Hope or Poison | The Rev. Chad E. JarnaginJames 3:1-12 (ESV)Taming the Tongue3 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers & sister, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what they say, they are perfect, able also to bridle the whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 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. 5 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! 6 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,[a] and set on fire by hell.[b] 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,[c] these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.There are patterns of active testing throughout this short book. James 3 is a timeless piece of text. Each week we walk through a portion of Scripture that typically works with the previous and following parts. If we take the examen framework and apply the text from last week as well, we would see where the real opportunities. For those who may have missed the first week: The Ignatian Examen of Consciousness is a simple prayer rhythm directed toward developing spiritual awareness: When we approach the Ancient Text, we must explore with openness not pragmatism. The examen helps us with this:Begin:-Assume a posture of stillness & reverent relaxation-Be aware that God is with you.-Mindful and thankful to God for blessings.-Examine how you have lived the day or if in the morning, how do you hope to live today.-Confess sin & ask God for forgiveness - much like our collective confession each week.-Resolve & offer prayer of hopeful devotion.Finish:Resolve posture of stillness & reverent relaxation James begins to warn of the strict judgement that teachers face. He talks through the means in which to be effective: the bridling of the tongue... which gains control of the whole body.The imagery of controlling a horse with a bit in their mouth, a ship by the rudder... these are actually helpful because they are small in comparison to what they control and navigate.Violent forest fires being set by the smallest of flames... As if to say the most flippant careless word can harm a large group of people or harm one person deeply. Every single one of us in this room knows precisely what this feels like... and unfortunately, we know what it is like to be the recipient and dealer.James continues to give us a broader scope of our potential affects of our words: taming the tongue is difficult... and how it can be a restless evil, full of deadly poison. All who are made in the likeness of God can be cursed by our careless words. We bless and curse with the same instrument.I would suggest that the weight of our tongue hinges on control. By controlling narratives about ourselves and others, it gives us a false sense of control. I’ll repeat James sentiment, “this ought not be so.”Have we considered that our words could have a holy purpose? Set apart from the harm and hurt that is everywhere else?
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