The Tongue Is Mightier Than The Sword
Sermon
Sermons on the Second Readings
Series III, Cycle B
Object:
The tongue is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire and is itself set on fire by hell ... With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.
-- James 3:6, 9-10
Has anything ever gotten you into more trouble than your tongue? Have you ever wished you could take something back after you had said it? Oh, let me confess, I only ask this rhetorical question because it has happened to me. I know the sense of shame and regret at having spoken too soon before I could stop myself. Someone has said, the tongue weighs practically nothing, yet so few people can hold it.
One of the quotable sayings, which I try to live by, is a statement made by Socrates: "It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt." That's difficult for a preacher to remember. We are not accustomed to remaining silent.
When Oliver Wendell Holmes was asked how one can get elected to a public office, he said, "To be able to listen to others in a sympathetic and understanding manner is perhaps the most effective mechanism in the world for getting along with people and tying up their friendship for good. Too few people practice the 'white magic' of being good listeners."
Good listening is one of the most difficult skills to master. An unknown author has written:
When I ask you to listen to me and you start giving me advice, you have not done what I asked.
When I ask you to listen to me and you begin to tell me why I shouldn't feel that way, you are trampling on my feelings.
When I ask you to listen to me and you feel you have to do something to solve my problem, you have failed me, strange as that may seem.
Perhaps that is one of the most powerful benefits of prayer -- God is always there, listening.
A young man came to the great philosopher, Socrates, to be instructed in oratory. The moment the young man was introduced, he began to talk and there was an incessant stream for some time. When Socrates could get in a word, he said, "Young man, I will have to charge you a double fee."
"A double fee, why is that?"
The old philosopher replied, "I will have to teach you two sciences. First, how to hold your tongue, and then how to use it."
Such an art is good for all of us to learn, especially for Christians.
In our lesson today, James is indicating that he has heard about trouble in the Jerusalem community. The same people who are praising God in church on Sunday are cursing those in the fellowship on Monday. "Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing" (v. 10). Men and women have been made in the likeness of God. To curse a fellow human being is like cursing God.
The gift of speech is one of the greatest faculties God has given us. With our words we can compliment someone, we can teach our children, we can give directions to someone who is lost, we can give hope to someone who is despairing, we can express love or fear or pain.
Unfortunately, this wonderful gift can also be abused. We can use our faculty of speech for gossip, for slander, for complaining and negativity, or to express hatred and anger.
When I conduct management meetings and seminars for supervisors, I encourage the people to carefully consider the words they are using when addressing a difficult situation. Shifting from the use of the word "problem" to "challenge" or even more boldly "opportunity" can invite collaboration and creativity. Describing a situation as a problem can convey negativity or whining. After all, every difficulty in life is an opportunity to discover new resources, create a new solution, and rise above the tendency to give in to negativity or blame seeking. "Be very careful, then, how you live -- not as unwise but as wise," writes Saint Paul, "making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:15).
Effective communication is an important key to success in life. Peter Drucker claims that 60% of all management problems are a result of faulty communication.
A leading marriage counselor says that at least one half of all divorces result from faulty communication between spouses. Criminologists tell us that upward of 90% of all criminals have difficulty communicating with other people.
Anyone who has traveled to a foreign country can vouch for the challenges that occur because of communication barriers posed by language differences. When I was in Venice, Italy, I became sick one night and went to the hospital. The man at the reception desk wanted to know why I was there. He spoke no English, and I had only a limited Italian vocabulary, so I was unable to describe my symptoms effectively. Had it not been for the intervention of my multilingual brother-in-law, I would not have made it past the receptionist. Fortunately, with his help, I was admitted and treated for what turned out to be a case of food poisoning.
But we all know the destructive power of negative communication. Talk may be cheap, but we often pay dearly for it. "Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark," writes James. "The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell" (James 3:5b-6).
We may think that what we say has little importance. We may even believe that we have the right to "vent" our feelings. But the truth is that the way we use our words will impact our lives and the lives of others more than anything else that we do. Since this is so important, it is imperative that we learn to get control of our speech and use it properly.
Christians tend to make a big deal about cussing. But this is not James' point. He is referring to the use of our speech against other people.
Verbal violence can do as much harm as physical violence. And often we save our own most abusive language for those who are nearest and dearest to us. Unleashing sarcasm can cause deep wounds. "Reckless words pierce like a sword ..." (Proverbs 12:18a).
Constant criticism will wear a person down and inhibit self-confidence. Parents are often quick to correct and punish misbehavior and forget to affirm positive behavior. Some bosses communicate with employees only when they are pointing out mistakes and fail to compliment important accomplishments.
We are often all too eager to discuss someone's faults or failings. People's reputations can be destroyed. When the opportunity to talk about someone else arises, it is helpful to ask yourself, why do I want this person to know this information? Can I honestly say that it is for the other person's good? When we seek to diminish the reputation of others, when we can't resist cutting someone down if others are speaking well of him, it is a reflection of our own weakened self-image. A bitter, resentful person finds it difficult to accept the achievements and successes of others. But as Solomon said, "the tongue of the wise brings healing" (Proverbs 12:18b).
We can all practice the art of blessing others through our speech. We can communicate creatively and consistently to heal the wounds caused by gossip. We can use our words effectively to encourage others, to bridge the gaps of broken relationships, to elevate the level of casual conversation.
Through fervent meditation we can pray to be cleansed of bitterness that causes us to resent the achievements of others, instead of celebrating them. We can replace those pockets of resentment with the promptings of God, who will orchestrate the right word for the right person at the right time.
Consider the enormous power for good that is at your disposal when you respond to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in your speech.
On the evening of August 27, 1963, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was pacing the floor of the Willard Hotel in Washington DC. The next day he would be standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial addressing a crowd of 250,000 people on the issues of equality and justice. The event was in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. The dilemma that confronted King was how to adequately express himself in the eight minutes he would be permitted to stand at the podium.
All through the night, King worked on his speech, writing one draft after another. His friends tried to convince him to throw away the manuscript and just allow the Holy Spirit to carry forth the words from his mouth. King would not entertain such a thought, and the vigil continued. By morning, the speech was complete, typed, and distributed to the media.
When Dr. King ascended the platform, there was a great expectation among the audience as to what this noble orator would have to say. Slowly and deliberately King began to read his carefully prepared text. After a few short paragraphs, he suddenly realized the words were not adequate. Pushing the manuscript aside, King spoke from the heart, proclaiming, "I have a dream today!"
What may be considered King's most noted address did not come from a prepared manuscript, but from the soul of a man moved by the Spirit of God. That Spirit is available to you. With practice and discipline you and I can say like Isaiah, "the Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary" (Isaiah 50:4a).
As we become more skilled at abandoning the negative speech patterns, we will discover that others will look to us for encouragement and hope, for we will be God's own ambassadors spurring one another on toward love and good deeds. Amen.
-- James 3:6, 9-10
Has anything ever gotten you into more trouble than your tongue? Have you ever wished you could take something back after you had said it? Oh, let me confess, I only ask this rhetorical question because it has happened to me. I know the sense of shame and regret at having spoken too soon before I could stop myself. Someone has said, the tongue weighs practically nothing, yet so few people can hold it.
One of the quotable sayings, which I try to live by, is a statement made by Socrates: "It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt." That's difficult for a preacher to remember. We are not accustomed to remaining silent.
When Oliver Wendell Holmes was asked how one can get elected to a public office, he said, "To be able to listen to others in a sympathetic and understanding manner is perhaps the most effective mechanism in the world for getting along with people and tying up their friendship for good. Too few people practice the 'white magic' of being good listeners."
Good listening is one of the most difficult skills to master. An unknown author has written:
When I ask you to listen to me and you start giving me advice, you have not done what I asked.
When I ask you to listen to me and you begin to tell me why I shouldn't feel that way, you are trampling on my feelings.
When I ask you to listen to me and you feel you have to do something to solve my problem, you have failed me, strange as that may seem.
Perhaps that is one of the most powerful benefits of prayer -- God is always there, listening.
A young man came to the great philosopher, Socrates, to be instructed in oratory. The moment the young man was introduced, he began to talk and there was an incessant stream for some time. When Socrates could get in a word, he said, "Young man, I will have to charge you a double fee."
"A double fee, why is that?"
The old philosopher replied, "I will have to teach you two sciences. First, how to hold your tongue, and then how to use it."
Such an art is good for all of us to learn, especially for Christians.
In our lesson today, James is indicating that he has heard about trouble in the Jerusalem community. The same people who are praising God in church on Sunday are cursing those in the fellowship on Monday. "Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing" (v. 10). Men and women have been made in the likeness of God. To curse a fellow human being is like cursing God.
The gift of speech is one of the greatest faculties God has given us. With our words we can compliment someone, we can teach our children, we can give directions to someone who is lost, we can give hope to someone who is despairing, we can express love or fear or pain.
Unfortunately, this wonderful gift can also be abused. We can use our faculty of speech for gossip, for slander, for complaining and negativity, or to express hatred and anger.
When I conduct management meetings and seminars for supervisors, I encourage the people to carefully consider the words they are using when addressing a difficult situation. Shifting from the use of the word "problem" to "challenge" or even more boldly "opportunity" can invite collaboration and creativity. Describing a situation as a problem can convey negativity or whining. After all, every difficulty in life is an opportunity to discover new resources, create a new solution, and rise above the tendency to give in to negativity or blame seeking. "Be very careful, then, how you live -- not as unwise but as wise," writes Saint Paul, "making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:15).
Effective communication is an important key to success in life. Peter Drucker claims that 60% of all management problems are a result of faulty communication.
A leading marriage counselor says that at least one half of all divorces result from faulty communication between spouses. Criminologists tell us that upward of 90% of all criminals have difficulty communicating with other people.
Anyone who has traveled to a foreign country can vouch for the challenges that occur because of communication barriers posed by language differences. When I was in Venice, Italy, I became sick one night and went to the hospital. The man at the reception desk wanted to know why I was there. He spoke no English, and I had only a limited Italian vocabulary, so I was unable to describe my symptoms effectively. Had it not been for the intervention of my multilingual brother-in-law, I would not have made it past the receptionist. Fortunately, with his help, I was admitted and treated for what turned out to be a case of food poisoning.
But we all know the destructive power of negative communication. Talk may be cheap, but we often pay dearly for it. "Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark," writes James. "The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell" (James 3:5b-6).
We may think that what we say has little importance. We may even believe that we have the right to "vent" our feelings. But the truth is that the way we use our words will impact our lives and the lives of others more than anything else that we do. Since this is so important, it is imperative that we learn to get control of our speech and use it properly.
Christians tend to make a big deal about cussing. But this is not James' point. He is referring to the use of our speech against other people.
Verbal violence can do as much harm as physical violence. And often we save our own most abusive language for those who are nearest and dearest to us. Unleashing sarcasm can cause deep wounds. "Reckless words pierce like a sword ..." (Proverbs 12:18a).
Constant criticism will wear a person down and inhibit self-confidence. Parents are often quick to correct and punish misbehavior and forget to affirm positive behavior. Some bosses communicate with employees only when they are pointing out mistakes and fail to compliment important accomplishments.
We are often all too eager to discuss someone's faults or failings. People's reputations can be destroyed. When the opportunity to talk about someone else arises, it is helpful to ask yourself, why do I want this person to know this information? Can I honestly say that it is for the other person's good? When we seek to diminish the reputation of others, when we can't resist cutting someone down if others are speaking well of him, it is a reflection of our own weakened self-image. A bitter, resentful person finds it difficult to accept the achievements and successes of others. But as Solomon said, "the tongue of the wise brings healing" (Proverbs 12:18b).
We can all practice the art of blessing others through our speech. We can communicate creatively and consistently to heal the wounds caused by gossip. We can use our words effectively to encourage others, to bridge the gaps of broken relationships, to elevate the level of casual conversation.
Through fervent meditation we can pray to be cleansed of bitterness that causes us to resent the achievements of others, instead of celebrating them. We can replace those pockets of resentment with the promptings of God, who will orchestrate the right word for the right person at the right time.
Consider the enormous power for good that is at your disposal when you respond to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in your speech.
On the evening of August 27, 1963, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was pacing the floor of the Willard Hotel in Washington DC. The next day he would be standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial addressing a crowd of 250,000 people on the issues of equality and justice. The event was in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. The dilemma that confronted King was how to adequately express himself in the eight minutes he would be permitted to stand at the podium.
All through the night, King worked on his speech, writing one draft after another. His friends tried to convince him to throw away the manuscript and just allow the Holy Spirit to carry forth the words from his mouth. King would not entertain such a thought, and the vigil continued. By morning, the speech was complete, typed, and distributed to the media.
When Dr. King ascended the platform, there was a great expectation among the audience as to what this noble orator would have to say. Slowly and deliberately King began to read his carefully prepared text. After a few short paragraphs, he suddenly realized the words were not adequate. Pushing the manuscript aside, King spoke from the heart, proclaiming, "I have a dream today!"
What may be considered King's most noted address did not come from a prepared manuscript, but from the soul of a man moved by the Spirit of God. That Spirit is available to you. With practice and discipline you and I can say like Isaiah, "the Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary" (Isaiah 50:4a).
As we become more skilled at abandoning the negative speech patterns, we will discover that others will look to us for encouragement and hope, for we will be God's own ambassadors spurring one another on toward love and good deeds. Amen.
