AN UNPREACHED SERMON (190)
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The Letter of James is a ruggedly practical piece of writing. It deals with a wide selection of themes, which has led some to see it not so much as a letter but “a collection of sermon notes”. It was written round about 60AD; so, it is addressing second generation Christians. Traditionally it has been ascribed to James the brother of Jesus. That gives it a sense of immediacy. Here is a letter written by someone close to Christ and who knew Him well as they were growing up together in Nazareth. If there was anyone who had monitored Jesus’ every word, mood and move, surely it was His brother?
I don’t remember the last time I attended the doctor and he asked me to put out my tongue. I’m not even sure the medical profession still does it. But apparently you can tell a lot about a person’s health by the state of their tongue. In effect, James asks those to whom he writes, “Let me see your tongue” first for a cursory look (James 3:26) and then a detailed examination (James 3:1-12).
The words that come out of our mouths are an infallible indicator of what’s going on inside us. They reveal our true nature at any given moment. James, ever practical, says they are an excellent gauge of the reality of our religion. He centres his thinking on that little piece of muscle we call the tongue and points out it is more powerful and influential than we could ever imagine. Our words, speech and tongue can do a lot of damage to others; but always more damage to ourselves. If James 3:1-12 is a preacher’s sermon notes, look how much use he makes of illustration to get his point across. I can spot six illustrations and they come in pairs. James says there is great power in the tongue out of all proportion to its size and place in the human body.
THE TONGUE HAS POWER TO CONTROL.
Credit where credit is due is James’ starting point. A disciplined and controlled tongue is a very useful instrument.
• It is like a bit in a horse’s mouth (v3). Imagine a magnificent war horse thundering towards you. The bit in its mouth completely controls the strength the horse possesses.
• It is like the rudder of a ship (v4). Think of a mighty ship powering its way through the restless waves.
By using these two illustrations, James says the tongue has great power to direct the lives of others, for good or bad. And we can’t help but comment that the bit and the rudder are small in comparison to the horse and the ship.
THE TONGUE HAS POWER TO DESTROY.
Having begun on a positive note, James then turns to think about the damage the tongue can cause. This is when the tongue is out of control, and once again he uses two easily imagined illustrations.
• Like fire (vv5, 6) ravaging through a highland forest causing untold damage which will take a long time to put right. The unguarded comment or the deliberate attempt to inflict harm can cause long lasting harm
• Like poison (v8), usually safely labelled under lock and key, in the wrong hands it can be fatal. And of course, poison is usually administered secretly and deliberately, but always with dire consequences.
THE TONGUE HAS POWER TO TRICK.
This is where James gets to the nitty-gritty. If these are notes of a sermon he once preached, this part would be in bold letters to remind him to emphasise the point. Turning to the world of nature he provides two examples of an improper use of the tongue.
• The illustration of a fountain (v11)
• The picture of a fruit tree (v12)
Just as a fountain does not produce fresh, sweet water all the time, nor a fruit tree bear fruit all the time, so the tongue often betrays a similar inconsistency.
The inconsistency in how we use our tongues can often be due to transient moods, variable feelings, pressure of circumstances, quality of relationships. But there is also a deeper reason and it has to do with what we might call the tongue’s “control centre”. James pulls no punches as he spells out the real source.
• Hell (v6)
• A world of unrighteousness (v6)
• Dissatisfaction bringing on lack of control (v8)
I like to think James is remembering his brother Jesus at this point. He knew what Jesus had taught, and more importantly he had watched how He had lived. “The things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these are the things that make a person unclean” (Matthew 15:18).
All this applies to everyone. “For all of us make mistakes” (v2 GNB) and “we all stumble in many ways” (ESV). But James gives a more searching word “to those who are teachers” (v1). They are responsible for what they say and will be judged accordingly. There is no better daily prayer for us all than, “Lord, place a guard at my mouth, a sentry at the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3).
TONGUE WATCH IN PROVERBS FOR A WEEK
Sunday – 10:11, 19
Monday – 12:18
Tuesday – 13:14
Wednesday – 14:29
Thursday – 15:1
Friday – 17:27, 28
Saturday – 18:4, 20, 21
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