20240615 COMMITMENT AND OATH-TAKING
15 June 2024, Saturday, 10th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
1 Kings 19:19-21 |
Elisha leaves the plough to follow Elijah
Leaving Mount Horeb, Elijah came on Elisha son of Shaphat as he was ploughing behind twelve yoke of oxen, he himself being with the twelfth. Elijah passed near to him and threw his cloak over him. Elisha left his oxen and ran after Elijah. ‘Let me kiss my father and mother, then I will follow you’ he said. Elijah answered, ‘Go, go back; for have I done anything to you?’ Elisha turned away, took the pair of oxen and slaughtered them. He used the plough for cooking the oxen, then gave to his men, who ate. He then rose, and followed Elijah and became his servant.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 15(16):1-2,5,7-10 |
You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you.
I say to the Lord: ‘You are my God.’
O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup;
it is you yourself who are my prize.
You are my inheritance, O Lord.
I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel,
who even at night directs my heart.
I keep the Lord ever in my sight:
since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.
You are my inheritance, O Lord.
And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad;
even my body shall rest in safety.
For you will not leave my soul among the dead,
nor let your beloved know decay.
You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps118:18 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Open my eyes, O Lord, that I may consider
the wonders of your law.
Alleluia!
Or: | Ps118:36,29 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Bend my heart to your will, O Lord,
and teach me your law.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Matthew 5:33-37 |
Do not swear: say 'Yes' if you mean Yes, 'No' if you mean No
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not break your oath, but must fulfil your oaths to the Lord. But I say this to you: do not swear at all, either by heaven, since that is God’s throne; or by the earth, since that is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, since that is the city of the great king. Do not swear by your own head either, since you cannot turn a single hair white or black. All you need say is “Yes” if you mean yes, “No” if you mean no; anything more than this comes from the evil one.’
COMMITMENT AND OATH-TAKING
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 KGS 19:19-21; MT 5:33-37]
Immediately after being renewed in his mission, Elijah carried out the tasks that God had asked him to do. One of the first things he did was to appoint his successor. And so we read, “Leaving Mount Horeb, Elijah came on Elisha son of Shaphat as he was ploughing behind twelve yoke of oxen, he himself being with the twelfth. Elijah passed near to him and threw his cloak over him.” The cloak in the time of the Old Testament represents someone’s personal possession. Elijah’s throwing of his cloak over Elisha is symbolic of his anointing of Elisha as his successor. It was a powerful symbol of prophetic vocation and succession. And Elisha understood what it meant. He “left his oxen and ran after Elijah.” Later, when Elijah was taken up to heaven (2 Kings 2:1-14), Elisha picked up Elijah’s fallen mantle, and invoking the name of the Lord, performed the same miracle that Elijah did – separating the sea.
Elijah demanded total commitment. When Elisha said, “Let me kiss my father and mother, then I will follow you’ he said. Elijah answered, ‘Go, go back; for have I done anything to you?'” In other words, he was asking Elisha to re-examine his commitment. He was to break all ties if he wanted to follow Elijah. We are reminded of the three would-be disciples during the time of Jesus. (cf Lk 9:57-62) The response of Jesus was sharp and fast. There would be no conditions or delay of any sort, not even responsibility towards one’s parents. The call of God takes precedence over everything. One must be focused and devote his entire life to the vocation given to him. As the Lord said, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” In other words, when God calls, we cannot hesitate or put conditions for following Him. We must be like the first disciples who left everything at once and followed Him, whether it was Peter and Andrew, James and John, or Matthew the tax-collector. (cf Mt 4:18-22; 9:9-13)
To demonstrate his commitment to Elijah, “Elisha turned away, took the pair of oxen and slaughtered them. He used the plough for cooking the oxen, then gave to his men, who ate. He then rose, and followed Elijah and became his servant.” By so doing, He showed that he was abandoning his former occupation and family ties. It must be noted that like St Matthew the tax-collector, Elisha came from a wealthy family. When Elijah saw him, “he was ploughing behind twelve yoke of oxen, he himself being with the twelfth.” Every yoke would have two oxen. There were altogether 24 oxen, which meant the family was rich and owned land for planting crops. So, leaving his trade, his wealth and his family would have been a great sacrifice for him. This is what commitment entails. More so when it is the Lord who calls.
In some commitments, oath-taking is required. This is true not just in public service but in personal life as well, and even in priestly and religious vocations. In most public institutions, public servants are required to take an oath of allegiance to the country’s constitution, often swearing in the name of God, on some sacred books according to their religion. So too in marriage – whether civil or religious, married couples also are required to take vows of fidelity and commitment. If it is a religious vow, the candidate would have to take an oath in the name of God as it is a promise made to God, unlike priestly promises which are made to the Ordinary of the diocese. Making vows to God is an even more serious matter. Regardless of the nature of the oath, the fact remains that oath-taking, whether to another person, or to the state or institution, or a promise made to God, is commonly practiced. The question is, whether such vows, particularly those using the name of God, are really necessary. What are the implications for one’s commitment? Does oath-taking help, or is it just a show, or even a deceptive means of giving assurance to our hearers? How many are serious in keeping the oaths they take? Many take them lightly without the intention to keep them.
Our Lord Himself criticized the taking of oaths, especially using the name of God. He surely had in mind the third commandment of the Decalogue when God forbade false oaths which takes in vain God’s name. The point was not so much that taking oaths is wrong, but the motivation for taking them. One should go back to the intention of the law of taking oath in God’s name. What is called for is that we should simply tell the truth, regardless whether we take the oath or not. Otherwise, we make a mockery of the oath and therefore of God’s name, especially for those who take the oath in God’s name when they do not even have faith in God. It is just simply an outward show of piety and integrity; often a means to deceive people into believing that they are really sincere. This is why Jesus said, ‘”All you need say is “Yes” if you mean yes, “No” if you mean no; anything more than this comes from the evil one.’
Even if we do not swear in the name of God, that oath-taking can also be meaningless if there is no intention to tell the truth. As the Lord said, “do not swear at all, either by heaven, since that is God’s throne; or by the earth, since that is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, since that is the city of the great king. Do not swear by your own head either, since you cannot turn a single hair white or black.” Just because we do not use the name of the Lord, does not mean that we do not need to be serious when taking oaths. What is important is that we intend to tell the truth. Regardless, whether we use God’s name or not, we are invoking God as our witness since He is the Lord of heaven and earth.
Still, we should not simply rule out taking oaths all together, as some Christians do because they claim to be following Christ’s command to speak the truth. Of course, some are afraid to take oaths not because they want to live the Christian precept of telling the truth at all times, but because they are afraid of divine repercussions for not speaking the truth. It must be said that oath-taking for believers in God has relevance and is not all together useless or meaningless. For those who are truly believers of God and have great reverence and faith, perhaps, taking an oath in the name of God would give solemnity and seriousness to their decision. Taking an oath in this case can remind them of their commitment and help them to be faithful to their commitment. This is particularly true in some non-Christian religions where breaking an oath is considered dangerous as it would draw upon themselves the wrath and curses of the deities they swore by.
For this reason, it is common practice among believers to take oaths to remind themselves and to demonstrate to others in a solemn manner that they will be true to what they say or do. This will remind us not to take our promises lightly and or deceitfully. Taking oaths and vows help us when we are weak or when we are tempted. If a couple profess their love for each other, why do they still take wedding vows? So, too, when someone chooses freely to join religious or priestly life. The fact is that when our love is strong, no vow is necessary. But when love wanes, when our relationship and commitment to each other is challenged, that is when we need to remind ourselves of the vow we have taken. Remembering our commitment to God and to our loved ones will help us persevere in the relationship.
Today, we are called to be faithful to God and our fellowmen in our commitment. Regardless whether we are called to a religious vocation or a personal vocation, we must be committed. We must surrender ourselves to God, like the prophets, so that we can be available for service and commitment to our fellowmen. Indeed, when we are true in our commitment, God will also commit Himself to us. God is the One who will bind our commitments. This is why the psalmist says, “You are my inheritance, O Lord. Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you. I say to the Lord: ‘You are my God.’ O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup; it is you yourself who are my prize. I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel, who even at night directs my heart. I keep the Lord ever in my sight: since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.” Let us be inspired by the example of Elisha who was committed to Elijah and to God.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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