In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus goes deeper than the Law—teaching that it's not enough to avoid murder or adultery or false oaths. God cares about what's happening in your heart. And he ends with this: "Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.'"

What if the goal of the Christian life isn't just to avoid doing bad things? What if Jesus is after something deeper?

I've been thinking about this as a father.

There have been times when my boys have asked me to do something, and I've said yes—and then I forgot. Or something came up. Or I just didn't follow through. And after enough of those moments, you know what started happening? They'd say, "Dad, do you promise?"

They needed more than my yes. Because my yes had let them down.

That's exactly what Jesus is naming. When you have to swear an oath to be believed, something's already broken. If you were trustworthy, your simple word would be enough.

And here's the hard part: I can't just be frustrated when my boys don't do what they said they'd do. I've done the same thing to them. We're all in this together—learning to be people whose word actually means something.

Jesus isn't just giving us a rule about oaths. He's inviting us into a different kind of life. One where our interior and exterior match. Where we don't spin or hedge or over-promise. Where we become the kind of people who don't need to say "I swear" or "I promise"—because our yes is already enough.

This week, pay attention to your words. When you say yes, mean it. And when you can't, say so.

Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes.'

If this resonated with you, I'd be honored if you shared it with someone who might need to hear it.

Michael Halbrook is a Catholic deacon, husband, and father of four. He writes at DeaconMichael.net and sends a weekly email called Wednesday @ Lunch - reflections on faith, family, work, and life. Subscribe here.