Matthew 23:16-18 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? And, Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’

When I was a kid, it was well recognized that crossing one’s fingers was the ultimate loophole; the convenient backdoor-escape-route in the case of an ill advised oath. I don’t know the origins of the crossed finger clause but the religious leaders of Jesus’ day had a similar means for getting out of a vow. You see, in that time you could take an oath upon the temple while lying like a thief, but if you took an oath on the gold of the temple, you were obligated to uphold it. It was playing games with lines. And we might still do it today by drawing lines around things like:

The Truth: Share my faith? I’m not “one of those kinds” of Christians.
Possessions: I’m not a steward, I’m the owner … This belongs to me.
Our lives: God, you’re welcome in this part of my life but not this part of my life.
Service: I’m not comfortable with filling this need so I’ll just wait to serve until I can do exactly what I want to do.

Can a person really say “I’m a Christian” if one is not doing the things that a follower of Jesus should do? How can we read the Bible, say we believe the Bible, then reason around what the Bible teaches to accommodate our wants, desires or comfort zones?

Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Saying, “The Lord is my shepherd” is an oath, isn’t it … at the very least it’s a declaration … “The Lord, God of all Creation, is my loving Shepherd and I submit myself to Him and will abide in His love.”

I will go where He leads me because I know that whether it’s green grass and cool waters or a scary, shadowy valley, He’s with me and His love is not diminished … even when I get freaked out.

John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

God knows where He’s leading you. You may feel like the valley is too deep for you … the trouble too difficult, but God is not going to lead you into a place He has not prepared you for. The religious leaders, on the other hand, were blind guides, leading their disciples down wrong way streets and into dead ends.

Jesus is the perfect contrast to the blind guide of religion … He leads not to the smaller issues of the law, but to the weightier issues of faith, grace and mercy. “The Lord is my Shepherd” is one oath that requires no loophole because He is the Good Shepherd, and He knows (and loves) His sheep.