James 3:1-12 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. 3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 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. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

If you've ever been to a national park, you'll inevitably notice that there are signs everywhere warning you not to feed and to keep your distance from wild animals. Very likely the visitor’s center will have several videos on loop showing people being attacked or tossed in the air like ragdolls for not heeding these instructions. Likewise, wild animal trainers at the circus or zoo need always respect their unpredictable nature. Such beasts may be well-conditioned and well-trained, but you cannot count on them being perpetually tamed. For the animal's instincts can kick in in an instant, sometimes with deadly consequences. In these verses James says our mouths should likewise come posted with a warning label: "Danger! Wild animal!"

To be sure, the muscle of our tongues is on the smaller side among those in the human body, but it is the most difficult, even impossible, to control. In fact, James postulates that if one would be able to keep their tongue in check and not be at fault in anything they said, they would also be a perfect person. But with the exception of our Lord Jesus, no such person exists. Not a day goes by when our mouths don't get us into trouble and let others down. The words are already out there boasting, bashing, lying, cursing. We wish we could take them back, but it's too late. We know the words we say are so important. They can determine the course of our lives and relationships and reputation, but while we all know there's so much on the line, riding on what we say, we still can't reign in our mouths and bring them under control. Our mouths are a raging wild animal that poisons like a viper and can consume lives and livelihoods as certainly as a forest fire!

But why do we struggle so mightily and fail daily to keep these muscles under wraps? It's because our sinful flesh, our sinful hearts, from which our tongues often speak is itself set on fire by hell. We snarl at one another with slander and put-downs because the sinful nature in you and me is and ever remains an untamable beast. Jesus once put it this way, " The things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matt. 15:18-19). So our tongue problem is only a symptom of our deeper heart problem.

Our society encourages us to shoot off our mouths and speak our minds without restraint, but as children of God, whose whole selves have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, we do not get to say whatever we want. More than anyone else we should realize how important words are. Through the Word God made in the heavens and the earth. It's words with which we praise our God and proclaim the good news of Christ. God wants us to repent of our wild words and realize that what we say matters for ourselves and for all those we hope to witness to. After all, if we don't use our words with love and truth and restraint and respect, how can the world around us trust that we are speaking to them straight about the gospel? It would be as incongruent as a thorn bush bearing apples, or fresh water bubbling up from a salty spring!

Praise God that we have a Savior who always and only used his tongue to heal and build up and speak the truth and proclaim the good news of God's salvation to all! Through faith in Jesus God gives us his perfect mouth and his holy heart. By baptism he puts a new spirit inside of us that is calm, controlled, and peace-loving. Granted, that does not permanently slay or tame the wild animal of our tongues, but it does strive to drive them back into their cage, freeing up our mouths to be God’s instruments of good.

Reflection Questions:

1.) When we've realized that our tongues (or instant messages) have trapped us or lashed out, the best way forward is not silence, but in repentance to use that same mouth to confess our sin and ask for forgiveness.

2.) How can you use your words for God's glory and your neighbor's good today?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I confess to you that too often my tongue is untamed and out of tune with your love and truth. Forgive me according to your words of promise. Cleanse my mouth by your Spirit so that it may be an instrument of your praise and glory today. Amen.