To communicate is to make something common. Communication can be accomplished in a variety of fashions. Communication can be between (1) an individual and his or her heart, (2) a person and the Lord, or (3) two or more people. According to Psalm 77:6, to commune with someone or something is to make “diligent search.” This thought may seem a bit foreign or odd today, but consider what takes place when people communicate. When someone communicates, words or thoughts are exchanged. Since words or thoughts originate in the heart (Matthew 12:34), communication is the searching and revealing of the heart. Communication discovers and makes known things of the heart to both participants.
Our verbal communications involve the words that spring forth from our mouths. No doubt, the Lord considers these communications important and we should too. In today’s passage, the Lord gave some specific insights concerning His expectations of our communication. First, He wants our communication to be short and to the point – “let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay” (Matthew 5:37; see also Proverbs 10:19; Ecclesiastes 5:3, 7). Second, our word should be validated without the necessity of certifying it with vows, oaths, and swearing. In the context of the passage, the Lord Jesus forbade swearing “by heaven” (Matthew 5:34), “by the earth” (Matthew 5:35), or “by thy head” (Matthew 5:36). When we swear by these things, we put ourselves in danger of condemnation (James 5:12). Let your nay be nay and your yea be yea!
As the Lord’s crucifixion drew nigh, He took His disciples to Gethsemane to pray. He asked them to tarry and watch with Him as He separated from them to pray to the Father. Upon returning, He found the disciples asleep so He said to them, “Could ye not watch with me one hour?” The Lord went away two more times only to find His disciples asleep both times He returned. He had given His disciples a simple task to tarry, watch, and pray. He quickly saw that He could not depend upon them for support. It comes as no surprise that they would be scattered from Him shortly at His betrayal (Matthew 26:31, 56). These men were not strangers; they were the ones who sat at Christ’s feet for three years. Now, they could not be trusted for one hour to watch and pray.
Every devoted believer treasures the thought that one day God would say to him, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21). Abraham was such a man who exhibited faithfulness. In fact, it was God who commended Abraham for his faithful life though living in a very wicked world. The Lord came to visit Abraham in the plains of Mamre while on His way to bring judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah. As the visit was coming to an end, the Lord remained with Abraham as the two angels went to Sodom. Interestingly, the Bible reveals the mind of the Lord as He contemplated whether or not to tell Abraham about the judgment coming to Sodom. Why would the Lord sense the need to tell Abraham? The Bible provides insight in the words of the Lord when He said, “I know him.” God told Abraham because Abraham showed himself faithful (Amos 3:7).
