Jesus sets up a powerful talk by discussing how He wishes to uphold everything in the Law and how we must strive for greater morality than the most religious people of his day. Them He specifically addresses divorce, anger, sexual sin…and keeping your promises.

That last one is a bit of an outlier. The other offenses seem like big ones compared to failing to keep a promise, but Jesus used it as an example anyway. I think it is because behind every struggle and conflict we have is the ability to trust. Trust matters a whole lot more than we give it credit for, and the little things contribute as much to trust in another person as the big things. We desperately need to learn to keep our commitments…or not to make a commitment if we don’t intend to follow through.

I am going to watch my commitments more closely and ensure that I am not losing trust by not following through on key aspects of my role as a pastor and friend.