Pentecost 15

Pentecost 15 “A WANTON KILLER” 9/14 & 17/06

I begin with a definition. Raise your hand when you think you know what is being defined:

“It is covered by a mucous membrane containing many small projections which give it a rough surface. Its appearance is often pinkish-red in color when healthy. It is a muscular organ occupying the floor of the mouth in vertebrates. In some animals, such as lizards and frogs, it serves a food-gathering function. In humans, it functions principally in chewing, swallowing, and speaking.”

Correct answer is: the tongue.

We are afforded quite a different definition in our epistle lesson from the third chapter of James. In verses 5, 6, and 7 we read:

“The tongue is a small part of the body”- vs. 5

“The tongue is also a fire…a world of evil among the parts of the body…it corrupts the whole person…it sets the whole course of life on fire…it is, itself, set on fire by hell”- vs. 6

And, then, reading verse 7 from four different translations, the human tongue is described as- “a restless evil” (NIV), “an uncontrollable evil” (NLT), “an unruly evil” (KJV), and “a wanton killer” (The Message). The tongue is further described as “full of deadly poison.”

In James 3:9 we are reminded of the dexterity of the human tongue, specifically, how the one tongue can perform contradictory or opposite tasks. “We praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God.” The author uses images of agriculture to illustrate this truth…asking two questions, namely: “Can both fresh and salt water flow from the same spring?” The Greek word here is better translated “bitter”, rather than “salt.” James’ second question is: “Can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?” The obvious answer to both questions is a resounding “NO!” Freshwater springs produce fresh water, salt water springs produce salt water, fig trees bear figs, olive trees bear olives, and grapevines produce grapes!

James, the author of this letter, describing himself humbly as “the slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,” (vs. 1:1) writes of ships and horses to further instruct his readers. The relatively small human tongue can have great influence over the larger and entire human body, much as a bit in a horse’s mouth can “make them obey”(1:3) and “the very small rudder” is used to steer the entire ship (vs. 4). Using, yet, another illustration, James reminds us of how a great forest fire (as are now blazing out west) can begin with but “a small spark”(1:5).

Okay, enough of the illustrations! Now for some application! It seems to me that James is telling us that if and when hurtful and hateful words come from our mouths, let’s not pretend to be loving! When curse words spew from our tongues, we fail to be Christ-like! If we cannot and do not control out tongues, small as they are, how can we pretend…how can we deceive ourselves into believing…that our lives are under control? Returning to James 3:10 “Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.”

The point of chapter 3 seems painfully clear to me: Control your tongue and you can have control over the entire person. This is not easy! God knows, you know, and I know this is not easy! James acknowledges this in vs. 2/ “We all stumble in many ways.” If you are “thirsting” for further justification of hurtful speech, James offers us this statement: “No man can tame the tongue.”(vs. 8) The word we here translate “tame” means “to render useful and beneficial.” That, writes James, is what no man or woman, boy or girl, is able---by his or her own unaided efforts---to do with the tongue.

But, just because we cannot humanly tame our own tongue doesn’t mean our tongues should “wag” out of control! Martin Luther addresses this when writing about the 8^th Commandment, “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” Luther explains, “We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.” (Small Catechism) The key to controlling…to taming…to rendering “useful and beneficial” the human tongue is one’s fear and love of God. We are, as earlier confessed, “in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves.”

The ability to produce goodness and evil, blessing and curse, from one’s mouth makes humans unique. In nature, the capacity for good and evil is not matched. A spring either brings forth good water or bitter water. This unique ability of the human tongue to produce good and evil carries with it a tremendous responsibility and we dare not be irresponsible. As people of faith, knowing the potential of words to hurt--as well as to heal—we, by God, must be more careful in choosing our words.

Amen.