Matthew 5: 31-37- Sermon on the Mount - Study 5

Divorce and Oaths

Jesus raises challenging responses to the questions that were put to him by the religious leaders of the time. The issues raised in this passage are all too familiar and no less challenging for the church today. On the issue of Divorce, Re-marriage and the church Dr David Instone-Brewer has produced a very well circulated book on the subject, based on his research as a theologian of 1st Century Palestine and his role as a church leader.

For an interesting link see: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/october/20.26.html
More broadly speaking this passage also raises discussions about God’s response to the general broken-ness of humankind and it raises questions about how we as Christians are to respond to individuals that face challenges of broken relationships – past and present
The passage goes on to look at the use of oaths, promoting the notion of let our ‘yes be yes’ and ‘our no be no’! This raises a few questions like:

1. Why might it be considered wrong to make a promise in God’s name?
2. What does this say about certain judicial systems where people are required to take an oath on the bible?
3. Are there incidents from the bible where promises have been made in God’s name that has turned into tragic circumstances?
4. What does this say about how we use God’s name?
5. How does this affect our everyday use of language?