Worse than Sticks and Stones
Notes
Transcript
Question: What have you said to someone or about someone in the last few days/months? How might these words have been unhelpful/hurtful? We will revisit this question at the end?
Words have sticking power. Positive or negative, words can stick in our minds. Some examples:
‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that’ - MLK (used words to convey his message and to inspire change)
‘It is not truth that matters, but victory’ - Hitler (used words to fuel the hatred/oppression of ‘others’, fuelling the Nazi movement)
‘Let the bodies pile high’ - Boris Johnson (said something he might well have regretted ever getting into the public sphere, especially after his words had been so important during the pandemic. Maybe these words revealed a little bit of Boris’ heart, which we’ll come onto in due course.
Closer to home: Can you think of words which have encouraged or discouraged you. Who said them? How were they said? It might have been a parent, a friend, a teacher or a spouse who said something which prompted you to seek out the career you had the potential in, or these words have held you back and niggle at you even to this day?
James 3:1–18 (ESV)
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 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. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 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. 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! 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. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
This passage begins with James speaking about teaching. This was a desirable vocation in life. To be a Rabbi meant being in the position of privilege and prestige. The perks meant that people eagerly desired the role. I am not sure that Baptist Ministry is seen as all that desirable… Regardless, those who teach will receive stricter judgment. In a role which involves teaching people, it would be easy to use a position of privilege to lead people astray. One wrong word/idea can lead people away from the truth. This is a pandemic in many churches at the moment and I pray that we would be kept from this. We are God’s messengers, not his editors - the temptation for many has been to edit the word of God in order to make it more palattable. God writes the mail, we deliver it!
Specifically, James points out the reality of how difficult it is to keep the tongue in check. This perfection or maturity is the same maturity which is produced by steadfastness in trial and learning to control the tongue is one of the last things we will manage to do. It is nigh on impossible. In fact, as we get older some of our desires might change with age, but the tongue will never lose its sharpness.
The tongue is essentially the final thing to come into submission as we reach maturity in the Christian faith.
POWERFUL & DESTRUCTIVE
James gives us two images to better understand the power of the tongue before giving us an image to better understand its power.
Horses / Bits - something so big can be directed using something so small
Ships / Rudders - a rudder is comparitively very small up against the ship it steers
The tongue is equally small, yet, has the power to achieve so much. BIG IMPACT.
We come back to words spoken over us then - things we have had said to us which have an impact. Positively and negatively, a small word can have a big impact. And we need to realise the things we speak over others can have a big impact too.
REVEALED: WHAT YOUR TONGUE SAYS ABOUT YOUR HEART
Matthew 12:33-35 ““Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.”
John 13:35 “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.””
SEEK GOD’S WISDOM (vv.14-18)
RESPONSE 1
Question (revisited): What have you said to someone or about someone in the last few days/months? How might these words have been unhelpful/hurtful? We will revisit this question at the end?
Repentance: we ask for forgiveness where what we have said has caused pain to others. When we have spoken without thinking about the consequences. We ask for God’s wisdom and his forgiveness - would we get control of our tongues by offering to him the brokenness in our hearts.
RESPONSE 2
What baggage are we carrying around because of the words spoken over us? What has been hurting you or holding you back? Know this: God does not see you the way you or others see you. Useless? A gifted member of the body, called to serve the mission of God.