Promises aren't Necessary (Matt 5:33-37)

Matthew 5:33-37   33 "Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.'  34 But I tell you, Do not swear 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 Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. 

The religious people of Jesus' day had developed a complex system of which vows were important to keep and which were not so binding. But Jesus says that the yeses and nos of his followers are supposed to mean something.  Special promises and commitments shouldn't be necessary.

Do you ever commit to things you know that you will never do?  Do you ever twist the truth instead of being honest?  Do you ever manipulate instead of revealing your true intentions?  Jesus wants his followers to be honest.