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Swearing Blind

Matthew 23:16-22

'Woe to you, blind guides! You say, "If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath." You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also say, "If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath." You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it. (NIVUK)

This may seem a complicated passage, but it has a straightforward message. Do not follow somebody who does not know where they are going. Jesus accused the Pharisees, who were zealous religious leaders, of being 'blind guides'. He also called them 'blind fools' because they did not understand how to handle truth themselves … and so could not teach truth to others. The issue in question was about swearing. Because so many people tell lies, swearing has become a way of reassuring people that what is said is true.