Continuing with the Book of James, in this chapter the primary focus is on becoming a teacher, watching our mouths and what we say/preach/teach, and the importance of wise discernment. Of course, that’s a long way of just saying “the focus is on church leadership” because at the end of the day, all of those things go almost equal parts in to being a good leader. Let’s jump right in.
1 Do not become teachers in large numbers, my brothers, since you know that we who are teachers will incur a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to rein in the whole body as well. 3 Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their whole body as well. 4 Look at the ships too: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are nevertheless directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot determines. 5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!
Verses 1 sets the table for much of this chapter, though it is the only one that speaks explicitly about teaching. And by this, it means taking on a position of leadership in the early church. Of course, the warning presented is just as clear and important today as it was to the early church; because today we are seeing what results are brought about by poor leadership. Those leaders should incur stricter judgement, both from God for the path they’ve led His church and also from the congregations who have been subjected to and victimized by that weak leadership. If you are in a position of leadership it is your responsibility to move those in your charge forward toward being better, and also to be the one who bears the brunt of responsibility when things go wrong. Our country is fraught with poor leadership, and it is no more evident anywhere else than it is within the church.
The rest of this section is focused on control of the tongue. How such a small thing can command so much power. We must be careful of what we say, especially in leadership roles, but just as the body of Christ in general. Measure what we say with a combination of Godliness, kindness, and truth. Yes, we should be critical of the church where it is caving to un-Christian progressive values. Yes, we should call sin sin and make clear what the Bible says about these things. But we must also do so without hate or malice. To instruct and correct. To call the lost back to the Creator. Not to set the forest aflame and lose all for something so small.
6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our body’s parts as that which defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. 7 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. 8 But no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way. 11 Does a spring send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, bear olives, or a vine bear figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.
Continuing the lesson on the tongue and really driving home the point that we need to watch what we say, and how we say it. In fact, I personally think it is easier to just not say certain things that are clearly damning than it is to control the tone and manner in which we say things. It’s part of why social media is such a divisive instrument…mannerisms and inflection are almost impossible to read on many of these platforms. Especially if you don’t know the person you’re interacting with personally. We must be very clear and deliberate with the way we speak to people. We need to be conscientious of how we are engaging those we both agree and disagree with. Are we reflecting love and concern through our words, or are we full of deadly poison? We cannot tame anyone else’s tongue, but we can tame our own.
13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
To close this chapter out we’ll start with verse 13. As taming the tongue was talked about earlier in the chapter, what better way to show how wise and understanding one is than to show it? “Better to be thought a fool and remain silent, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt” was a line I heard my dad say plenty of times when I was a kid. Controlling our words and our tongues and focusing on living in action will be a better testament to the wisdom God has given us than anything we could talk about. This also harkens back to Chapter 2 and the concept of our faith driving us to a desire to do good works for the Lord as well. It all works together! Wisdom and faith produce acts of love and service to the world and honor God. Not words to serve ourselves. Which ties in to the closing verses of the chapter. The wisdom and gifts we are given by God were for goodness, they were meant to serve God and bring peace to His people.
Be vigilant in what you do with your life. Think long and hard and be sure you’re ready for what being a real leader for God entails. You will be judged more harshly than others. You will be responsible for taming tongues, likely not just your own but those in your charge. But possibly most importantly, you will be called to show God’s wisdom through your actions of service to the world. Time to shut up and get to work.