A LETTER FROM
JAMES
Chapter 3 – Part 1
Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in
the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 Indeed, we all make many
mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could
also control ourselves in every other way. (James 3:1-2 – NLT)
The power of the Tongue
This is a curious start to this section; a rather sombre
warning about the responsibility of being a teacher. There is no doubt that the
members of the early New Testament church were on a steep learning curve and
the role and integrity of teachers were critical. Mistakes made at this early
stage of the church’s development would be very difficult the correct later and
would in fact, snowball heresy and false teaching. As one of the elders in the
fledgling church James is anxious that the church and its members get things
right.
Perhaps when he suggests that not many of you should become teachers in the church, he is aware
that some people are eminently unsuitable and the pool of credible prospects
may be rather small. Common sense would dictate that it would be unwise to
enlist the local gossip as a teacher in the church. Those who are called and
chosen to teach would have to be acutely aware that the level of accountability
will be much higher for them than others involved in other areas of church
life.
The connection between teaching and the use of the tongue is
central and fundamental and most people today can recall a teacher who impacted
their lives in a positive way. The reality is that teachers occupy a
significant place of influence and authority in the community, often beyond
their standing, and the community that does not value its teachers is in peril.
Consequently, the caution about the responsibility of teaching goes almost
directly to the control of the tongue. Responsible teachers know they must
guard their tongue and must at times suppress personal opinions, and are well
aware of the impact they can have on vulnerable lives and minds.
James is ready to admit we live in an imperfect world and
mistakes will occur. However, he is
concerned that these be kept to a minimum and one way that can happen is by
controlling the tongue, for the reality is, as he will go on to further
explain, if we can control the tongue, we can also control many other facets of
our lives and living.
3 We can make a
large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge
ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 In the same way, the tongue is
a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great
forest on fire. 6 And
among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole
world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on
fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
(James 3:3-6 – NLT)
The control of the tongue
To impose control on
something as large of a ship or a horse, only needs a small implement such as a
rudder, or a horse’s bit, and James makes the connection with this sort of
control being implemented with the tongue. He looks at the extremities of
impact between grand speeches
and the sparking of a great forest fire.
Anyone who has been moved and inspired by a great orator knows the heights of
inspiration to which grand speeches
can lift humanity. And those who have fought the fury of raging bush fire know
the fear and destruction that can start as a small spark. James’ illustration
is graphic and compelling.
James is indulging in some colourful and graphic language in
his efforts to impress on his readers the gravity of his subject; the tongue
can be a flame of fire … a whole world of
wickedness which corrupts the whole
body. It can set your whole life on
fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. Or a more correct translation
from the Greek: It can set your whole
life on fire and you will burn in hell. The person who is unable to control
his tongue is, in James’ opinion, dabbling in the fires of hell. If James
hasn’t got his readers attention before he should certainly have it now.
Silence is not always golden and James is not arguing for
the retreat into a monk-like silence but rather, wise and Christlike control of
the tongue. Speech is a crucial tool for human socialisation and communication
and abstention from its use is neither biblical nor wise. However, wisdom in
speech is both biblical and wise and the reality is that when Christ controls
the mind, we are far better able to control the tongue.
7 People can tame
all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil,
full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes
it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been
made in the image of God. 10 And
so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers
and sisters, this is not right! 11 Does
a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water?12 Does a fig tree produce
olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a
salty spring. (James 3:7-12 – NLT)
Humanity was able to tame much of the animal kingdom over
which God gave humanity dominion: You
gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their
authority— the flocks and the herds and all the wild animals, the birds in the
sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents.(Psalms 8:6-8 - NLT) However, the one thing that defied humanity’s
control were the words that spilled from his tongue and once again James
reverts to graphic language to make his point: It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.
Nowhere else is the
dichotomy of humanity so obvious in this area of human behaviour, as with the
use of words. That James devotes so much space to it highlights the concern he
has for the misuse and abuse of words. He was well aware that within humanity
there was something of the devil, and something of the angel, and these traits
were most noticeable in the verbal exchange between humans.
Wisdom often dictates that we pause and think before we
speak, particularly in tense situations. Sometimes, we spill words in tense
situations and before long we exhibit the paradox of human speech and
communication. Following the last supper Jesus predicts he will be betrayed and
Peter responds, probably without due thought: Even if everyone else deserts
you, I will never desert you. (Matthew 26:33 - NLT). Within a short period of time Jesus is arrested and Peter is confronted
regarding his relationship with Jesus and his words let him down; and with a
curse he denies his relationship to Jesus. (Matthew 26:69-75)
Words can be the pinnacle of human interchange, lifting
people and nations to undreamed heights of human endurance and effort, or
dragging people and nations down to the very gates of hell. The two most
prominent leaders of World War 2 are classic examples of this, with the words
of British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill,
Such is the power of words, rightly used, they can lift
humanity; wrongly used, they can indeed destroy humanity and James is well
aware of the enormous power they possess and how they can be utilised. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father,
and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.
To James it is inconceivable that the same source can
produce two completely opposite results; Surely,
my brothers and sisters, this is not right! In fact, he contends, that defies
the laws of nature; Does a spring of
water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? For Christians to
behave in a manner quite contrary to nature was unacceptable to James and he
concludes you can’t draw fresh water from
a salty spring.
Prayer
Father, we are aware
that we live in a world that is far from perfect and we have learnt that as
humans, we are far from perfect ourselves, particularly in the realm of verbal exchange
and social interaction. May we ever be aware of the enormous power words possess
and that we can use them wound or heal.
Give us wisdom Father
that we might understand that silence is not always golden and there are times when
our words must contain wise and measured reproof. When such occasions arise
give us insight, understanding and compassion that our communications at all
times be Christlike
Help us to understand
that words can be the pinnacle of human interchange; we can lift each other and
our community to undreamt heights of human endurance and effort, simply by the
words we use to encourage and inspire those with whom we share community. May
we come to understand that when Christ controls the mind, we are far better
able to control the words.
Hear our prayer in
Jesus name – Amen.
Mediation video: If
on my soul a trace of sin remaineth
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