Sermon 1st September 2024 – 15th Sunday after Penecost
Text James
1:17-27 – Bridle the tonge
There is the old saying – God gave us 2 eyes, 2 ears
but only one mouth – which should teach us what is really important in
communication – to look – to listen – and be hesitant in what we say. James
seems to be saying something similar in our reading today: You must understand
this: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your
anger does not produce God's righteousness. To listen to the needs of people
and if we need to respond then be “doers of the word”. Be slow to speak – be
slow to anger. Which is interesting that James connects anger with speaking. He
will go on to say how dangerous the tongue can be.
He says: 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. The tongue also is a fire, a
world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the
whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
All kinds of
animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed
by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full
of deadly poison.
And his
particular concern about the misuse of the tongue and our words is
With the tongue
we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been
made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My
brothers and sisters, this should not be. And today he says that the
“unbridled” tongue can make our faith worthless, or as he calls it – our
religion.
Jesus faces the
same issue today with the Pharisees where their “religion” was made worthless
because they argued over man-made traditions: The Pharisees noticed that some
of Jesus’ disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing
them.
So the Pharisees
asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the
elders, but eat with defiled hands?”
Jesus said to
them, “Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This
people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do
they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.’
So, according to
Jesus, what came out of their lips was inconsistent with their hearts. And
remember the greatest commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart,
mind, soul and strength – and your neighbour as yourself. And he says that what
comes out of the mouth is a true indication of what is truly on one’s heart. And
he explains: There is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but
the things that come out are what defile.” For it is from within, from the
human heart, that evil intentions come.
A few weeks ago
Paul warned about the devil’s use of our anger: “In your anger do not sin”: Do
not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a
foothold. Like James and Jesus, Paul recognizes that our hearts hold our true
feelings about things and that anger can make those feelings come out in a very
unhealthy way. They can result in bitterness – in hurtful words and actions,
including to those we love dearly. And all the good that we do in the name of
Jesus can be undone in an instant as James points out by a single word: If any
think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their
hearts, their religion is worthless.
So James makes a
distinction between religion and faith in much the same way that Jesus makes a
distinction between traditions and faith. Traditions are important but not if
they divert us away from love for others. Jesus took exception to the scribes
and Pharisees because they placed tradition above love. In very much how Paul
describes it in 1 Corinthians 13: If I speak in the tongues of men or of
angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am
nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship
that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
The Pharisees
missed the importance of that inner transformation that flows into words and
works to help other and show love. The
tradition of the elders that the Pharisees had intended to preserve by their
traditions, had become a barrier keeping them from getting close to God and one
another. As Christians we are always under the watchful eye of the world
waiting to call us out as hypocrites in much the same way that Jesus called out
the pharisees as hypocrites. So we need to be always mindful of what image we
are giving.
Holiness is NOT
about our outward display but our hearts. As Jesus once said, when quoting
Hosea in the Old Testament. I desire mercy not sacrifice.
How we treat one
another is on full display to the world. The Pharisees were more concerned with
outward appearances and following the letter of the law, rather than truly
living out the spirit of the law with love, compassion, and humility.
It is easy for
us to point fingers at the Pharisees and condemn them for their hypocrisy, but
let us take a moment to reflect on our own lives. How often do we act in ways that are contrary
to the teachings of Jesus when no one is watching? How often do we judge others while overlooking
our own faults and shortcomings? How
often do we say one thing and do another?
Jesus' words are
a powerful reminder for us to examine our hearts and our actions. He calls us
to live out our faith in a way that is genuine and true, not just for show. Because
that’s what a hypocrite was in Jesus’ time – an actor on show. They had a
outward show that they would put on before others – washing their hands –
washing their utensils – but inside that no one could see was their true self.
Let us heed
Jesus' warning and strive to be like him in all we do. Let us not be like the Pharisees, who were
more concerned about how they appeared in public. Let us be humble,
compassionate, and loving, following the example of Jesus himself even if no
one sees or acknowledges. Let us take to heart the words of Jesus and strive to
live a life of integrity and righteousness, both in words and in deeds. May we
be true disciples of Christ, shining his light in the world and bringing glory
to his name
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