Matthew 5:33-37
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Sit comfortably and breathe deeply for a few seconds before you begin. As you breathe in, say the name of Jesus and become aware of his presence with you. As you breathe out, open your mind and heart to receive whatever Jesus has for you today.
As we continue exploring Jesus’ teaching on shalom relationships, read Matthew 5:33-37 noticing anything in particular that stands out.
In essence, this is a teaching on control or the illusion of control. When we make promises or vows, we’re assuming we have control over our circumstances and will be able to fulfill our self-determined obligations. Jesus brushes aside the illusion by stating the reality: heaven and earth belong to God, and we are simply God’s created beings. God alone has the power to make and keep promises. In and of ourselves we will always fall short to one degree or another.
How do you react to this, and what might your reaction tell you about your own illusions of control?
Stop to recognize the presence of Jesus with you right now. Speak openly to Jesus about anything you are thinking or feeling.
Read Matthew 5:33-37 again imagining that Jesus is speaking the words directly to you.
We might be able to come to grips with the fact that only God is ultimately in control of the heavens and the earth, but Jesus takes it one step further. We aren’t even ultimately in control of our own physical selves.
Think back to the very beginning of the Sermon on the Mount and meditate on these words of Jesus for a moment:
“God blesses those who are poor [in spirit] and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” - Matthew 5:3
Giving up our illusion of control opens us up to a mind-blowing promise from God. When we recognize and admit our inability to control the world or ourselves, we are able to lean into God’s rock-solid faithfulness. And when we fall into the faithfulness of God through our total dependence on Jesus, God gives us the very keys to the Kingdom. We experience shalom because we choose to come back under God’s original design in which God works through us to bring goodness and order to the wonderful wildness of creation. In the power and name of Jesus, we become agents of shalom bringing wholeness and healing to people, relationships, and the physical world around us.
Stop to contemplate the idea that recognition and acceptance of our powerlessness opens the way for God’s power to flow through us.
What might Jesus be inviting you to do as the result of his teaching in this passage?
What will you do today to respond to him?
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