James 3:1-18
Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, for you know that we who teach shall be judged with greater strictness. For we all make many mistakes, and if any one makes no mistakes in what he says he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. If we put bits into the mouths of horses that they may obey us, we guide their whole bodies. Look at the ships also; though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So the tongue is a little member and boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is an unrighteous world among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the cycle of nature, and set on fire by hell.
For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by humankind, but no human being can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening fresh water and brackish? Can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh. Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good life let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity. And the harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Once again, the Apostle James speaks of the power of the tongue, which can accomplish so much. And indeed, those who can control their tongue accomplish a great work. Those who allow it to be ignited by the fire of the Gospel and who purify their hearts can uplift many people through their words and thus become a light in the world that illuminates the darkness. Conversely, we also know, as James makes clear, that a tongue “set on fire by hell” can even plunge entire peoples into misfortune, as history has shown us.
I have already discussed how to curb the urge to speak: through reflection, through prayer, through awareness when unwholesome impulses arise in us, and through appropriate prayer to overcome them.
The last lines of this section of the reading show us this path even more clearly. Our hearts must be purified, for ambition and jealousy also come from them, as James mentions. Let us remember that Jesus clearly points out that all evil comes from our hearts (cf. Mt 15:19).
So, in order not always to have to tame our tongue—which will remain with us, though it can improve—our heart should be deeply imbued with the Holy Spirit. Through this work on our own heart, which we undertake together with the Holy Spirit, our heart is conformed to the Savior. This requires a consistent inner journey that does not close our eyes to our own abysses and wrong attitudes, but persistently opens them to God and asks the Holy Spirit to touch and transform them.
If we want to make progress on our spiritual journey, this topic is of crucial importance. It can also be expressed this way: the more God’s love grows in us, the more it takes the lead and forms a loving heart within us. This then results in what the apostle describes as follows:
“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity.”
When the wisdom of God, which is the divine life within us, enters us, it dispels the darkness and permeates our hearts. As a result, we will not only find it easier to avoid evil and destructive words and to overcome our bad thoughts and feelings in advance, but our speech will be seasoned with divine love. In this way, it will glorify God and be a blessing to people.
The wisdom of God will make us people who can bring true peace—the peace that comes from God and is not like the peace of the world. This peace comes from the heart of God, transforms our hearts, and can also inspire other people.
NOTE: Since today is the 7th day of the month, which we always dedicate in a special way to our Heavenly Father, we want to invite you to listen to the “3 minutes for Abba”, which is a small impulse that we publish daily in order to deepen the relationship of trust with God the Father. You can find them in the following links:
-Telegram: https://t.me/threeminutesforAbba
-Webpage: http://en.elijamission.net/category/3-minutes-for-god-the-father/
Meditation on the day’s reading: https://en.elijamission.net/2020/01/07/