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.

However, the Pharisees had developed swearing into a fine art. They said that to swear by the temple has no binding effect, but to swear by the gold of the temple did bind the person to their promise. Jesus said that was nonsense: how can the gold of the temple be greater than the temple itself? Likewise, how could the gifts offered on the altar be greater than the altar itself? Jesus said that every word said, and every promise made, should be kept because God is the judge and knows all things. There is no need for swearing; Jesus said, “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ and ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the Evil One.” (Matthew 5:37).

The Pharisees’ attempt to appear sincere, while knowing that they had no intention of keeping their promises, was blatant hypocrisy. Not only were they dishonest and manipulative, they were morally corrupt … not even being able to see that their integrity had evaporated. In the future, as church leaders, the disciples needed to be reliably truthful ministers of God’s Word; men whose promises would be carried out and whose teaching would always be true. James, the half-brother of Jesus, affirmed that principle (James 5:12).

There are no 'white lies': all lies are lies. There are no 'half-truths'; they are always lies. Indeed, the most manipulative lies have a lot of truth in them, but because they are not wholly true they lead people into believing lies. Swearing to establish truth is an admission that the person cannot be trusted; you never know what is true and so you are foolish to follow them. That is especially true if you have spiritual responsibility (James 3:1); you must train yourself in the truth, understanding it, doing it and teaching it ... in the church, in the workplace and in the home. Swearing blind is not a mark of integrity but of folly and corruption. Do not appoint such a person to spiritual office; wait until you see what they are really like (1 Timothy 5:22, 1 Timothy 5:24-25).