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James 3:2-8 (HCSB)
If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a mature man who is also able to control his whole body.
Now when we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide the whole animal. And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how large a forest a small fire ignites. And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is set on fire by hell.
Every sea creature, reptile, bird, or animal is tamed and has been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
Listen with Me
James moves from the topic of teachers and his caution that those who teach have a great responsibility before God to use their authority to teach wisely and correctly, so that they will therefore be judged more harshly by God, to the topic of speaking in general.
James’ point is that it is very easy to say things that are not true, that are halfway true, or that are harsh and cruel. And we can regret saying them later, especially if they cause unpleasant consequences. But words once spoken cannot be recalled. For good or ill, they have been said, and will remain said.
But controlling the tongue, guarding against careless words is very difficult for many people. James points out that this is such a universal truth that if someone never utters a careless or thoughtless word, they must be a perfect person.
Even though a person’s tongue is a relatively small part of a person’s body, it has an outsized ability to move a person’s mind and heart, and to shape the situation in which they live. So, he likens it to the small bit that control a large horse, or the small rudder that controls a huge ship.
James comes across as very pessimistic about the ability of a human being to control his or her tongue. And it is true that a mere human being in his or her own strength is ill-equipped to consistently curb their tongue when their minds and hearts are under the control of the sinful nature. But we must also remember the principle that Paul delineates in his letter to the Christians in Rome (Romans 8:1-4 HCSB):
Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus, because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. What the law could not do since it was limited by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like ours under sin’s domain, and as a sin offering, in order that the law’s requirement would be accomplished in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
What we are powerless to do in our own strength, by our own wisdom, Jesus has made possible through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit which He has poured out on His people and who now lives in and through us.
Was James ignorant of this reality? Not at all. But he was dismayed by the gossip and verbal attacks that had risen to an alarming degree in the Church and wanted to warn the Christians everywhere about how destructive and damaging it was, not just to the Church as a whole, but to individual souls as well. Only when people are willing to see the depths of their sins are they able to repent and return to God so that He can do in them what they are incapable of in their own strength. And that includes controlling one’s tongue!
Pray with Me
Father, it is easy to forget that the letters we have preserved in our Bibles are not broad theological treatises, but are mostly occasional letters, written to address a specific issue. Therefore, they often lack the broad overall context that can only be supplied by a thorough knowledge of all that the early leaders of the Church provided through their collective writings. Thank you, Lord, for preserving these other writings for us as well, so that we can hear your words more fully and understand them more deeply. Amen.