33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath,but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all:either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’;anything beyond this comes from the evil one.REFLECTIONSWritten by Mel Lindfield SeagarMy family are fans of Australian Survivor. In the latest series, one contestant (to save herself from being sent home) swore to members of her tribe that she was with them 100%. She promised multiple times that she wasn’t lying and that she had their backs…100%. Spoiler alert: she was and she didn’t. And this contributed to her ‘Runner Up’ status. Survivor though, is just a game. People are playing to win. You kinda expect them to lie and swear “on their mothers grave” that they are being honest-right? But in real life, isn’t it ok to back up your promise with an oath and help let others know you are serious? Problem is, that means any other time you don’t back up your promises it must mean you maybe don’t intend to follow through. In our passage today, Jesus has upped the ante on oath making and challenged us to simply let our yes be yes and our no be no.  He cuts deep into our heart’s tendency for dishonesty or lack of follow through, and asks us as followers of Christ to simply tell the truth, all the time.  How truthful are you in your interactions with others? How often do you make a promise with no real intention of following through? Are you a people pleaser who over commits to things and finds yourself not able to please anyone? Do you find yourself needing to back up your statements so that people know you are being serious this time? COVID19 has given us a rare opportunity to clear our schedules and start from scratch with commitments and promises. What can you say yes to and what should you say no to? Meditate today on how you could begin (or continue!) to foster a reputation for honesty and follow through all the time. Ask God to help our yes be yes and your no be no.ABOUT THE AUTHORMel is a wife, mum and part-time primary school teacher who attends Bossley Park Church and (as an introvert) is secretly grieving the loss of mandatory isolation :-)