James 3: 1-12 The Dangers of Wildfires and Our Words

Introduction: Wildfires and Our Words

Liturgy that includes this passage is found HERE.

Here on the East Coast, we’ve had plenty of rain with two tropical storms. Meanwhile, across our nation, 81 large fires are burning in 11 states, most in the Rockies and the West. These fires have burned 2.8 million acres. A football field, by comparison, is only 1.3 acres and Rhode Island is less than 700,000 acres. Due to drought, vegetation and trees are easily set ablaze by lightning strikes or man-made causes.

In 2018 there was a wildfire called the El Dorado Fire. The fire was started because someone set off a smoke bomb during a photo shoot at a gender reveal party. The fire burned for two months, burned 22,000 acres, and destroyed 6 homes, and 4 structures. Worse, a firefighter lost his life. The cost to suppress and to rebuild is calculated at over $60 million! The parents-to-be have been charged with several offenses, including involuntary manslaughter and if convicted face 20 years in prison. (Update is here)

Image from CNN's coverage of the El Dorado Fire in California.

Such a small thing can cause such destruction and heartache. So too the words that come out of our mouths. One of the biggest lies told to children is this: sticks and stones may break my bones, but your words will never hurt me. In reality, many relationships have ended, and many people have been hurt because of careless words.

James agrees with this and is trying to get his people to understand the importance of being careful with their speech because the tongue is the sharpest weapon. With the tongue we are able to curse or bless, to tear down or build up, to help or to harm. It’s a big deal!

James 3:3-6 Meaning: The Bridle, Rudder, and Flame

James illustrates this by focusing on small items with great impact.

·      The Bridle:  To control a horse, you place a bridle in its mouth. With a simple tool, you control the whole body.

·      The Rudder: A large ship can be controlled by a much smaller rudder.

·      The Flame: James finally describes large files set ablaze by a single flame. This is depicted as an uncontrolled, uncontrollable, and destructive force. He calls this “Gehenna.” We call it “Hell.”

What Does Gehenna Mean?

Gehenna was a garbage dump located in a deep, narrow valley outside of Jerusalem’s city walls. Its flames were continually stoked to burn the trash and to quell the bad smell, for it was also a place where the bodies of executed bodies people were sometimes tossed.

Gehenna is a bad place. No wonder it conjures ideas of hell and horribleness.

In the first example, you are atop the horse, and you are focused on controlling the horse, going this way or that. In the example of the ship, James is pointing out there are circumstances and forces out of your control that cause stress and tension, yet you can maintain control in difficult situations using a small, hidden tool.

James says that the unharnessed tongue is a fire in the garbage pit. It can never get enough and will burn, consume, and terrorize.

Look at ships also: 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.

James 3:4

Our Desire for Better Words

Many of us know how difficult it is to harness our tongue. When we become aware of our speech and how quickly or unnecessarily we lose our temper, we are embarrassed. We don’t want to regret saying harmful things to others. We need God’s help because we want to take care of others.

How do you take care of someone, though? Simply put, one of the best ways we can take care of someone is by taking care of how we speak to them. The conversation is the relationship.

If we are careful with our words, we are being careful with the person.

James doesn’t allow for excuses, like, “That’s just their personality,” or “It’s not you; I’m just hungry.” He insists that everyone is responsible for how they use their tongue.

Learning to say the right words at the right time, developing restraint, and learning not to say the wrong thing every time is the path of wisdom.

That means we need to learn when we are about to go awry.

Alcoholics Anonymous’ Wisdom: HALT

My friends who have had their lives changed through Alcoholics Anonymous taught me a great acronym: HALT. You are most vulnerable when you are H-A-L-T: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.

When you are stressed in those ways but in others ways, you are more likely to act in a way that you would later regret.

Part of wisdom is being on top of the horse, aware, and realizing, “Oh, I’m agitated. My anger is about to run away with me. I need to reign myself in.”

“Oh, I’m in a storm. This is stressful. I’m fearful. I need to be aware that my defense mechanism is high, which is okay, but I need to thoughtfully communicate here.”

There’s just no way of getting around this. The world is going to squeeze us. There will be storms, difficult emotions, and difficult people. We will be stressed, afraid, angry, offended, and defensive at times.

When life squeezes us, what’s inside comes out.

If you squeeze an orange at home, orange juice comes out. If you squeeze it at work, the same comes out.

When we get squeezed by life and ick comes out, that’s what’s in there. It may disappoint us to realize it, but perhaps it is best we see it so we can work through it and learn from it.

That’s why we need the grace and Spirit of Jesus and our discipleship under Jesus to change us from the inside out.

“But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles.”

Jesus in Matthew 15:18-19

How Jesus’ Gospel Helps Us Tame the Tongue

Who can help? Well, surely the one from Nazareth who walked on the water and tamed the wild sea, can help us manage the rudder.

The one who rode an untamed donkey on Palm Sunday can help us bridle our tongues.

The one who sent flaming tongues at Pentecost can help us tame the fire in our mouths so that our words bring blessing and not curse.

In the Gospel of John, chapter 6, Jesus gives a hard teaching and some of the crowd leaves. Jesus looks at the ones who stayed and says, “Are you going to leave also?” And they said, “Lord, to whom shall we go, for you alone have the words of Life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

Jesus Christ has the words that give life, that build up, encourage, and correct without shame. But Christ teaches us that discipleship is inside out – so the issue is our heart and we need God’s grace to humble us and to show us the pain of our errant words and the goodness of blessing others.

Conclusion: The Meaning of James Chapter 3

An untamed tongue gossips, puts others down, brags, manipulates, shames, teaches falsely, flatters, or lies. All of this is rooted in what is within our hearts: fear, jealousy, anger, and division.

The words of God build up, encourage, seek reconciliation, seek to promote truth, and are honest. This is what the word of God, the preaching of the gospel does for us: it penetrates and hopefully bridges the 12 inches between our mouth and our heart.

You’ve heard the phrase, “being led by God”?

Imagine yourself with a bridle in your mouth, led by God, or as a boat with a rudder, asking God to guide you through stormy times. Think of the hell you could avoid making for yourself and others by speaking the truth in love with the grace of God working in side of you.

May the giver of life and the Very Word of God – Jesus Christ – lead you, bless you, and direct you as you seek to live this out in your life and may God create here on this patch of earth people who bless and build up. Amen.