Small but Mighty

Q: How powerful are words?

Introduction

The devastation of forest fires in California, or Canada look up some info on how devastating they are.

16.5 million hectares of devestation or 6300 square miles, that is larger than the country of Greece

probable cause is dry conditions and lightning strikes

- transformed hearts manifest as controlled tongues

- the works/ actions James speaks of in the previous verses flows out here in speech.

v. 1

the teacher had the task of expounding the truth of the gospel on the basis of the growing Christian tradition[1]

teachers in their setting had great prestige given that it was the rough equivalent of a Jewish Rabbi

the allure of prestige may have led some to become teachers rather than calling and gifting

“Teachers, because they bear so much responsibility for the spiritual welfare of those to whom they minister, will be scrutinized by the Lord more carefully than others. Jesus warned: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48). God has given to teachers a great gift and entrusted to them “the deposit” of the faith (cf. 2 Tim. 1:14). He will expect a careful account of the stewardship.”[2]

v. 2

So difficult is the mouth to control, so given is it to utter the false, the biting, the slanderous word, so prone to stay open when it were more profitably closed, that the person who has it in control surely has the ability to “keep in check” other, less unruly, members of the body. [3]

All are susceptible to the failing of a wrong word spoken or left unsaid. It is so hard to control the tongue that whoever does must be perfect.

v. 3

horses are led by a bit in their mouths that allow the rider to direct them

v. 4

ships are steered by very small rudders under the boat

v. 5

just as these exapmples the tongue is small but mighty

it provides direction to the whole of the body

the avg. tongue is 3 in. and the average person is about 65 in. tall. A fraction of the size can direct the whole of the much larger body

But not only is it powerful it has power for destruction just as it has power to direct

v. 6

But he undoubtedly would have thought of those sins of speech that are enumerated in Proverbs: thoughtless “chattering” (10:8; cf. 12:18; 29:20); lying (12:19); arrogant boasting (18:12); gossiping (10:18). Think what enormous, sometimes irreversible, harm can be caused to people by unsubstantiated, often false, rumors. Such a rumor can be harder to stop than any forest fire (v. 5).[4]

V. 7

All of creation can be tamed by humanity

v. 8 BUT no human being can tame the tongue

so also the tongue the tongue is full of deadly poison

our words can be deadlier and more destructive than any weapon.

v. 9

James goes on to describe a deplorable duality

We praise God with one breath

And curse people with another

The ancient curse was far more than abusive language; it called on God, in effect, to cut a person off from any possible blessing and to consign that person to Hell[5]

v. 10

from the same person and the same mouth these two opposite things exit the mouth of humanity

This should not be the way we live. Hear me, we are guilty of this, there is no one who is guitless regarding this.

Let this sink in, he is not giving people who do one or the other but people who sing praise songs on Sunday and in the car and then condemn people to hell that they don’t like. Where in your life are you letting your words destroy others? God’s words bring life, do yours?

v. 11

can a spring pour forth both fresh and salt water?

v. 12

does a fig tree produce olives?

Does a grapevine produce figs?

Application

Reflect on how your words affect others

turn away from using your words to set the world on fire

use your words to bring life

Conclusion

story of matt being treated poorly and realizing the power of words

not all things others say are true and good

not all true things need to be said

The automatic natural processes of plant life cannot be exactly compared to the willing, deciding processes of human life. But, whatever its limits, the imagery conveys an important warning: only a renewed heart can produce pure speech; and consistently (though not perfectly) pure speech is to be the product of the renewed heart.[6]

[1]Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000), 149. [2] Ibid. 150. [3] Ibid. 151. [4] Ibid. 160. [5]Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000), 163. [6]Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000), 166–167.