“Tongue Full of Poison” James 3:1-12
Introduction
At a national spelling contest in Washington an incident occurred that made me feel good—and made me wonder. In the fourth round of the contest, Rosalie Elliot, then an eleven-year-old from South Carolina, was asked to spell avowal. In her soft Southern accent she spelled it. But did the seventh grader use an a or an e as the next to last letter? The judges couldn’t decide. For several minutes they listened to tape recording playbacks, but the critical letter was accent-blurred. Chief Judge John Lloyd finally put the question to the only person who knew the answer, “Was the letter an a or was it an e?” asked Rosalie. Surrounded by whispering young spellers, she knew by now the correct spelling of the word. Without hesitating, she replied she had misspelled it. She walked from the stage.
The entire audience stood and applauded, including half a hundred newspaper reporters, one of whom was heard to remark that Judge Lloyd had put quite a burden on an eleven-year-old. Rosalie rated a hand and it must have been a heartwarming and proud moment for her parents. The thing that makes me wonder, however, was the apparent feeling on the part of so many that the issue might have been in doubt and that honesty might have bowed to temptation.
Have we in this age stopped taking honesty for granted, even from our children? Has the nature and manner of our speech become so tainted, so poisoned, by greed, self-interest, selfishness, that rather than assuming that the words of another will be honest, we know that we must be cautious in trusting the words of another person? Have we become a people so clouded, so disillusioned, so stricken with sin’s consequence, that rather than trusting in the words of another we know that those words are so likely to be hurtful, painful, sharp words, that rather than trusting, we must prepare to defend ourselves?
While the words of others routinely give great cause for concern and caution, what about our own words? In Matthew 7:1-5 Jesus says, “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ’Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (ESV) What of our own words? What of our own tongue?
Transition
This morning we will examine what James has to say with regard to the taming of that most wild of beasts; the tongue. Is there any greater instrument of vile wretched dishonor than the tongue when it is wielded without care? Is there any more offensive gadget than the tongue of a man or woman when used as a weapon instead of an instrument of praise? What other device known to man is capable of so much beauty and also so much ugliness?
Benjamin Franklin, that brilliant American Founding Father, said, “A slip of the foot you may soon recover, But a slip of the tongue you may never get over.” It has been said that the tongue is the ambassador of the heart. The great danger of this is that so often we get our tongue into motion before engaging the brain.
Exposition
It is especially interesting for me personally, as a Bible Teacher, one role of the Pastor, because it is with great fear and trembling that I first yielded to the call of God to the ministry. It is with continued fear and trembling that I step into this pulpit every time I endeavor to allow God to use me in this fashion. James admonishment has significant historical context.
At the time of the writing of this text the role of teacher in the local assembly was a position that brought with it a great deal of respect and honor. Very much as in our day, the one who taught in the assembly was given a measure of assumption of his good intention, his reputation tended to be one of good report, and as such, to be a teacher in the local Church was desirable.
In an age of widespread illiteracy, the teacher in the assembly was very likely among a small minority of people in the congregation who had been very well trained academically. It would stand to reason that as James (the brother of Jesus who later believed in Christ and became an emissary of the Lord) addresses what is most likely a congregational of Jewish Christians; that in that setting, there would be many who would consider it advantageous to become a teacher.
And yet, James says, “Not many of you should become teachers because he who teaches will be judged by God with more strictness.” There is a specific and a broad application to be found in these words of “James. (1) It is with great fear and trembling that any man should dare to set foot in the pulpit.
There are far too many preachers in the American Church who, I am convinced, do not fear the office of Pastor as much as though should. We dare not enter the pulpit with mere intentions of entertaining people for a few minutes once a week, lest we become guilty of dragging the fast food motto of a certain restaurant into the pulpit, “Have it your way!” We need less and not more idolatrous sermons which are grossly man centered.
The trend, I fear, in the too many pulpits is to entertain rather than convict; to placate rather than proclaim, to pat sinners on the back, comforting them in their sin, rather than shining a light upon the only path to redemption that is spoken of the Scriptures; redemption through repentance and trust in the grace of God!
In James day, as in ours, some are drawn into the Gospel ministry because of what they perceive it can do for them. Others are persuaded by the modern culture to dilute the message of the purity and uniqueness of the Lord Jesus Christ, and though their intentions and motives may be pure, in seeking to be popular they forget to be prophets; in seeking to be motivational they forget that the greatest source of motivation in this life is the grace of God!
But James message is not only for those who would teach God’s word. His usage of those who would seek to teach in the local assembly, though directed to that group of people, is also an illustration of a broader truth that applies to every one of us regardless of our role in the local fellowship.
The one who teaches will be judged more strictly or find his words more closely scrutinized namely because it is with that most wretched instrument that he goes about doing his business. The teacher, the preacher, becomes for James the perfect example of one who must bridle his tongue. Any preacher or teacher knows all too well the danger of misusing one’s tongue. Carelessness with words for the teacher is something which must be avoided; as it is for us all.
Illustration
I was once preaching in the chapel of a retirement village in Yuma, Arizona. After delivering the sermon I began chatting with an elderly woman who I later learned was very hard of hearing. We were standing just outside the chapel, near a very beautiful pool table which looked as though it was not given over to a great deal of usage. I asked her if she or anyone else ever used the pool table.
She replied with a bit of a shrug of her should, which I interpreted as a no. Then I said that perhaps some time we should play a game of pool. She again gave me a shrug of her shoulder and just kind of walked away. While I thought that her demeanor was perhaps a little bit rude, I turned and walked away and really didn’t give even give it a second thought.
The next day I received a phone call from the retired Baptist preacher who I worked with in this retirement community / nursing home chapel ministry. Bill happened also to be my mentor as I prepared for pursued the ministry. Bill said that a particular woman had accused me of being a fire and brimstone preacher who had said that playing pool is a sin! She wanted me promptly dealt with.
Bill told her that sure didn’t sound like Chris but that he would talk to me about the incident. Bill and I met for coffee where I explained what I had actually said and after meeting he resolved the issue with the woman regarding her fire and brimstone preacher. The problem was quickly resolved and even if it had not been, I would still not regret its happening. It was there, early on in the ministry, that I learned a valuable lesson for ministry and for life.
We really do have to be careful what we say because words, even when misunderstood, misinterpreted, or taken out of context, can cause a lot of problems. In this instance I was misunderstood but perhaps if you are like me, there have also been times when we did use our words in careless and reckless ways which caused serious offense. Perhaps you like me do well to hear those words spoken in James chapter 3, that we must bridle our tongues for the tongue is like the rudder of a ship; it is the place where holiness is expressed or denied.
James admonishes us to consider something as massive as a ship which is given direction by something as small as a wooden rudder. So it is with us. Our tongue gives direction to our thoughts. Our tongue gives direction to our actions. Our words have great power over the direction of our life and the lives of others.
We have been created in the image of God, imago dei, and as such we have been given many of God’s divine attributes. We have been created with a moral conscience, an eternal spirit, a mind, affections, and a will. We most strongly express our will in what we do and what we do is most often shaped by what we say. Jesus said that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
The mouth, the tongue bears witness to what lives in our heart. If it is our desire to be a people who speak beautiful things into existence in our lives, this will only happen to the extent that we are yielded to God in our heart’s attitude. What we say has the power to affect our circumstances. When out of the abundance of frustration we speak words of anger we are very likely to would others. When out of the abundance of love in our hearts we speak patient words which are filled with wisdom, we nourish the souls of others.
When out of the abundance of the grace of God having taken up residence in our hearts we speak words which are full of grace we become instruments of grace in the lives of others; ambassadors and emissaries of Christ love. When out of our own recognition for the depth of our own offence before a holy God we speak words of forgiveness even to those who do not deserve it, we likewise become participants of the forgiveness of God in the lives of others and more fully enjoy His forgiveness ourselves.
Conclusion
James makes a strong case against teachers with flippant attitudes toward their calling. This is one very plain and straightforward message present in this text. No teacher is perfect and it is likely that James has some specific teachers in mind when says that not many should become teachers and that they will be judged with great scrutiny. Perhaps he has the words of Jesus in mind from Matthew 18:6, “but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” (ESV)
He further uses this to illustrate a broader truth for us all. Just as one false teacher with impure motives and careless or even deceitful words can lead a church astray, so too our own tongues often lead us astray. God has plans for our lives but we constantly tell ourselves and others that there is no point to our life. God has purpose in our lives but with our tongues we poison our hearts and minds with words to the contrary.
What we say to our children can build them up or destroy them. Oh, let us be captious with the tongue! What we say to ourselves can build us up or destroy us. Oh, let us be careful with our words! Wildfires very often start with just one careless match. Oh, let us be careful with the spark of our tongues! Amen.
