James 3:1-12  

3 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. 4 Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet 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 exploits.

How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, 8 but no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.

As someone who lives by words, I find what James writes very challenging, very sobering. The tongue, the words we say, are difficult to control. They slip out, they get dropped in places where we wish they would not. The words we say lead us, control the direction of our lives. When we have said something, even by mistake, it is hard to walk those words back. The words we say can both get us in trouble and can lift others up and encourage them. The words we say are central to who we are and what we do.

The tongue is hard to control – and in this day and age it is not just our tongue (our speech) – but also our words in e-mails, social media, etc – these words are also hard to control. Any discussion about self-control must include the words we speak, the words we write. As James bold declares the person who can control their tongue – who can tame the tongue – that person can control all aspects of their lives. But the task of controlling the tongue seems pointless, a losing battle. It would be so easy to say, this is an impossible task so we are not going to try. To just declare defeat, saying “That is who I am, that is the way I speak, everyone else will have to live with it.”

Here again we are met by the truth that we cannot do this alone. To have the self-control to manage our tongues, our speech, we need to give up our selves – give up the control of our lives – and let our lives be shaped and formed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Self-control only comes when we stop being in control and we let the Holy Spirit lead, guide, control.   

PRAYER:

O Lord, we know that controlling our tongues is very hard, we cannot do it alone. Fill us with your Holy Spirit, as we give over the control of our lives to the Spirit, that there would be less of us and more of you and the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.   

Matthew 5:38-42

38 ‘You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” 39 But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40 and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41 and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 42 Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

When we are disrespected, insulted, ridiculed – be that physically, emotionally, mentally, or psychologically, we want to fight back. We want to hit the other side twice as hard as they hit us. There is a theory about how countries can win against opponents – be it in trade conflicts, on in wars of words – “Don’t attack anyone, but if someone does attack you hit them twice as hard as they hit you.” Oh, the desire for retaliation is deeply rooted in human beings.

Jesus proposes a completely different pattern – if someone slaps you on the cheek (that is, insults you) let them do it again. If they sue you in court, give them twice as much as they want. If someone forces us to do one favour for them, do a second favour for them, expecting nothing in return. In all of these situations we would be grinding our teeth, holding our temper back. In a word, to live the Jesus way takes enormous self-control.  

We see this pattern in Jesus, when insulted he did not hit back; when taken advantage of he did not defend himself; and so on. We wonder how he could do that – and then we remember back to Jesus’ baptism when the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove came and rested on Jesus. (Matthew 3:16) The Holy Spirit was with Jesus, strengthening, supporting, nurturing him. We need the Holy Spirit even more than Jesus did. For that is the only way we can live this pattern of not retaliating, of not hitting back, of not defending ourselves from being taken advantage of. The Holy Spirit will shape us into this kind of people, people who live the Jesus’ way.

PRAYER:

O Lord, we want to retaliate against those who hurt us, who disrespect us, who take advantage of us. Shape us by the power of the Holy Spirit to be people who live the example of Jesus Christ. People who do not seek revenge or retaliation. Make us more like Jesus. In His name we pray. Amen.