Nobody likes to be on the receiving end of a broken promise. We feel violated, betrayed, and sometimes even humiliated. But when we are the ones doing the promise-breaking, it’s a little easier to forgive ourselves. Jesus wants us to know something about the promises we make and break: It’s not merely about doing the right thing — keeping our promises leads to the common good for all people. And more urgently, we need to remember that when we keep our commitments or break them, we do so in the presence of God.