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James 3:1–12 (ESV)
1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
Do you know what it means when someone says, “The mic is hot?” It means that the microphone is on; it’s recording and broadcasting. The first lesson to learn about microphones is to assume that they’re always on, recording every word you say and that everyone can hear what you’re saying. That’s an important lesson, but it’s often forgotten, and a number of high-profile people have made some terrible gaffes when they forgot that the microphone near them was still on.
At best, their verbal blunders have been the source of terrible embarrassment which required all kinds of back peddling, apologies, or efforts to spin their remarks as misunderstandings.
At worst, these slipups have damaged or completely destroyed people’s images, their standing in the community, or their careers.
Words are powerful and they have the ability to hurt or heal, to build people up or tear people down. James knows that our words have a powerful impact on others which is why he is so deliberate with his words in our passage.
James uses a couple of illustrations from everyday life to make his point regarding the power of our speech to either hurt or heal. Two of the illustrations are positive and we get it. The horses bit and the rudder of a ship. Both are small but they govern and control something big.
The spark and the fire are completely different images that would stir anxiety in the hearts of the readers. Few things were more feared in the ancient world than an out-of-control fire because the people had little resources to fight a fire. Once it started, a fire could quickly get out of control and cause massive damage.
The point of the illustrations is to demonstrate the incredible potential of our words to either bring people to the highest heights or send them crashing into the deepest holes of despair.
Then James goes on to paint an unappealing picture of our words. James wants to make it perfectly clear that speech has an incredibly destructive potential and that far too often, our speech is out of control.
Every kind of beast and bird, reptile or creature of the sea can be tamed and has been tamed by humanity James notes, but not the tongue.
Our speech, James is saying, is like a wild animal that is barely caged and at any moment it can break free and cause all kinds of damage either to ourselves or to others.
Unfortunately, our speech far too often realizes its destructive power, especially when aimed at another person, and James plainly says that this shouldn’t be the case. Speaking in a destructive manner is very unattractive and unappealing to anyone who looks at us and wonders if Jesus makes any difference in our lives.
So your words matter, they impact others, either lifting them up, or bringing them down.
Your words are your responsibility, as are every utterance and every comment on social media.
So how can we make sure that only life-giving and building words come from us?
The answer is found in James’ central thought in the letter: having the word of God humbly planted in your heart.
It doesn’t mean that we will be perfect in what we say—James acknowledges this in our passage in verse 2, “We all stumble in many ways.” But if the word is humbly planted in your heart, growing and flourishing, then life-giving words will follow.
It’s not about perfection. This is about a growing consistency as the Word (Jesus) takes deep root in your life.
God bless you and know that you are constantly in my prayers.
Scott
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