Taming and Training the Tongue James 3:1-12

Grace, mercy, and peace be with you, from God, our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Our message is based on our Epistle, from James 3, especially verse 8, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue.

We’re going to talk about taming and training the tongue, not an easy thing to do, but something God helps us with.

In our Epistle, James uses multiple analogies to help us understand how harmful or helpful, our words can be. 

His first analogy is a bridle. He says, we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us. As a bridle controls a horse, so we need to bridle our tongues, so that we don’t say words that shouldn’t be said. 

James second analogy is a small rudder that steers a huge ship. So the human tongue is small but has great impact, good or bad. James says, 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. That little thing we call the human tongue is capable of great harm or great good.

The third analogy, a raging forest fire that leaves ashes and ruin in its wake. James says, How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire 6 The tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness… setting on fire the entire course of life! Our hurtful, hateful, deceptive words can burn down lives and ruin relationships. 

Fourth, a stain. Our words can be a stain that remains. James says, The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body. Our bad language and nasty words can be a blemish on our faith and life, and a stain on our Christian witness and moral integrity. 

The fifth analogy is of animals that can be tamed and domesticated, in contrast to the human tongue, that can go untamed, and spew all kinds of filth and meanness and lies; our bad words and bad language can just go on and on, unchecked, and cause ever greater harm.

James says, 7 For every kind of beast and bird … can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. 

We need God to help us tame and train the tongue.

Sixth, deadly poison. James says the tongue is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. Our words can be toxic to our relationships, to our family, our marriage, our friendships, and to our enemies. 

That might sound okay; except that Jesus tells us to love and pray for our enemies. That’s the way to use our words toward those who have it in for us, or seem to be out to get us. 

These first six analogies show how our words can be so harmful and destructive. In the last four analogies, James contrasts the source and impact of good, godly, loving words, versus the source and impact of bad, sinful, hateful words. 

James’ seventh analogy is the difference between a blessing and a curse. This may be more of an application than an analogy. He says,  9 With it (our tongue) 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, these things ought not to be so.

Our words should reflect Christ in us, and should be a blessing to others; our words should be for their good, and not for their harm or destruction, or to disrespect them, and certainly our words should not be a wish for evil to come upon others. 

The eighth analogy is a spring, from which either pure or contaminated water flows, but not both. James says, 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water, (or polluted water)? 

So, from the Holy Spirit in us, flows good, godly, loving, true words. But from a different source, the sinful nature in us, flows false and dishonorable words. This is the fallen nature that we need to daily drown in us through repentance and the power of our Baptism, that a new person who speaks truth and love might rise in us.

Ninth, the analogy of a fig tree, which bears figs and not other kinds of fruit. James says, 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs?

So the Holy Spirit helps us to bear the fruit of good and godly words, not evil and hurtful words. 

Finally, the tenth analogy, closely related to the seventh analogy, the difference between a pond of salt water and a pond of fresh water. James says, Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

We need the pure Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit in us through Baptism, for our lives to yield an abundance of good and godly thoughts and words.

Looking back on this, James paints a pretty bleak picture of what the human tongue can be. And it’s totally accurate: our words can be that bad.

So we need the help of God to tame and train our tongues to speak in a better, more godly way. The more we use our words as Jesus used his words, the more positive impact our words will have in our lives, and in the lives of others.

On the other hand, the more we let our tongues run wild, the worse it is for us all. 

Few things can wound people so deeply as can mean and hateful words.

Do you bear any scars, in your mind and your emotion, from the words that someone has said to you? 

To some extent we all do. We’ve all had those kinds of words directed at us, and we’ve all directed those kinds words at others.

The saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”, is a nice ideal, and as our minds grow stronger, that becomes more the case. 

But the reality is, mean words hurt, especially when said by those we’re most vulnerable to. 

That might be those we love and care about, like a husband or wife, or parent, or child, or brother or sister, or a close friend.

Or it might be those we look up to, or those who have authority and responsibility for us; like a parent, or a boss, or a teacher, or pastor, or mentor, or caregiver.

We need to always keep in mind that our words have power: power to help and power to hurt; power to injure, and power to heal; power to assure, and power to create doubt; power to comfort, and power to cause anxiety; power to give hope, and power to cause despair; power to build up, and power to tear down; power to enlighten, and power to deceive; power to forgive, and power to condemn; power to humble, and power to exalt; power to save and power to judge. 

That’s just a fraction of the ways that words can have an impact on our lives and the lives of others.

Of all the excellent analogies that James gives us in our Epistle, the one the strikes me most is of a raging fire that can start from just a spark, but can grow and spread and consume a forest and everything in its path. 

With this analogy James paints the picture of a bad mouth gone out of control. 

We’ve seen the devastation caused by the fires out west; forests, and homes, and neighborhoods and communities turned to ashes. 

I saw a picture of a bear, that had survived the forest fire, but couldn’t stand because its’ paws were severely burned from walking on the red hot embers, scars it will have for the rest of its life.

The bad words we’ve said in a moment of foolishness or anger, or that others have said to us, can scar and badly hurt at the time, but we need not remember them forever; they need not ruin our lives.

This is where forgiveness comes to our rescue. God’s grace helps us to forgive those who have hurt us with their words. His grace can save and heal our wounded relationships. 

As we repent of our sinful words, God forgives us, cleansing our spirit, and helping to cleanse our mouth. God’s Word can tame and train our words; He can repair our language that’s been broken by sin.

God gives us the language of Christ; not the human language, not the Aramaic Jesus spoke, but the language of godly love and truth, which, with God’s help, can be learned in any human language.

God in His Word teaches us, and His Spirit empowers us, to speak in a way that respects others, and honors Him. May God always be at work in us through His Word and Spirit, taming and retraining our tongues, so that more and more, our words would be for the good of others, and to the glory to God. 

And as we learn to speak in a more godly way, His peace which passes understanding, will guard our hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus, our Lord, whose words are pure and true. Amen.