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SevenWords – I Suwanee! (Matthew 5:33-37)

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SCRIPTURE: Matthew 5:33-37 Read the passage

BIO: Case Thorp: pastor and tired, but joy-filled, father of three!

KEY VERSE: Matthew 5:34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King

CENTRAL TRUTH: Quit the cussin’!

DEVOTIONAL: I was standing in line tonight at the Walgreens replacing the propane gas tank. The young man in front of me was swiping his card, collecting his things, and sharing with the other employee, a young man, behind the counter. The language was shocking. Granted, I live in the pastoral bubble and rarely does someone drop such words in front of me. I have to go to the movies for such talk, but I couldn’t help but do a double take as the customer shared in such salty fashion with the employee. Now, the employee just laughed, agreed, and processed the transaction, but his speech was not salty. Was it that he was on the job and didn’t let his guard down? Perhaps, but even still, the moment caught me off guard.

This passage in Matthew 5 has Jesus primarily addressing oaths and our faithfulness to our word. But profanity is subtly addressed as Jesus speaks against swearing an oath against heaven or earth. The need to be profane is a curious one for it reduces the imago Dei (image of God) within and exerts our very human power and control. It says to the listener, “I matter because I master my words and express my self.” “I’m really made or really put out due to the verbiage I’ve chosen.” How sad, and how depressing. If, as Dr. Swanson eloquently delivered in his sermon, words matter, then the bad words matter as much as the good words for the very character and priority it reveals about oneself.

In the South, I grew up hearing the phrase, “I Suwannee!” It was the church-man’s way of swearing by substituting a very banal word for a plethora of words men would not choose to use in mixed company. Upon googling this term I actually came across a blog kept by an interior decorator about things that are so outlandish and/or breath-taking, it causes her to exclaim, “I Suwannee!” In reaction to the fact that there is such a blog, I want to say, “I Suwannee.” However, this is a devotional against that very thing, so perhaps I’ll simply say, “My, my…”, which has actually become one of my favorite Facebook reactions. But, I digress…

All to say: quite the cussing, or cussin’ as they say in Suwannee-land. Jesus don’t (sic) like it and neither should we. And for young men yucking it up in public, watch your mouth. Your mother, or pastor, may be in line behind you.

QUESTION 1: Do you cuss too much?

QUESTION 2: Does it make you feel powerful or savvy?

QUESTION 3: What is Jesus’ facial expression each time you express profanity?