Peace Talk: James 3:1-12 - Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

 ¹Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. ²For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. ³If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. ⁴Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. ⁵So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits. 

  How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! ⁶And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. ⁷For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, ⁸but no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. ¹⁰From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. ¹¹Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? ¹²Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.

Where the water falls by Paulius Malinovskis on Flickr. CC BY 2.0

If you’ve ever struggled to learn the state capitals, master the periodic table, or memorize your favorite Scriptures—doesn’t it make you mad that you know even a few of these brand slogans by heart?

You didn’t study them on flashcards. You never had to pass a test. But you know them—and the reason why is advertising. These words have been paired with catchy music, celebrity endorsements, and dazzling images. But the real magic is in the repetition. Gradually, you believe the words are true. And then you buy their products and services.

The fact that these slogans generate billions of dollars in sales proves that words have incredible power. 

Whoever said, “sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me” didn’t know what they were talking about.

I’ve come to think of evil words like viruses—because they infect you. You can’t get them out of your head. 

And then they spread. Social media spreads them even faster than Covid-19. Bullies can follow their victims wherever they go. The more you hear the evil words, the more you believe them. And no one does this impact more than our young people, some who are being bullied to death. 

In our bitterly divided and polarized world, words are being weaponized to threaten other people, destroy their reputations, and make them a target for public shaming and harassment. 

Death threats used to be a criminal offense. Not anymore. Now, they are so commonplace that very little can be done about it. Those at the receiving end of these threats are forced to live in fear for their lives; while those who threaten violence with their words are emboldened to do it again and again.

No wonder James writes, “the tongue is a fire.  It sets on fire the whole cycle of nature and is itself set on fire by hell.” 

It is with one tongue that we speak both blessings and curses—and, as James argues, how can you get fresh water from a contaminated spring?

As Christians, it’s so easy to focus on what other people say and do. Are you speaking as a child of God? Or are you a fire breathing monster?

I would argue that a believer’s tongue has more destructive potential than an unbeliever’s tongue. If your tongue blesses God in one moment, and curses another in the next, you are making God to out to be as rude, vindictive, and judgmental as you are. It is always easier to speak curses and judgments then it is to speak loving words, and back them up with good deeds.

The tongue speaks whatever is in the heart. If your heart is ablaze with rage, envy, and hate—your tongue will bear the flames. If your heart is burning with shame, anxiety, and fear—your tongue will bear the flames. If your heart is burning with greed, pride, and ambition—your tongue will bear the flames. Even worse, your words will burn the hearts, minds, and flesh of others. And you will be miserable. 

But do you remember what God did to create the universe? God spoke. How is it that God entered into relationship with humanity? God spoke. In Jesus Christ, God‘s Word put on human flesh. How are you forgiven of your sin? God speaks. How will you be raised up on the last day? God will speak. God’s word is life—and God’s power is love. God speaks, and it is so.

Only God’s Word of truth can extinguish the flames set ablaze by the lying words which speak that greed is good; that might makes right; that your neighbor is not a human being to be loved but an enemy to be feared. Just the same, you need God’s Word of truth to exterminate from your mind the vile and lying words that have been spoken against you which destroy your self-esteem, bind you in fear, and turn you against your neighbor. You need God’s Word of truth to douse the flames of hopelessness and despair as you see the awful powers of death at work around you. 

The good news, dear church, is that God is speaking. When God speaks, it is so. God is life. God speaks and darkness is banished away. Death is vanquished. Chaos is turned to peace. God is love. You are created so that God can love you and you can love God. Love is God’s power to free you from sin and death. God’s love is alive in you to bless this world and proclaim God’s glory to the nations. 

And you need to hear God’s Word over and over and over again, so that you do not forget it! Repetition is the key!  That’s what a relationship with God is all about—you keep coming back the God who loves you in spirit and in truth. You don’t just want to hear the word of God, you need to hear it, because your soul depends on it. The more you listen to God, the more you will become like God. You will not be discouraged by all the evil you see in the world. Instead, encouraged and inspired to speak God’s love with your voice as well as your hands. 

Your tongue need not be a consuming fire, but rather a light that shines the glory of God and draws others out of darkness into new life. Other voices may promise you life in exchange for your money and your loyalty. And it will always be tempting to speak evil words when you consider the power over others they can give you. But God alone speaks life. When God speaks, it is so. Whose word do you trust? What words will be on your tongue?