 for example, swearing by Heaven and Earth was not binding. 171 00:11:35.225 --> 00:11:41.325 Swearing by Jerusalem was not, but if you swear toward Jerusalem, then 172 00:11:41.325 --> 00:11:43.925 that bonding is or that oath is binding. 173 00:11:44.625 --> 00:11:51.025 Such extensive extension can be also find in the Mishnah, which we 174 00:11:51.225 --> 00:11:58.225 records all the tradition of the rabbi's with Jewish use to this day. And 175 00:11:58.225 --> 00:12:00.725 you know, because my expertise in Islam 176 00:12:01.325 --> 00:12:04.825 if you look at the Sharia law and Islam, you see that Muslim also 177 00:12:04.825 --> 00:12:13.625 adopted the same. The same system of oath and binding and reshape they 178 00:12:13.625 --> 00:12:15.625 make millions of dollars out of this. 179 00:12:16.625 --> 00:12:19.725 Of okay, if I take an oath, how do I bind it? 180 00:12:19.725 --> 00:12:21.025 If I divorce my wife 181 00:12:21.025 --> 00:12:22.425 how do I remarry 182 00:12:22.425 --> 00:12:24.125 my wife, etc, etc. 183 00:12:25.525 --> 00:12:30.125 By making such false distinction, the Jewish have turned oath taking 184 00:12:30.125 --> 00:12:33.825 into a horribly sinful practice. 185 00:12:34.325 --> 00:12:37.125 Instead, being used to uphold truth. 186 00:12:37.425 --> 00:12:41.525 Oath were not being used to mask the full suit and to deceive 187 00:12:41.525 --> 00:12:45.525 the innocent. Sinful men were using oath to make promises 188 00:12:45.925 --> 00:12:49.225 they did not intend to keep. The victim 189 00:12:49.525 --> 00:12:51.125 so you have that dialogue here. 190 00:12:51.925 --> 00:12:55.725 You abuse somebody and then the victim comes to you and say you 191 00:12:55.725 --> 00:12:57.525 promise to do this for me. 192 00:12:58.125 --> 00:13:03.225 And I believed you, because you swore to me that you would keep your 193 00:13:03.225 --> 00:13:04.025 promises. 194 00:13:04.525 --> 00:13:07.125 So, the other guy because he knows the system. 195 00:13:07.125 --> 00:13:08.825 He knows how to abuse the system. 196 00:13:09.125 --> 00:13:09.825 He replies. 197 00:13:09.825 --> 00:13:15.125 He said, yes, I did swear to keep my promises, but it is not binding 198 00:13:15.125 --> 00:13:15.825 at all. 199 00:13:16.225 --> 00:13:18.425 Since I did not swear by God's name. 200 00:13:18.725 --> 00:13:20.025 I swore by heaven. 201 00:13:21.125 --> 00:13:24.025 And so I don't need to keep my promises. 202 00:13:24.425 --> 00:13:27.825 So you reply and said, but God lives in heaven. 203 00:13:28.625 --> 00:13:33.925 So how can you say that your oath is not binding? The other replied. 204 00:13:34.125 --> 00:13:34.325 Oh 205 00:13:34.325 --> 00:13:37.125 Yyes, but God lives in the third heaven. 206 00:13:37.425 --> 00:13:39.325 I did not swear by the third heaven. 207 00:13:40.525 --> 00:13:41.325 See that? 208 00:13:42.025 --> 00:13:45.025 You see that, what 209 00:13:45.025 --> 00:13:49.625 I swear the heaven is, which is above us, the blue sky. 210 00:13:50.325 --> 00:13:53.925 So, my oath is not that binding. 211 00:13:54.425 --> 00:13:56.025 So, this is an example. 212 00:13:56.025 --> 00:13:59.625 See this is a dialogue, just I gave you as an illustration. 213 00:14:00.025 --> 00:14:07.725 Okay. But can you imagine how much dishonest speaking and insincere 214 00:14:08.125 --> 00:14:10.225 promising resulted from the kind of 215 00:14:10.425 --> 00:14:13.025 swearing that become so 216 00:14:13.025 --> 00:14:20.425 common, in the time of Jesus. This situation got bad that people did 217 00:14:20.425 --> 00:14:21.925 not trust one another anymore. 218 00:14:22.525 --> 00:14:27.025 It becomes a habit for people to swear very often because no one was 219 00:14:27.025 --> 00:14:27.525 speaking 220 00:14:27.525 --> 00:14:34.425 truthfully and words, no longer be trusted. Many promises were made 221 00:14:34.625 --> 00:14:36.325 but few were kept. 222 00:14:36.825 --> 00:14:39.625 So it was in this situation that James 223 00:14:40.325 --> 00:14:46.725 gives us the injunction of these texts, the prescription of speaking 224 00:14:46.725 --> 00:14:47.425 the truth. 225 00:14:49.225 --> 00:14:52.825 What is the ideal situation for us as a Christian? 226 00:14:53.025 --> 00:14:55.625 What do we learn from this? 227 00:14:56.425 --> 00:14:57.625 The ideal situation 228 00:14:57.625 --> 00:15:02.425 is that our Christian character of honesty and truthfulness should 229 00:15:02.425 --> 00:15:05.725 make all such measure unnecessary. 230 00:15:06.425 --> 00:15:07.125 There is no 231 00:15:07.125 --> 00:15:13.525 need to go through sophisticated and here as a Lutheran we teach and 232 00:15:13.525 --> 00:15:16.525 we train our seminarian by law and gospel. 233 00:15:17.025 --> 00:15:18.025 We don't need 234 00:15:18.325 --> 00:15:21.425 to suffocate people by this kind of law, isn't it? 235 00:15:21.925 --> 00:15:23.425 Otherwise they get confused. 236 00:15:24.925 --> 00:15:27.825 The taking of an oath and vow should be reserved 237 00:15:27.825 --> 00:15:31.925 only for matter of great importance, like marriage. To use them 238 00:15:31.925 --> 00:15:35.225 in everyday speech is to make mockery of God's name. 239 00:15:35.725 --> 00:15:37.425 This is what James is teaching us. 240 00:15:37.425 --> 00:15:40.325 Yes or no, or you will be condemned. 241 00:15:41.225 --> 00:15:44.925 Okay what James and Jesus are teaching us is there. 242 00:15:45.325 --> 00:15:51.425 Look at this is the foundation of any successful or unsuccessful 243 00:15:51.425 --> 00:15:52.825 relationship with others. 244 00:15:53.725 --> 00:16:00.025 If you now, go around and ask people, what is the most important 245 00:16:00.025 --> 00:16:04.225 quality that you look for in any relationship? 246 00:16:04.425 --> 00:16:07.425 Go and ask. Nine out of ten 247 00:16:07.925 --> 00:16:11.625 they will tell you, honesty, isn't it. 248 00:16:12.125 --> 00:16:18.125 On the other hand, if you ask, what caused the deepest, disappointment 249 00:16:18.125 --> 00:16:22.225 in your relationship, and the answer will be dishonesty. 250 00:16:23.225 --> 00:16:27.225 So that's the foundation of any successful and unsuccessful 251 00:16:27.425 --> 00:16:28.525 relationship. 252 00:16:29.125 --> 00:16:33.725 The teaching also is connected with our testimony as a baptized 253 00:16:33.725 --> 00:16:34.325 believer. 254 00:16:35.425 --> 00:16:39.625 Losing our credibility will not only destroy our relationship with 255 00:16:39.625 --> 00:16:40.125 people. 256 00:16:40.525 --> 00:16:44.625 It will also disable our witness for Christ. 257 00:16:45.325 --> 00:16:47.525 No matter how sophisticated you are. 258 00:16:47.525 --> 00:16:50.025 No matter how smart theologian you are. 259 00:16:50.625 --> 00:16:57.525 Okay, how much you learn tricks and gimmicks of learning how to share 260 00:16:57.525 --> 00:16:58.825 the gospel with people. 261 00:16:59.025 --> 00:17:02.825 But when your testimony is broken, nobody will believe you. 262 00:17:03.625 --> 00:17:06.725 Okay, and that's that's very important point here. 263 00:17:07.525 --> 00:17:11.725 No one would accept the testimony of a witness unless he is 264 00:17:11.725 --> 00:17:13.925 he is credibly untrustworthy. 265 00:17:14.125 --> 00:17:18.525 For this reason, lawyers, doing cross-examination 266 00:17:18.525 --> 00:17:23.525 always try their best to prove that the witness in the hand is not 267 00:17:23.525 --> 00:17:24.125 credible. 268 00:17:25.225 --> 00:17:29.325 And that his testimony ought to be thrown out of court. Isn't this 269 00:17:29.325 --> 00:17:30.225 what lawyer do? 270 00:17:31.325 --> 00:17:35.625 Once our credibility before other others is destroyed. 271 00:17:36.125 --> 00:17:38.125 How can we convince them 272 00:17:38.625 --> 00:17:40.925 what we say about Christ is true? 273 00:17:41.825 --> 00:17:45.225 Who will believe us when we share the gospel. 274 00:17:45.925 --> 00:17:51.225 If we cannot, if they cannot even believe what we say in other matter. 275 00:17:51.825 --> 00:17:56.425 Therefore if we want to preserve our effectiveness as a witness for 276 00:17:56.425 --> 00:17:57.025 Christ. 277 00:17:57.325 --> 00:18:00.425 We must keep our credibility intact. 278 00:18:01.125 --> 00:18:03.925 Otherwise we can never fulfill Christ 279 00:18:04.225 --> 00:18:05.525 Great Commission. 280 00:18:06.125 --> 00:18:13.225 I hope and I pray we all can see how and how careful we must be with 281 00:18:13.225 --> 00:18:14.125 our speech. 282 00:18:14.525 --> 00:18:18.125 Remember that our word is our promises. 283 00:18:18.525 --> 00:18:24.325 It must be reliable and sincere. May the Lord help us to apply these 284 00:18:24.325 --> 00:18:24.925 steps 285 00:18:25.325 --> 00:18:27.925 so our yes, will be yes 286 00:18:28.625 --> 00:18:30.925 and our no will be no. 287 00:18:31.525 --> 00:18:36.325 And now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of us. 288 00:18:36.525 --> 00:18:37.125 Amen.