Sermon – Job 1 and 2 – “Why Do We Love God?”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Presbyterian Church of Easton
Sermon – Job 1 and 2 – “Why Do We Love God?”
October 10, 2021

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      Today we turn to the Book of Job.  This wonderful book is found in the Old Testament.  It is also part of the ancient Hebrew Bible where it is classified as a work of wisdom.  The Hebrew Bible has three sections.  The first contains God's instructions for life and we find these in the first five books of our Bibles, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.  The second section of the Hebrew Bible contains the prophets, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah and others.  The third and final section of the Hebrew Bible contains wisdom, practical ways of living our lives wisely.  We have been looking at this wisdom for several weeks now as we have studied the New Testament, Book of James.  And today we enter into an Old Testament wisdom book, Job.

      The Old Testament books of wisdom do not contain a history of God's people or the pronouncements of God's prophets as do the other books in the Bible.  Rather, they tend to use allegory and personification to explain complex ideas in ways we can understand.  In the Book of Job, we have the central character Job, who is the personification of all believers.  We also have God the judge and Satan the heavenly district attorney.  We will get to this wonderful story, but first let's pray.

      May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer.

      Let's turn to the first chapter of the Book of Job.

Job 1:1 In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.

      Job was a billionaire.  He had a house on the water, and a yacht.  He spent winters in Naples and summers in Maine.  His high tech company is now run by his son who has expanded it sevenfold.  He has been married to his beautiful wife for forty-eight years.  He feels that he has been richly blessed by God.

4 His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.

      Job and his wife were faithful believers.  They came to church every Sunday.  They tithed 10% of their vast income to their church and other non-profits.  And they prayed for their children every day.   Job and his wife were models for living a blessed life.  But now in their retirement something happens. 

      But before we get to verse 6 of the first chapter of Job let me set the context.  God is seated on his throne in his role as judge of the world.  At his left hand is heaven's prosecutor, the accuser, ha satan.  These Hebrew words sound a lot like the English word, “Satan”.  But this is not the man in a red cape with a pitchfork.  This is not the focus of evil on Earth battled by Jesus.  Get these images out of your mind.  The ha satan is the personification of the complex idea that in heaven we will be accused and judged for our sin.  In this story the ha satan is the heavenly district attorney who has a list of everything we have done and will accuse us when we meet God for judgment.

      The accuser sits at the left hand of God telling God about us.  Jesus sits at the right hand of God reminding God that we have already confessed to these sins, and that he, Jesus, already paid our penalty.  So God declares us washed, clean and allows us into heaven.  This is how it now works.  But let's suppose, as a hypothesis, that Jesus is not there one day, and we are meeting God and the accuser without our savior.  Here is what would happen.

6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”

8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”

9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

12 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”

Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

      And with that the accuser has proposed a test.  Certainly, he says, people love God because of all the blessings they have received.  And all of us have been richly blessed.  But what if we lost our blessings?  What if our money was gone?  What if we lost our homes and our families?  Would we then still love God as much as we do right now?   Let's see what Job did.

13 One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

16 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

17 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

      The stock market has crashed and all Job's retirement accounts have gone bankrupt.  He lost his house and his boat.  All of his children have died.  He and wife are now living in a small efficiency apartment with Social Security as their only income.  What do you think?  Will he still love God?  Let's see.

      20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”

22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

      Yes, Job continued to love God even after his economic and family misfortune.  At least he can be thankful that he still has his wife and his health.  And so he continues to love God.  But what if he also loses his health?  What then?  Would he still love God?

Job 2:1 On another day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”

3 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”

4 “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. 5 But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

6 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.”

7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. 8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

      So now Job has lost his health.  He has no money, no family, and now he is suffering from shingles over his entire body.  What will he do?  What would you do?  I've met many people in nursing homes with nothing.  Their money and family and health are all gone.  Do they still love God?  Would you love God at a time like this?  Job's wife has had enough.  Let's hear from her.

9 His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”

      Is that what we would do?  At that moment when we have lost everything should we curse God?  Or would we continue to love God when suffering is at its worst?  Let's hear Job's reaction.

10 He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”   In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

      And with that Job continued to love God even though he had lost everything.  This is a wise thing to do because God always loves you.  God will always be there with you.  God will send his spirit to strengthen you and comfort you in your final days.  The day will come when you leave behind the treasures of this world, and you will leave behind your diseased body and you will appear before the throne of God in heaven.  The accuser will be there with a list of all the things you have done.  Your only hope is that Jesus, sitting at the right hand of God, rises at that moment to say that you are forgiven because you still love God.   Continuing to love God, no matter what happens, is a wise thing to do. Let's pray.

      Lord Jesus, we thank you for all the blessings we have received in this life.  Bless us on the day we lose everything with you gracious love and forgiveness.  This we pray in your name.  Amen.

Grace and Peace Episode 53

 Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Grace and Peace Episode 53
Presbyterian Church of Easton
October 3, 2021

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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2

Heidelberg Catechism

110 Q.  What does God forbid in the eighth commandment?

A. God forbids not only outright theft and robbery, punishable by law.  But in God’s sight theft also includes all scheming and swindling in order to get our neighbor’s goods for ourselves, whether by force or means that appear legitimate, such as inaccurate measurements of weight,  size, or volume; fraudulent merchandising; counterfeit money; excessive interest; or any other means forbidden by God.  In addition God forbids all greed and pointless squandering of his gifts.

Deuteronomy 5:19 “You shall not steal.”

The eighth commandment prohibits the taking of property owned by someone else.   You are not permitted to steal what belongs to another.   The Hebrew word here is very broad.   It refers to the stealing of anything, including a person, something we would call kidnapping.  

  The biblical punishment for stealing is that you must compensate the victim and pay punitive damages.  You must compensate the victim for the lost animal and then add either four cattle or three sheep for every animal stolen.  

What is most surprising about the eighth commandment is that it applies to everyone.  In most ancient civilizations the king owned everything.   And if the king already owned everything he could not be accused of stealing.   But God gave the property to families.   This land stayed in families generation to generation forever.  The land was not owned by a king.   So the economic system of the Bible is one based on private property.   Individuals owned the means of producing an income for themselves and family.   And the government could not take this away.

The biblical principle of private property stood and remains standing today.  This principle of private property is enshrined in the Constitution of the United States of America.   In the Fifth Amendment we read:  “No person shall … be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”  Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, help us to remember the principle that property belongs to individuals and family.   Help us to always remember this ownership and keep us from stealing what belongs to another.   Amen.

Grace and Peace Episode 52

 Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Grace and Peace Episode 52

Presbyterian Church of Easton

September 26, 2021

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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2

Heidelberg Catechism

108Q.  What does the seventh commandment teach us?

A. That God condemns all unchastity, and that therefore we should thoroughly detest it and live decent and chaste lives, within or outside of the holy state of marriage.

Deuteronomy 5:18 “You shall not commit adultery.”

The seventh commandment prohibits adultery.   Adultery happens whenever a married person has consensual sex with someone other than his or her spouse.  The biblical punishment for adultery was death.  Deuteronomy 22:22 “If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.”

The seventh commandment also applies when a couple is betrothed but not yet married.  Deuteronomy 22:23 “If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her, 24 you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death—the young woman because she was in a town and did not scream for help, and the man because he violated another man’s wife. You must purge the evil from among you.”

An exception to the seventh commandment was rape.  Deuteronomy 22:25 But if out in the country a man happens to meet a young woman pledged to be married and rapes her, only the man who has done this shall die. 26 Do nothing to the woman; she has committed no sin deserving death.

So from the very beginning, God has brought a man and a woman together to form one flesh, a new human life.   God blessed his people with sons and daughters that would carry on the work of the family.  And all God required was faithfulness to him and to each other.   The covenant of marriage was modeled on the covenant between God and his people.   Just as God blesses his people and receives faithfulness, so do married couples bless each other and must remain faithful to each other.   Adultery is a breach of the marital covenant God established and therefore an offense against God.  Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, you have blessed us with the covenant of marriage.   Just as you love us and we love you, you have given us marriage so that a husband and wife may love each other and the family they produce.   Help us to always keep this marriage covenant sacred never violating it with sex outside of marriage.   This we pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Grace and Peace Episode 51

 Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Grace and Peace Episode 51
Presbyterian Church of Easton
September 19, 2021

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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2

Heidelberg Catechism

105Q.  What is God’s will for you in the sixth commandment?

A. I am not to belittle, hate, insult, or kill my neighbor— not by my thoughts, my words, my look or gesture, and certainly not by actual deeds—and I am not to be party to this in others; rather, I am to put away all desire for revenge.  I am not to harm or recklessly endanger myself either.  Prevention of murder is also why government is armed with the sword.

Deuteronomy 5:17 “You shall not murder.”

In the sixth commandment, we have an absolute prohibition on killing another human being.   As we read in the Book of Leviticus, the punishment for killing someone is death.  Leviticus 24:17 “Anyone who takes the life of a human being is to be put to death”.

Why does the Bible put such a high value on human life?  What is it about human life that requires the forfeit of life if you take another?   As we read in the Book of Genesis, the reason for this is that human life was created by God and created in the image of God.  Genesis 9:6 “Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind”.

The only exceptions in scripture are when it is God’s will that someone dies and we are commanded to carry it out.   This would happen in self-defense when we protect ourselves and families from death.  This would also happen in war when a nation defends itself.   

The rule for self-defense is that you may protect yourself and family from an intruder in your home by killing him.   But you may only use lethal force at night when the burglar is trying to hide himself and your cries for help may go unheard.     So the principle is that you may defend yourself and family but only if this is your sole option.  Now, let’s look at killing in war.

The Bible is very clear that sometimes war is necessary.  Killing in war is justified but only if God says so.   We must first discern what God’s will is.   The principle here is that we must always prayerfully ask God if war is necessary.   Only if God responds positively are we justified in killing in warfare.   Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, we thank you for creating us in your image.  We thank you for the blessing of life.   We will follow Jesus and find practical ways of controlling our anger.  Bless our nation with fewer violent deaths.   This we pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Sermon James 5:7-10 Being Patient

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Presbyterian Church of Easton
Sermon James 5:7-10  Being Patient
September 26, 2021

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Today, I am concluding my series of sermons on the Book of James.  The early church had a problem with bringing poor people and non-Jews into congregations.  They need wisdom from above to tame their tongues on fire. With this wisdom we learn to listen first and be slow to anger, and slow to speak.  But how long must we keep doing all of this?   Surely Jesus will return one day and all conflicts will cease, our tongues of fire will be extinguished.   Surely this will be soon.  Won’t it.  What shall we do as we wait?  We will get to all of this, but first let’s pray.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

James 5:7-10  7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.  8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.  9 Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!  10 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 

I can remember a time, not that long ago, when if you wanted to talk with me on the phone you had to wait until I got home.  If you called before I got home you heard the phone ring and ring and ring with no answer.  If you knew my business number you could try me there, but if not you had to be patient.  As the years passed, I added an answering machine so that people could leave a message and I would get right back to them when I got home.  Then I got a pager so that I would know that someone had left a message, and I could listen to that message wherever I was.  This allowed me to respond to calls sooner.

If you wanted to send me something in writing you had to mail it through the post office.  Several days could pass before I received it.  After a while I got a fax machine and email so you could send me a message and it would be waiting for me when I got home.  I no longer had to wait days for the letter carrier to bring me the mail.  

Today I carry around a smartphone.  You can call me anytime you want, and unless I am doing a church thing, I will answer it almost every time.  I have email, but use it less and less.  For young people email and voicemail on your phone are too slow.  They like to use text messaging which allows information to be sent and received instantly without having to wait for someone to read his email or listen to her voice mail.  

I love having instant access to news, sports and weather.  I used to wait for the morning newspaper or the evening TV news.  But now I find all of this information instantly on my phone.  I have become someone who expects things to happen right now.  And I do not have any patience to wait.  This is nothing new.  Men and women have always wanted things right now, not later.  We find waiting difficult.  And yet God wants us to wait until Jesus' return.  James tells us to “be patient.”  

The early church expected Jesus to return at any moment.  They certainly thought that he would return in their lifetimes.   But as the years went by they were still waiting.  They had been praying, and worshiping and studying their Bibles.  They had been serving the poor and needy in their communities.  They wanted everything to be right when Jesus returned.  But he hadn't returned and so they were still waiting.

So too with us.  We worship every Sunday.  We have Bible studies and prayer groups.  We share our grief on Tuesday nights.   We support Talbot Interfaith shelter and have grocery cards for needy families.  We have Bible story time for the preschoolers.  We have been doing all this for many years trying to get the world right, and we are still waiting for Jesus to return.

The Apostle James, the brother of Jesus and the leader of the church in Jerusalem, wanted his church to be patient until Jesus comes again.  He gave as his example of patience a farmer who patiently waits for his crops to grow.  

The farmers in Jerusalem in the first century had to practice dry weather agriculture.  Some of the farmers, those in valleys, could irrigate their fields from the Jordan river.  But those who farmed on the hillsides could not.  They were dependent on the limited rainfall that fell on Judah.  These farmers expected rain twice a year.  In the Fall, October and November rains would come that would break up soil which had baked for months in desert heat.  This was needed so that crops could be planted.  Without these Autumn rains nothing could be planted because the soil was as hard as a rock.  Planting would occur in the early Spring and would be completed by Easter.  The Passover was a celebration that the crops were in the field.  Then the Spring rains would fall in March and April watering the crops.  Harvest would occur 50 days later.  The crops had to be harvested by early June so as not to be scorched by the hot Summer sun.  They would celebrate the June harvest with the feast of Pentecost.  Beginning with the new year in September the farmers would patiently wait for the Autumn rains to start the process that hopefully would lead to an abundant harvest.

So too with us.  Just as farmers patiently wait for God to send the rain, so too must we patiently wait for Jesus' return.  But how do we do this?  We don't like to wait for things.  We don't want to wait for Jesus.  We want him to come right now.  James has a few ideas about how we can wait.

First, James suggests that we strengthen our hearts.  This means that we grow spiritually.  We continue doing what we have been doing.  We continue worshiping and studying the Bible every week.  We continue praying and meditating on scripture every day.  We continue providing resources for the poor, and gift cards for the hungry.  We do the work of various groups in the church.  As we do these things our hearts are strengthened for what might be a long wait for Jesus' return.  And a strong heart gives us patience.

The second thing James wants us to do is to not grumble about the wait.  Grumbling is what we usually do when we wait.  “Why doesn't he return my call?”  “My children haven't visited for a long time.”    “I've been on session for years; why isn't Jesus here already?”    You have heard people grumble, and I'm sure you have grumbled yourselves.   But James wants us to cut it out because grumbling makes us impatient.   The more we grumble, the more unpleasant our wait is.  And this leads us to grumble even more.  But if we stop grumbling and always say good things about our wait then we break the cycle, waiting is more pleasant, and seems to pass more quickly.   So don't grumble as you wait for Jesus' return and become more patient.

And the third thing that James wants us to do as we wait is to focus on the people in the Bible who also had to wait.  The example James gives of a biblical character who had to wait was Job.  Job was a wealthy farmer with a large family, and everything you could ever want.  But through no fault of his own he lost everything, his health, his wealth and his family.  His faith was strong and sustained him throughout the bad times.  He grumbled to God about his plight, and received a rebuke.  But he remained faithful, and his health, wealth and family were eventually restored.   Job became patient and his waiting led to blessing.

So what should we do, those who have been waiting for thousands of years?  Should we be impatient and like Job grumble about our long wait?  I think not.  Jesus will come.  Jesus might come tomorrow.  Jesus might come a thousand years from now.  We don't know.  All we can do is wait.  And while we are waiting we can build patience by worshiping, and praying, and studying the Bible.  And we can stop grumbling about our long wait, and accept the blessings of God through this waiting time.  Let's pray.

Lord Jesus, we have been waiting for you for so long.  Waiting is difficult and we are tempted to start grumbling about it.  Grant us the gift of patience as you did for the prophets.  And strengthen us with your spirit.  This we pray in your glorious name.  Come Lord Jesus.  Amen.

Grace and Peace Episode 50

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Grace and Peace Episode 50
Presbyterian Church of Easton
September 12, 2021

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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2

Heidelberg Catechism

104Q.  What is God’s will for you in the fifth commandment?

A. That I honor, love, and be loyal to my father and mother and  all those in authority over me; 1that I submit myself with proper obedience to all their good teaching and discipline; and also that I be patient with their failings—for through them God chooses to rule us.

Deuteronomy 5:16 “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

The fifth commandment requires us to honor our parents.   If a parent brought us to church, if they taught us to pray and read the Bible, if by their words and actions we became faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, then we are required to honor them by continuing to do what they taught us and by raising our own children in the faith.   Here is how Solomon put it in the Book of Proverbs 1:8 “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.  9 They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.”  I honor my Dad by continuing in the faith he gave me when I was growing up.

We also must care for their physical needs as they grow old.   When my Dad moved into a retirement facility, I took his old furniture.  His old bedroom furniture is in my guest room.   And he knows he is welcome in my home anytime.   But my Dad is independent.   At age 94 he still drives and has a 97-year-old girlfriend he takes out on dates.    Living with me would crimp his bachelor lifestyle.   He likes to have fun.   But I know that one day he will need more care.    I have to be ready to give him whatever he needs.  So by taking care of his needs and continuing in the faith he gave me,  I honor my father.  Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the people who have guided us in our spiritual journeys.   Bless all who guided and taught us as we grew into maturity in the faith.  Bless our parents as they grow older with good health.   Bless our children with faith in you.   We ask all of this in the name of the one who honored you, your son, Jesus Christ.   Amen.

Sermon James 3:1-12 “Tongues of Fire”

 Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon James 3:1-12 “Tongues of Fire”
Presbyterian Church of Easton
September 12, 2021

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We are continuing, this morning, with our look at the Book of James, a New Testament book written in the first century by Jesus’ brother, James, who also served as the leader of the church in Jerusalem.  He was writing to all of the churches that were now scattered around the Mediterranean.   

Two weeks ago we heard from James about the need for members of the church to always listen first and then respectfully respond so that disputes are slow to turn to anger.  Last week we saw that one of the disputes in the early church was how to handle the issue of poor people coming into the church.  According to James the Word of God that is planted in our hearts through prayer and worship causes us to welcome our brothers and sisters who are much poorer than ourselves. 

Today we will look closely at how the words we speak can lead to conflict within the church and discover why it is so important to follow James’ wisdom of listening first and then speaking.  But before we get to the third chapter of James, let’s pray.

Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)

James 3:1-12  NRS James 3:1 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.

Let’s get started with a story.  Robin and Ken have been married for seven years and are having some trouble in their marriage.  They are visiting a marriage counselor.  Robin starts the conversation by saying, “Ken just does not appreciate me.”  Ken looks at her and then at the counselor and says, “Of course I do and I tell her how much I appreciate her all the time.”  Robin replies, “When do you tell me that you appreciate me?”  Ken says “yesterday”.  Robin says, “When yesterday?”  And Ken replies “When I came home for lunch.”  Robin says, “You never said that you appreciate me yesterday at lunch, you didn’t even thank me for fixing the meal.” Ken said, “I came home to show you how much I appreciate you.  You never listen.”  The counselor pointed out that Ken was trying to communicate his appreciation of Robin by doing things for her, but Robin was waiting to hear Ken express his appreciation with words.  Ken needs to accompany his good works with the words that Robin needs to hear.

We can see from this story that words are very important.  Men and women are the only animals in God’s creation with the gift of speech.  And we are commanded to use our gift of speech as a blessing for others.  But as a result of sin, the gift of speech is often twisted from being a blessing into being a curse.

Using speech as a curse is common in our culture.  How often have we heard:  “Mind your tongue!” “Shut your mouth!” “Button your lip!” and since Archie Bunker appeared on television, “Stifle yourself!”   We give people a “tongue-lashing”. And we do awful things called gossip and slander.  James understood the harmful effects of the tongue.  He called the tongue a symbol of evil, and told us that a misspoken word can cause as much devastation as a small fire recently did in California. Just imagine the harmful effect of the following words:  “A C+.  What’s wrong with you? Why aren’t you more like your brother?” or maybe you have heard these words,  “I don’t love you any more.”

The reason words can be so damaging is that once spoken they can never be taken back.  Words spoken in anger are remembered and continue to hurt for a long time.  A word spoken as a curse cannot be undone by God.  That’s why James refers to spoken curses as coming from the fires of hell.  

It is up to you to control your tongue so that it will always be a blessing and never a curse.  You need to think about what you are about to say and consider the consequences of your speech before you utter the words.  Otherwise you might speak foolishly with unintended and lasting results. 

James knows that the real problem with words is not just these harsh phrases, which we can control, but the insidious effect of an uncontrolled tongue in ordinary conversation.  For example, you arrive at the church to help with Vacation Bible School and one of the super volunteers tells you with a slight sneer, “I am glad you are here today.  You are usually so busy.”   Sometimes a simple “Oh?” with an arched eyebrow is all it takes to say a curse.  We may think that we are speaking kind words, but our nonverbal body language can communicate our real feelings of anger.    

According to James, just as a boat needs a rudder and a horse needs a bridle to control their actions, so too does the tongue need something to control it.  This is why James gave us the wisdom of being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.  This gives us time to consider what we are about to say so that when we do speak we speak the truth in love.  By being slow to speak we have time to realize the true source of our anger, in our hidden fear, hurt, and guilt, and sometimes are able to deal with these issues before possibly ruining a relationship by speaking impulsively.

Of course, being slow to anger does not mean we should never be angry.  Anger itself is not necessarily destructive, but the way we express it can be.  The fourth psalm tells us to “Be angry, but do not sin.”  We must never deny our anger because doing so means that our anger will come out in digs and jabs, and we speak cutting remarks with smiles on our faces.  But if we acknowledge our anger then we can direct it to more healthy expressions.  So “being slow to anger” means that we consider our anger first and not compound a problem by speaking a curse without thinking.

We have to confess that we do not always use speech as a blessing.  Sometimes we use it as a curse.  Once I was on a mission trip.  I was with the pastor when a young woman ran into the room.  She paused for a moment to catch her breath.  Then she said “Pastor, we need to pray.”  We joined hands and the young woman prayed, “Jesus, help Mrs. Smith because I just heard that Mr. Smith is having an affair with his secretary.”  Then the pastor stopped the prayer and pointed out that gossip is gossip even if it is in the form of a prayer.  Whenever we gossip, talking about someone else when they are not there and have not given us permission to talk about them, we are cursing, and according to James this is a sin.

Those who lead the church as pastors and teachers have an even greater responsibility to control their tongues.  Those who preach and teach from the Bible are speaking God’s words.  So the words that people hear when a pastor or Bible teacher speaks must always be words of blessing that communicate the blessings of God.  Curses and words of anger are never appropriate when preaching and teaching in the church.  Rather pastors and teachers must always speak words of blessing to build up the body of Christ and lead the church toward the Kingdom of Heaven.

James tells us that we should always use our tongues as blessings.  He points out that both freshwater and saltwater never come out of the same spring.  So blessings and curses should never come out of the same mouth.  The ancient wisdom writer Sirach put it this way:  

Sirach 5:11 - 6:1  11 Be quick to hear, but deliberate in answering.  12 If you know what to say, answer your neighbor; but if not, put your hand over your mouth.  13 Honor and dishonor come from speaking, and the tongue of mortals may be their downfall.  14 Do not be called double-tongued and do not lay traps with your tongue; for shame comes to the thief, and severe condemnation to the double-tongued.  15 In great and small matters cause no harm,  NRS Sirach 6:1 and do not become an enemy instead of a friend; for a bad name incurs shame and reproach; so it is with the double-tongued sinner.

The book of Proverbs tells us:  Proverbs 21:23  23 To watch over mouth and tongue is to keep out of trouble.

The author Eric Law gives us some practical advice for controlling our tongues.  To help us remember what to do he has given us the acronym RESPECT.  “R” means that we must always take Responsibility for what we say and feel without blaming others.  “E” means that we always engage in Empathetic listening. “S” reminds us to always be Sensitive to differences in communication styles. “P” follows the advice of James to always Ponder what you hear and feel before you speak. “E” teaches us to Examine our own assumptions and perceptions before speaking.  “C” tells us to keep what we hear from others Confidential unless given permission to tell it to other people.  And “T” reminds us to  Tolerate ambiguity, remembering that when we speak there is not always a right or wrong.   So when we speak lets always do it out of RESPECT.

The best way to learn how to use our tongues as blessings is to use them in worship, by praising God.  When we gather for worship we are practicing together the proper way to use our gift of speech when we speak prayers and praise.  We use speech as a blessing when we read the Bible out loud, welcome each other by name, and extend the peace of Christ to one another in fellowship.  In church and Bible classes we learn the language of faith and begin to testify about God’s work in our lives. As faith grows in our hearts so too does our ability to use speech as a blessing.

The only way that we can be sure that we are using words as blessings and not curses is if we follow God’s command to love our neighbor.  If we are filled with God’s love by our faith, and if we then speak motivated by love then the words we use will be blessings for others.  Language itself is tainted by sin. So we must always be immersed in the language of faith to ensure that the words we use are always blessings for others.

So today exercise your tongues in worship.  Join in the singing and prayers.  Greet people in love as you leave worship.  Use this to practice your ability to speak as a blessing to others.  And remember this as you speak to others throughout the week.  

Whenever you are tempted to use language as a curse to hurt someone, pause for a moment, consider where your anger is coming from, and hold your tongue until you are once again able to speak a blessing.  You have this ability, given to you by God, to control what you say.  So never speak words of anger and hatred.  Always speak words of love and desire for blessing.

The bottom line from James is that controlling your tongue is very difficult to do, but you must do it because failure to bridle your tongue can cause great harm.  But with faith growing in your hearts you have the ability to tame your tongue so that it is always an instrument of blessing and never a curse.  Let’s pray.

Holy One of Israel, we worship you today with tongues of prayer and praise.  Help us to control our tongues and prevent them from speaking curses.  Always keep a blessing on our lips.  We remember your words to us that you would bless us so that we would be a blessing to others. And help me to always use words of blessing when I preach and teach.  Amen.