Meeting guide · command 11

Yes or No

Speak with such simple truthfulness that your yes and no can be trusted without dramatic oaths.

Read

Read the complete passage aloud.

Primary passage

Matthew 5:33–37

33 “Again you have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,’ 34 but I tell you, don’t swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; 35 nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can’t make one hair white or black. 37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.

World English Bible

Jesus addresses a culture of carefully worded vows and redirects His disciples from managing promises to practicing consistent honesty before God.

Discuss

Listen carefully to what Jesus says.

  1. What does Jesus command?
  2. What does this passage reveal about Him?
  3. Where do we resist this command?
  4. What is difficult or unclear?
  5. Why might people use oaths, exaggeration, or extra assurances, and what would make simple truthful speech credible?

Practice

Choose one specific act of obedience.

Identify one conversation where you are tempted to exaggerate, conceal, or make promises you may not keep. Speak plainly, correct anything misleading, and make only the commitment you can faithfully honor.

Return

Come back and discuss what happened.

Where did plain honesty cost you something, and what helped your yes or no become more trustworthy?

Close together

Pray. Then prepare to teach.

Pray

Jesus, make our words honest and dependable. Free us from exaggeration, evasion, and promises made to control how others see us.

Teach

Teach that Jesus is addressing the integrity beneath our promises: disciples should not need elaborate guarantees to make truthful speech believable.