I am a Jesus pusher!!! The Sermon on the Mount presents a “new covenant.” The “old” based honesty on “swearing.” The command of the Old Testament was: “And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:12). The Jews interpreted this to mean that swearing falsely by any other name was allowed. God stated the law: “If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth” (Numbers 30:2). The old system interpreted this statement as permission to renege on oaths made to anyone but God. People would swear by “heaven,” “earth,” “Jerusalem,” or their “head,” which were all substitutes for God’s name. When they were pressed to keep their word, they felt no obligation. After all, it was not an oath based on the name of God. The “old” created a system of manipulation, conniving, and twisting.
This thinking appalled Jesus. The Kingdom of God is a state of being: the King reigns in us. There is no need for swearing at all. There is no outward pressure for honesty; there is only the integrity of Jesus’ heart dwelling in the believer. We are children of the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:34-37). This moves integrity from an outward pressure and internalizes and intensifies it as an expression of our lives. Jesus is intimate with us; we express His nature. I am a Jesus pusher!!!