“Let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no.’” Christ urges that we use simple and direct language to represent the sincerity of our intentions.  Yet in our business world, there is nothing simple about the pages and pages of contracts that have to be signed when a house or car is purchased. Even the length and language of  “informed” consent forms for many medical procedures can be overwhelming and most people sign them without reading them. In a world where litigation is always a threat, it is not easy to preserve the simplicity of language that Christ urges.

In the reading today Paul also provides a very basic direction of how we should live our lives. “He indeed died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” It is so essential to our faith and desire to be followers of Christ that we live for him rather than for ourselves.  It seems so simple and direct yet it often is far from easy.  If it were easy, there would be no need for consent forms that sometimes seem to be written in a foreign language or the convoluted language of contracts. If we all truly lived for Christ, our world would be a very different place.
 
God is totally aware of our limitations and missteps in following his son. He will always forgive us, all we have to do is ask.

“For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.”                         PS 103:11-12