What would you say to a refugee? What would you say if you had time to sit down and get to know this refugee?
Perhaps some words of comfort, some degree of sympathy or empathy. Or perhaps, you’d offer words of encouragement and exaltation, calling them to find joy and stand strong and persevere.
As we have been seeing, the book of James is written to the church that has been scattered — the Dispersion. These are words given to people who know what it means to have to not treat this world as their home. Many of them face hardship and suffering, trials of every kind. And James has such words that call forth for strength and faithfulness and endurance.
James does not just give them words of comfort. He also gives words of challenge. He tells them that there are areas of their life that need to match up with the faith they profess. Their life has to change in line with their profession. James has been asking them to think specifically about how they treat those who come into their gathering, with those who do not seem to have anything good to offer and are not so well off. Do they relate to them? How do they fight and kill this sin of partiality and persevere in doing good works?
Now, do those sound like words that you will speak to a refugee?
Recall how James is written to Christians who are scattered and dispersed as refugees, but they are also ambassadors. This is how the Bible routinely speaks of us, even though we know that we are displaced and this world that is not a home. It speaks of us as ambassadors, and so it is only right and true that you are called even in your dispersion, even in your suffering, even in the midst of trials of every kind to show forth something of that heavenly home.
This is not unique to James. Peter also calls for his listeners to continue doing good deeds and put away all uncleanness and filthiness and wickedness. In doing so, those around them might glorify their Father.
In this section, we will look at how this transforms our words and how we can live it out practically. This section is a word about how we use our words.
(A) The untamed tongue heaps on hellfire (Jas 3:1-8)
“Sticks and stones may break my bones/But names shall never hurt me”. We sing this and yet, we know that our words cut far longer still than the bruises that we make.
And so, for good reason. James has much to tell us about words, but he does not jump straight into it in a direct approach. James begins by addressing a particular group of people.
In James 3:1, we see that James is cautioning those among them who are teachers in the church. Generally, we can think of those who instruct others and deliver content in a particular way. Scripture has a more targeted category concerning teachers. In Ephesians 4:11-23, we see that the “he” refers to Jesus Christ giving the church good gifts that the church will be built up. Amongst these gifts are to shepherds and teachers. Some may think shepherds and teachers are different categories, but we can think of it as the same — shepherd teacher, the pastor teacher. Depending on what Christian tradition you come from, you might think of them as elders, bishops etc. Regardless, we see that there is a pastor figure that brings God’s people God’s word — that is the office of teacher.
James also says that not many of them should become teachers. Doesn't Paul write in Timothy that it is a good and a noble thing to aspire to the office of elder? Isn’t it a dire and pressing need in our church today that we need more and more godly young men to rise up for the sake of Christ, love people well, bring God’s people God’s word? Isn’t this to be strongly encouraged and fanned on and spurred? Shouldn’t this be the case?
It should. But still, he says, not many of you should become teachers my brothers.
In Ephesians 4:15-16, we see that the pastors are to equip the saints for the work of ministry for building up the whole body into Christ. Paul also goes on to instruct the entire Ephesian church to speak the truth in love and build each other up.
So why does James begin in this way? James speaks plainly because there comes a great measure of scrutiny and judgement. Why? Read on.
James says that not many of them should become teachers because they will be judged with a greater strictness. And he says that everyone stumbles. But he doesn't just leave it there and presses in something specific — teachers speak a lot.
In James 3:2, James says that if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. James is broadening it out here. It is not just that I speak a lot, but how you speak has a direct impact on who you are. James will unpack that later but here, he uses a few allusions first. These allusions speak of influence of a certain sort.
Bits are put in the horses’ mouth to control the horse to go where the rider directs (Jas 3:3). The skilful rider knows how to pull, when to pull, how much to pull, how forcefully to do so, and in so doing, a beast like the horse finds itself controlled.
A rudder is used to steer a ship (Jas 3:4). Great, big ships are driven by strong winds and yet, what controls it? It is a small rudder. And it is not just a small rudder but it is controlled by a pilot, one person who is able to direct and guide so great a vessel.
Thus we see something of the challenge that James is pointing us to. Teachers speak a lot and words reveal who you are. Think about the influence that it has over your very own body. You are controlled by it the way horses are controlled by the bits that are placed in their mouths. Think about the influence that it has over all of these other things, even an entire boat. This is the sort of gravity that James wants to impose on us.
Friends, do you recognise that sheer weight and sheer power of what the tongue and our words reveal. The first thing we should do is not to go and pray for our teachers or pastors, but it should be self-examination. The very first thing you should do is to ask yourself if all the words that proceed from your mouth were recorded and analysed, what sort of pattern and trajectory will come out in the analysis? What sort of habits would it reveal? What sort of life would your words reveal?
Having done that, then, consider what James is saying here. When was the last time you prayed for your pastor? Make it tonight. When you go home, take some time before you go to bed — ask and pray that your pastor will be one who guards and bridles his tongue. Pray that the one who labours to bring you God's word will find God's word, mastering his own heart first. Pray that your pastor will not be one who tempers with God's word. Pray that should not be one who seeks to be inspiring or entertaining or innovative but simply faithful. Pray that he will be the same person on the pulpit and off the pulpit. Pray that who he is in the confines of the church will be the same person behind the walls of his own home. Pray that the word of instruction and aspiration and grace that he preaches painstakingly to his congregation will be the same sort of words that his wife, children, friends and his own heart hears. We would do well to pray for those who teach, rule and instruct us by the word. Pray that God will grant such things for us.
James is not presenting a value neutral thing. In James 3:5-8, James is saying that the more we think about our words — notice the use of the word “we” here — the more we see that this trajectory is a pretty clear-cut one. James speaks of the boasting of the tongue (Jas 3:5) and then uses two images to convey how dangerous this is. The first is that of a fire in a forest. This is dangerous and even in our world, we understand the severity of it. It helps us to see the state of sin affecting a world of unrighteousness. How great a fire by a small member.
Yet, it is not just destructive power in the abstract. There is a specific edge to it. The uncontrolled tongue does something to ourselves, as well as those around us. In both cases, there is an infectious, quickly staining nature. This staining is not just a physical metaphor, but also refers to a stain of sin, a world of unrighteousness. It sets on fire the entire course of life. Proverbs 10:19 warns us that when words are many, sin is not absent. The more we meditate on it, we see clearly that there is something quickly spreading of this power of the tongue. Death and life is in the power of the tongue (Prov 18:21). Angry, jealous, bitter, prideful, insecure, hasty words are also like the burning blaze described here.
James is also helping us to see our own trajectory. The untamed tongue heaps on hellfire. The more we think about it, the more it is clear to us when Christ calls every word to account. We will be called to account for the heart of sin that does not prize our neighbours’ good above our own, the sin that does not glorify God our speaking God the way that we should. There is such great power in the tongue and it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison because it can’t be tamed.
This is the second image. James describes how “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” (Jas 3:7-8a). Think about it — we can find lions, elephants, tigers at the zoo — evidence of humans being able to tame these animals. Yet, who can tame the tongue.
As we think of these things, we should grieve and be sober-minded. What sort of world are we creating?
But friends, if we just read these verses, we might lose hope. We are not to just look at these verses! The solution to taming our tongues is not to look within ourselves. What tames the horse? Someone on the outside. What directs the ship? A captain. What can tame our tongues? It is from us learning and studying more and becoming a better person?
As James says in James 1:21, we receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save our souls. The more we despair at the evil of our words, we are meant to turn and cast ourselves entirely on the salvation of God’s word.
When the righteous demands of God’s law points and shines a light on the darkness of our heart and on the effect of our words, it creates a poverty of spirit and it is a good thing,. Matthew 5:3 tells us that it is indeed a blessed thing. Pray that God will do this work in our hearts and that we will cast ourselves on to Him, and that He will shape and fashion us in His likeness.
(B) The transformed heart holds out hope (jas 3:9-10)
James recognises that with our tongue, we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God (Jas 3:9). Why does this matter? Think about who our Lord Jesus is, and the Father who loves all things are like.
He is the giver of all good gifts and calls us to be like Him. It should make us think twice about the people our words impact. It is not just people we are speaking to, but they are people in the likeness of God.
What is the likeness of God like in your minds? Your understanding of God and the image of God also shapes the way you think about people.
We should rightly think of His words. We don’t think enough about the implications of a speaking God. Language distinguishes us from the beasts. He has accommodated Himself to language and revealed Himself in this way. We can know Him with clarity. We are to also ask ourselves if our speech is like our Father’s.
What is your relationship with God? Do you know Him through His word? What is your relationship to His word? Do you think that His word is something you acquire or master? Or get over with at the start of the day or end of the day?
What is your relationship with God’s word? Does it help you to know God?
As Psalm 119:9 says, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.” And, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Ps 119:11). More to be desired are these words than fine gold, sweeter than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb (Ps 19:10). Is this how you relate to God’s word?
Is this how you think of God’s word? Pray that God will help you to see how much you need it. Unless you reckon and relate to God’s word in this way, you think that you can tame your tongue or that the untamed tongue is not that big of a problem. There is no way from taming this hellfire apart from God’s word that is implanted in us, that we receive by faith and it transforms us and it proceeds from our mouth. When we take God’s Word seriously, we find that life proceeds forth.
The final set of illustrations — arguments by nature — are meant to say that who they are is who they are empowered to be (Jas 3:11-12). Hear also the message of hope here! As James 1:18 states, we are to remember who God made us to be! If we are in Christ, we are a spring and a fig tree. We are changed at the level of who we are so that we can produce good fruit. This is similar to what Paul wrote in Romans 6:1-11.
May the words of this hymn be our prayer today:
Speak, O Lord, as we come to You
To receive the food of your holy word.
Take Your truth, plant it deep in us;
Shape and fashion us in Your likeness,
That the light of Christ might be seen today
In our acts of love and our deeds of faith.
Speak, O Lord, and fulfil in us
All Your purposes, for Your glory