"Let your yes be yes and your no be no" (Matthew 5.37).Jesus said this. Sitting on a hillside, delivering his Sermon on the Mount.
This phrase is on my mind tonight because it seems we Christians aren't so great at this.
I've had a few experiences lately with folks who love God. They deeply care for the Church. They follow Jesus. But these particular words of description of disciples seem quite problematic.
We all have issues (me more than most), but these folks have simply not been letting their yes be yes and their no be no. It's not like they've had the intention of lying to me, but it will go something like, "I'll email you by the end of the week" and the end of the week comes and there is no email from them in my inbox. Or, "Let's set up a conference call towards the end of next week", and the end of next week rolls along and I don't hear from them. Or my favorite, "Let's set up a time in the near future to connect" and whenever the near future is, comes and goes and we haven't connected.
Now, I'm not slamming these folks. I get it. We live in a busy world. But I wonder: Why are Jesus' words so easily overlooked? Why are these the words from Jesus that no one ever really quotes?
I think it's because we take what Jesus says to mean, "Don't lie". And I'm sure that's partly what Jesus had in mind. Jesus' disciples are known as true people -- people who live by truth. To be witnesses to Jesus, my friend Stan Hauerwas insists, is to be truth-tellers. And for no one is more apropos than for clergy. It's crucial that the Church hear and see the truth from its clergy.
And it's here that preachers -- and among them I include myself -- get the rap.
Jesus had more in mind here than "Don't lie". Don't lie in the gray, either. If you commit to do something, do it. Because in those moments when we don't, we betray what we really believe: That the truth matters -- but only so much. Which is a lie all the same.
If we can handle following through, being faithful, being obedient, and being honest in the small things, then don't you think it will be a lot easier to be faithful, obedient, and honest in the bigger things? If you say it, do it.