| “BECAUSE OF YOUR WORDS” Daniel 10:1-12; James 3:1-12 Olivet Covenant Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, PA © Rev. Linda Jaymes, 1/17/10 |
According to one source, it has been estimated that most people speak enough in one week to fill a large 500-page book.
In the average lifetime this would amount to 3,000 VOLUMES or 1,500,000 pages! One wonders whether that includes all the
additional time spent nowadays talking and texting on cell phones. There’s no denying that we do a lot of talking and use a lot
of words.
Some people are really expert at using words. Rudyard Kipling at one time was so popular that his writings were getting
ten shillings per word. A few college students, however, didn't appreciate Kipling's writings, so they facetiously sent him a
letter with ten shillings enclosed. The letter read, "Here are ten shillings; in return, please, send us your best word." But Kipling
still managed to get the last laugh. They soon got a letter back from him that simply said, "Thanks."
Words can be not only clever but very powerful. Soft words can be comforting and when sung, may put a baby to sleep.
Excited words will stir a mob to violence. Eloquent words will send armies marching into the face of death. Encouraging
words will fan to flame the genius of a Rembrandt or a Lincoln. Powerful words will mold the public mind as the sculptor
molds his clay. Words, spoken or written, are a dynamic force. Words are often the swords we use in our struggle for
success and happiness. The truth is that how others react toward us depends, in a large measure, upon the words we speak to
them and the way we say them. And those words are immortal, too. For better or for worse, they go marching through the
years in the lives of everyone we meet. There seems to be no limit to the power of words.
Unfortunately, that can often be a real problem, especially with the spoken word. We do so much talking and do it so
automatically that we sometimes speak before our brains are in gear. Before we know it, words come pouring out of our
mouths. And like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube, we can never take our words back again. All too often our words
hurt others and eventually ourselves—because our words do come back to haunt us. For example, Karen Carpenter, the pop
singer who died from anorexia at age 32, had once been called "Richard Carpenter’s chubby sister” by a music critic. Granted,
those words alone were not responsible for her eating disorder and her subsequent, untimely death, but those callous words
certainly didn’t help her.
Over the centuries, both well-known and little known writers alike have developed all kinds of sayings and comments
(more words, in fact!) concerning the need to be careful when we speak. William Penn suggested that “If thou thinkest twice
before thou speaketh once, thou wilt speak twice the better for it.” Or if the King’s English leaves you wondering, there are
plenty of modern sound bites that make a similar point, such as “It is better to be silent and be considered a fool than to speak
and remove all doubt.” Or, “People are like fish. Neither would get into trouble if they kept their mouths shut.” Or how
about “Never pass up an opportunity to keep your mouth shut,” which some brilliant mind condensed into the neat little
reminder that “A shut mouth gathers no foot.”
Even the Bible has plenty to say about what may happen because of our words. We heard from the book of James all
about the trouble our words can cause. James begins by speaking to those in authority in the church and says that they need to
be especially careful in their teaching and preaching because their words have power to influence so many other lives.
Teachers and preachers must speak only the truth, so that no one will be led astray. James says that this is such a serious
responsibility for church leaders that they will be judged more strictly than others. James admits that we all stumble in many
ways, but he seems to suggest that if we are accurate and truthful in speech, we are moving toward Christian perfection. He
even implies that if we are able to keep our speech under control, then we can also keep our whole body in check. Integrity in
speaking will lead to integrity in all areas of life.
Next, James gives some general principles about the power and significance of the human tongue even though it is such a
little part of the human body. And these principles concerning the tongue—or our use of words—apply not just to teachers and
preachers, but to all of us. In his first illustration, James reminds us that even though the horse is such a willful and powerful
animal, if we can get control of its mouth with a bit, we can control the whole animal. A horse’s mouth is so sensitive that the
least pressure on its mouth and tongue will cause that thousand-pound animal to turn in any direction we want it go.
Or, James says, we can think of the tongue as being something like the rudder on a sailing ship. If you compare the size
of the ship and the sails to the size of its rudder, it is amazing that such a relatively small part can control the direction of the
whole ship, even in the presence of strong winds. It doesn’t take much imagination to figure out what happens to a sailing ship
in a strong wind if there is no one at the rudder. Similarly, James tells us that the tongue, though small, has an amazing
influence on our entire being and on the course of events and lives. And unless we take control of our tongues when we talk,
we are heading for shipwreck just as surely as a ship in a storm with no one at the rudder.
These illustrations seem pretty clear. Yet just in case his flock has yet to get the point of his little sermon (and one can
only wonder what was going on in that church in Jerusalem to prompt James to use so many strong words!) he also compares
the tongue to a spark that can set off a major forest fire. In fact, he says the tongue itself is a fire, set on fire by hell. The
tongue is a world of evil, capable of corrupting the whole person and setting the whole course of life on fire. James is utterly
amazed by the fact that we humans have been able to tame practically every animal, bird, reptile and sea creature known to
man, yet we have failed to tame our own tongues. We just cannot seem to get our wagging tongues under control, and because
of that, we perpetuate evil with words that are full of deadly poison.
For example, the story is told of three pastors who went fishing together in the northern wilderness of Canada. While
there they developed a fairly intimate friendship with one another and began to share their innermost thoughts. One confessed
that he had been guilty of certain sins. He named them, and then urged the others to confess their weaknesses, too. So the
second pastor confessed that he, too, had certain weaknesses and recounted them in detail. But the third pastor remained silent
for a long time. Finally, when pressed by his fishing buddies to reveal his own weaknesses, he said, "Brothers, I don't really
think you want to know, but since you insist, I’ll tell you. My weakness is that I just love to gossip, and I can hardly wait to
get home."
Words can even kill reputations and make emotional cripples of our children, revealing the anger and bitterness and evil that
burns in the hearts and motivates those who lash out with their tongues. But there is another option. We can learn to control
our tongues. Then, our words can be used to build others up; they can be a healing balm for hurting souls. They can give
others a glimpse into a heart at peace with God and with the rest of the world. And sometimes, our words can even be the
reason why God moves heaven and earth to make Himself and his plans known to us.
That’s what happened in the life of Daniel, the prophet. We heard all about the vision that came to him during the time
Cyrus was king of Persia. Daniel had been living in captivity in Babylon for decades by this point, and was a high ranking
official in the Persian government. Against all kinds of opposition from within that pagan country and government, Daniel had
maintained his faith in the Living God and had earned the respect of his captors. He had humbled himself before God, day by
day, sending the words of his prayers heavenward even when he was persecuted for it. He confessed the sins of the entire
Jewish nation, asking God’s forgiveness based not on the righteousness of the people, but on the mercy of God. And day after
day, he listened for God’s response. He sought to hear from God and gain some measure of understanding in order to better
function in his difficult situation. He had been God’s person year after year, whether it was convenient or not, and finally, God
in his mercy and in his timing, answered Daniel’s prayers. In fact, in this vision, God sent an angel, probably Gabriel, to speak
to Daniel and reassure him. And what did the angel say? “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your
mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come because of
your words.” (NRSV)
“Because of your words.” Can we imagine that God would move heaven and earth and come down to us because of our
words? Are we in the habit of speaking the words that God likes to hear? Have our words been pleasing, humble, and filled
with confession, praise, faith, hope, love and thanksgiving? Have others been encouraged, inspired, comforted, or reassured
because of our words? Or have we started one too many fires with the things we have said? Are our tongues so out of control
that we cannot stop our words before they do irreparable damage? Do we wish we had listened to our mothers and our
teachers when they told us that if we can’t say something nice, we shouldn’t say anything at all?
The Good News is that if we are really in Christ and He in us, we have the power of his Spirit to use words in a way that
pleases the Lord, as well as the power to be silent when words are unhelpful or unnecessary. Granted, it’s not easy, but surely
we can be more aware of the power of our words and more careful when we use them. And we can always do better. It may
help us to remember the story of a man who once said that the highest tribute he could pay to his friend, who was a great
linguist, was that this friend could be silent in seven different languages!
Thankfully, our salvation doesn’t depend on our words, but on Christ, the Living Word, the Word who came to us in the
flesh to live and die for our sins. And we know there is forgiveness through his blood when our tongues slip and our words are
not what they should be. Yet it is sobering to think that someone else’s faith and growth in Christ could depend—at least in
part—on our words. Someone else’s faith may actually depend on whether we drive them away from or bring them closer to
the church, the faith and even the Lord. Anything may happen, all because of our words.
Around the time this church was chartered, a poet by the name of Beth Day suggested a way of determining whether a
comment or a story was worth telling or not. Before uttering a single word, she advised that one should
…Make it pass
Before you speak, three gates of gold:
These narrow gates. First, “Is it true?
Then, “Is it needful?” In your mind
Give truthful answer. And the next
Is last and narrowest, “Is it kind?”
And if to reach your lips at last
It passes through these gateways three,
Then you may tell the tale, nor fear
What the results of speech may be.
We, the Body of Christ, always need to consider what the results of our words may be before we speak. We need to ask
ourselves, “Is it true?” “Is it needful?” “Is it kind?” We should make sure that these mouths that proclaim Jesus as Lord and
these voices that sing the praises of our mighty God don’t, in the next breath, pour forth in words that are unbecoming the
people of God. Words like that hurt the cause of Christ both within the church and outside it, as well. It is humbling—and
sobering—to think that what we say can have such a big impact on those around us, and to realize that some of them may
come into the Kingdom—or run from it—all because of our words.
Let us pray.
In the average lifetime this would amount to 3,000 VOLUMES or 1,500,000 pages! One wonders whether that includes all the
additional time spent nowadays talking and texting on cell phones. There’s no denying that we do a lot of talking and use a lot
of words.
Some people are really expert at using words. Rudyard Kipling at one time was so popular that his writings were getting
ten shillings per word. A few college students, however, didn't appreciate Kipling's writings, so they facetiously sent him a
letter with ten shillings enclosed. The letter read, "Here are ten shillings; in return, please, send us your best word." But Kipling
still managed to get the last laugh. They soon got a letter back from him that simply said, "Thanks."
Words can be not only clever but very powerful. Soft words can be comforting and when sung, may put a baby to sleep.
Excited words will stir a mob to violence. Eloquent words will send armies marching into the face of death. Encouraging
words will fan to flame the genius of a Rembrandt or a Lincoln. Powerful words will mold the public mind as the sculptor
molds his clay. Words, spoken or written, are a dynamic force. Words are often the swords we use in our struggle for
success and happiness. The truth is that how others react toward us depends, in a large measure, upon the words we speak to
them and the way we say them. And those words are immortal, too. For better or for worse, they go marching through the
years in the lives of everyone we meet. There seems to be no limit to the power of words.
Unfortunately, that can often be a real problem, especially with the spoken word. We do so much talking and do it so
automatically that we sometimes speak before our brains are in gear. Before we know it, words come pouring out of our
mouths. And like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube, we can never take our words back again. All too often our words
hurt others and eventually ourselves—because our words do come back to haunt us. For example, Karen Carpenter, the pop
singer who died from anorexia at age 32, had once been called "Richard Carpenter’s chubby sister” by a music critic. Granted,
those words alone were not responsible for her eating disorder and her subsequent, untimely death, but those callous words
certainly didn’t help her.
Over the centuries, both well-known and little known writers alike have developed all kinds of sayings and comments
(more words, in fact!) concerning the need to be careful when we speak. William Penn suggested that “If thou thinkest twice
before thou speaketh once, thou wilt speak twice the better for it.” Or if the King’s English leaves you wondering, there are
plenty of modern sound bites that make a similar point, such as “It is better to be silent and be considered a fool than to speak
and remove all doubt.” Or, “People are like fish. Neither would get into trouble if they kept their mouths shut.” Or how
about “Never pass up an opportunity to keep your mouth shut,” which some brilliant mind condensed into the neat little
reminder that “A shut mouth gathers no foot.”
Even the Bible has plenty to say about what may happen because of our words. We heard from the book of James all
about the trouble our words can cause. James begins by speaking to those in authority in the church and says that they need to
be especially careful in their teaching and preaching because their words have power to influence so many other lives.
Teachers and preachers must speak only the truth, so that no one will be led astray. James says that this is such a serious
responsibility for church leaders that they will be judged more strictly than others. James admits that we all stumble in many
ways, but he seems to suggest that if we are accurate and truthful in speech, we are moving toward Christian perfection. He
even implies that if we are able to keep our speech under control, then we can also keep our whole body in check. Integrity in
speaking will lead to integrity in all areas of life.
Next, James gives some general principles about the power and significance of the human tongue even though it is such a
little part of the human body. And these principles concerning the tongue—or our use of words—apply not just to teachers and
preachers, but to all of us. In his first illustration, James reminds us that even though the horse is such a willful and powerful
animal, if we can get control of its mouth with a bit, we can control the whole animal. A horse’s mouth is so sensitive that the
least pressure on its mouth and tongue will cause that thousand-pound animal to turn in any direction we want it go.
Or, James says, we can think of the tongue as being something like the rudder on a sailing ship. If you compare the size
of the ship and the sails to the size of its rudder, it is amazing that such a relatively small part can control the direction of the
whole ship, even in the presence of strong winds. It doesn’t take much imagination to figure out what happens to a sailing ship
in a strong wind if there is no one at the rudder. Similarly, James tells us that the tongue, though small, has an amazing
influence on our entire being and on the course of events and lives. And unless we take control of our tongues when we talk,
we are heading for shipwreck just as surely as a ship in a storm with no one at the rudder.
These illustrations seem pretty clear. Yet just in case his flock has yet to get the point of his little sermon (and one can
only wonder what was going on in that church in Jerusalem to prompt James to use so many strong words!) he also compares
the tongue to a spark that can set off a major forest fire. In fact, he says the tongue itself is a fire, set on fire by hell. The
tongue is a world of evil, capable of corrupting the whole person and setting the whole course of life on fire. James is utterly
amazed by the fact that we humans have been able to tame practically every animal, bird, reptile and sea creature known to
man, yet we have failed to tame our own tongues. We just cannot seem to get our wagging tongues under control, and because
of that, we perpetuate evil with words that are full of deadly poison.
For example, the story is told of three pastors who went fishing together in the northern wilderness of Canada. While
there they developed a fairly intimate friendship with one another and began to share their innermost thoughts. One confessed
that he had been guilty of certain sins. He named them, and then urged the others to confess their weaknesses, too. So the
second pastor confessed that he, too, had certain weaknesses and recounted them in detail. But the third pastor remained silent
for a long time. Finally, when pressed by his fishing buddies to reveal his own weaknesses, he said, "Brothers, I don't really
think you want to know, but since you insist, I’ll tell you. My weakness is that I just love to gossip, and I can hardly wait to
get home."
Words can even kill reputations and make emotional cripples of our children, revealing the anger and bitterness and evil that
burns in the hearts and motivates those who lash out with their tongues. But there is another option. We can learn to control
our tongues. Then, our words can be used to build others up; they can be a healing balm for hurting souls. They can give
others a glimpse into a heart at peace with God and with the rest of the world. And sometimes, our words can even be the
reason why God moves heaven and earth to make Himself and his plans known to us.
That’s what happened in the life of Daniel, the prophet. We heard all about the vision that came to him during the time
Cyrus was king of Persia. Daniel had been living in captivity in Babylon for decades by this point, and was a high ranking
official in the Persian government. Against all kinds of opposition from within that pagan country and government, Daniel had
maintained his faith in the Living God and had earned the respect of his captors. He had humbled himself before God, day by
day, sending the words of his prayers heavenward even when he was persecuted for it. He confessed the sins of the entire
Jewish nation, asking God’s forgiveness based not on the righteousness of the people, but on the mercy of God. And day after
day, he listened for God’s response. He sought to hear from God and gain some measure of understanding in order to better
function in his difficult situation. He had been God’s person year after year, whether it was convenient or not, and finally, God
in his mercy and in his timing, answered Daniel’s prayers. In fact, in this vision, God sent an angel, probably Gabriel, to speak
to Daniel and reassure him. And what did the angel say? “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your
mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come because of
your words.” (NRSV)
“Because of your words.” Can we imagine that God would move heaven and earth and come down to us because of our
words? Are we in the habit of speaking the words that God likes to hear? Have our words been pleasing, humble, and filled
with confession, praise, faith, hope, love and thanksgiving? Have others been encouraged, inspired, comforted, or reassured
because of our words? Or have we started one too many fires with the things we have said? Are our tongues so out of control
that we cannot stop our words before they do irreparable damage? Do we wish we had listened to our mothers and our
teachers when they told us that if we can’t say something nice, we shouldn’t say anything at all?
The Good News is that if we are really in Christ and He in us, we have the power of his Spirit to use words in a way that
pleases the Lord, as well as the power to be silent when words are unhelpful or unnecessary. Granted, it’s not easy, but surely
we can be more aware of the power of our words and more careful when we use them. And we can always do better. It may
help us to remember the story of a man who once said that the highest tribute he could pay to his friend, who was a great
linguist, was that this friend could be silent in seven different languages!
Thankfully, our salvation doesn’t depend on our words, but on Christ, the Living Word, the Word who came to us in the
flesh to live and die for our sins. And we know there is forgiveness through his blood when our tongues slip and our words are
not what they should be. Yet it is sobering to think that someone else’s faith and growth in Christ could depend—at least in
part—on our words. Someone else’s faith may actually depend on whether we drive them away from or bring them closer to
the church, the faith and even the Lord. Anything may happen, all because of our words.
Around the time this church was chartered, a poet by the name of Beth Day suggested a way of determining whether a
comment or a story was worth telling or not. Before uttering a single word, she advised that one should
…Make it pass
Before you speak, three gates of gold:
These narrow gates. First, “Is it true?
Then, “Is it needful?” In your mind
Give truthful answer. And the next
Is last and narrowest, “Is it kind?”
And if to reach your lips at last
It passes through these gateways three,
Then you may tell the tale, nor fear
What the results of speech may be.
We, the Body of Christ, always need to consider what the results of our words may be before we speak. We need to ask
ourselves, “Is it true?” “Is it needful?” “Is it kind?” We should make sure that these mouths that proclaim Jesus as Lord and
these voices that sing the praises of our mighty God don’t, in the next breath, pour forth in words that are unbecoming the
people of God. Words like that hurt the cause of Christ both within the church and outside it, as well. It is humbling—and
sobering—to think that what we say can have such a big impact on those around us, and to realize that some of them may
come into the Kingdom—or run from it—all because of our words.
Let us pray.
