“…but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” (James 3:8, NIV)
At a Christmas family gathering, the youngest daughter of a wealthy merchant interrupted the meal to speak. Seldom had Carolyn spoken. She was the quiet one, the daughter who usually kept to herself, the one who drank a little too much eggnog in the corner. When Carolyn interrupted the family conversation at the dinner table, people immediately went silent. They listened to see what the quiet woman had to say. At twenty-one and just arriving home from college, they were intrigued by her willingness to take center stage.
Carolyn began the interruption with the words, “Excuse me, everyone!”. Then, when the room went silent, she continued. “For a long time, I have held my tongue. I can do so no longer. I am sick and tired of hearing about your problems with workers, with servants, with your new dresses or your new cars. There are people starving in Africa, for God’s sake! Uncle Dave, I’m so tired of hearing about your latest success at work. Aunt Barb, will you please shut up about your latest weight loss tactic. Stephen and Jean, just quit bragging about your drinking binges. I hate this family. I’ve always hated this family.”
Upon finishing her speech, Carolyn left the room, packed her clothes, and departed. The family members did not see her again for a dozen years. Some attributed her outburst to a little too much alcohol. Her mother thought Carolyn was being brainwashed at college. Her father thought her impertinent. Her two brothers felt she was shameful. An aunt defended her. One cousin agreed with her and left the gathering. Though never finding out all the reasons for Carolyn’s outburst, one thing was true about the young woman. That night, the poison she had inside her came out full force. The poison that had been eating away at her soul burst forth. It caused a split in the family for many years. It exacerbated rifts among the family members. The poison inside of Carolyn brought sadness and pain and separation to that family that never did fully heal.
A poison is something that can harm or kill. It can come in the form of a pill, a powder, a liquid, or a solid. Some poisons can be ingested. Others need to be injected. Some need only be touched to be fatal. Many poisons do not look dangerous. A poisonous flower can look beautiful. Cyanide smells like almonds. That is why many poisons are dangerous; they can be easily concealed In history, poisons were used to murder by a hidden adversary. Sometimes, it took centuries to prove a poison was the cause of a death. Even today, doctors find that some poisonings are hard to prove.
Though easily concealed, poisons are no less deadly. Though small in amount, they yield a terrible punch. “A minimum lethal dose of botulism bacillus is .00003 micrograms per kilogram of body weight. That is almost the equivalent of a flea derailing a 100-mile-long freight train.” (Randy Raysbrook, “Discipleship Journal”, Issue #33, 1986, p. 20.) Poisons work by damaging a crucial part of the body. Some cause the heart to stop. Some cause breathing difficulties. Some destroy necessary body organs or wreck the body’s ability to function correctly. All-in-all, poisons are best avoided unless you want to kill, damage, or threaten.
In our scripture for today, the tongue of the human body is called “a restless evil full of deadly poison” (James 3:8). The scripture is speaking allegorically. It is obvious that the human tongue is not inhabited by poisons that can burst forth. However, the words that a person uses can definitely poison a conversation, poison a relationship, or cause the death of a person in the spirit or in the flesh.
Conrad Roy committed suicide in 2014. Later it was determined that his girlfriend, Michelle Carter, had sent him numerous texts and had conversations with him encouraging him to just kill himself. The jury that convicted her for manslaughter believed that Michelle’s words caused Conrad Roy to follow through on his suicide. Her words wrought death. She poisoned his heart and soul.
The scripture for today explains that the tongue is a restless evil filled with deadly poison. The words of a sweet person can bring life and peace and joy. The words of an evil person can bring sadness and regret and suffering and death. Words are powerful. They have the ability to shape the world. They can bring forth so much good. They can bring about so much evil and death.
Recently, a person told me that Christmas was her favorite time of the year. When I asked her why, I thought she would mention that it was a holiday, she had time off, that she spent time with family and friends, or that she received great presents. Instead, she said simply, “I love Christmas because people tend to be more kind to one another. There are more works of kindness and words of love.” I think she is right. Christmas, as a season, is meant to be a time of celebration, of hope, of peace, of joy, and of good deeds.
There are some families where poisonous treatment still persists, even at Christmas. There is too much drinking, too much swearing, a lot of lusting after presents, and a lot of drama over the dinner table. There are churches in our world today where snide comments, self-serving people, and a desire to look good are all on display at Christmas time. It should not be so.
Herod sought to kill the Christ child. He sought to poison God’s plan for a Savior. He did not succeed. Instead, there were “good tidings of great joy” brought to shepherds and wisemen. A baby was born healthy, despite being born in a stable and being placed in a manger. The angels rejoiced at the birth of Jesus. During these days, let the joy of the season color your thoughts and language. Don't be like Herod, attempting to silence the good news of great joy. Be a Christmas Angel. Bless instead of curse. Rejoice instead of being blue. Let joy and peace fill your heart to overflowing. Let your tongue bring forth God's praises. Jesus is born. The Savior has come to this world. The Son of God has come for you.
Carolyn began the interruption with the words, “Excuse me, everyone!”. Then, when the room went silent, she continued. “For a long time, I have held my tongue. I can do so no longer. I am sick and tired of hearing about your problems with workers, with servants, with your new dresses or your new cars. There are people starving in Africa, for God’s sake! Uncle Dave, I’m so tired of hearing about your latest success at work. Aunt Barb, will you please shut up about your latest weight loss tactic. Stephen and Jean, just quit bragging about your drinking binges. I hate this family. I’ve always hated this family.”
Upon finishing her speech, Carolyn left the room, packed her clothes, and departed. The family members did not see her again for a dozen years. Some attributed her outburst to a little too much alcohol. Her mother thought Carolyn was being brainwashed at college. Her father thought her impertinent. Her two brothers felt she was shameful. An aunt defended her. One cousin agreed with her and left the gathering. Though never finding out all the reasons for Carolyn’s outburst, one thing was true about the young woman. That night, the poison she had inside her came out full force. The poison that had been eating away at her soul burst forth. It caused a split in the family for many years. It exacerbated rifts among the family members. The poison inside of Carolyn brought sadness and pain and separation to that family that never did fully heal.
A poison is something that can harm or kill. It can come in the form of a pill, a powder, a liquid, or a solid. Some poisons can be ingested. Others need to be injected. Some need only be touched to be fatal. Many poisons do not look dangerous. A poisonous flower can look beautiful. Cyanide smells like almonds. That is why many poisons are dangerous; they can be easily concealed In history, poisons were used to murder by a hidden adversary. Sometimes, it took centuries to prove a poison was the cause of a death. Even today, doctors find that some poisonings are hard to prove.
Though easily concealed, poisons are no less deadly. Though small in amount, they yield a terrible punch. “A minimum lethal dose of botulism bacillus is .00003 micrograms per kilogram of body weight. That is almost the equivalent of a flea derailing a 100-mile-long freight train.” (Randy Raysbrook, “Discipleship Journal”, Issue #33, 1986, p. 20.) Poisons work by damaging a crucial part of the body. Some cause the heart to stop. Some cause breathing difficulties. Some destroy necessary body organs or wreck the body’s ability to function correctly. All-in-all, poisons are best avoided unless you want to kill, damage, or threaten.
In our scripture for today, the tongue of the human body is called “a restless evil full of deadly poison” (James 3:8). The scripture is speaking allegorically. It is obvious that the human tongue is not inhabited by poisons that can burst forth. However, the words that a person uses can definitely poison a conversation, poison a relationship, or cause the death of a person in the spirit or in the flesh.
Conrad Roy committed suicide in 2014. Later it was determined that his girlfriend, Michelle Carter, had sent him numerous texts and had conversations with him encouraging him to just kill himself. The jury that convicted her for manslaughter believed that Michelle’s words caused Conrad Roy to follow through on his suicide. Her words wrought death. She poisoned his heart and soul.
The scripture for today explains that the tongue is a restless evil filled with deadly poison. The words of a sweet person can bring life and peace and joy. The words of an evil person can bring sadness and regret and suffering and death. Words are powerful. They have the ability to shape the world. They can bring forth so much good. They can bring about so much evil and death.
Recently, a person told me that Christmas was her favorite time of the year. When I asked her why, I thought she would mention that it was a holiday, she had time off, that she spent time with family and friends, or that she received great presents. Instead, she said simply, “I love Christmas because people tend to be more kind to one another. There are more works of kindness and words of love.” I think she is right. Christmas, as a season, is meant to be a time of celebration, of hope, of peace, of joy, and of good deeds.
There are some families where poisonous treatment still persists, even at Christmas. There is too much drinking, too much swearing, a lot of lusting after presents, and a lot of drama over the dinner table. There are churches in our world today where snide comments, self-serving people, and a desire to look good are all on display at Christmas time. It should not be so.
Herod sought to kill the Christ child. He sought to poison God’s plan for a Savior. He did not succeed. Instead, there were “good tidings of great joy” brought to shepherds and wisemen. A baby was born healthy, despite being born in a stable and being placed in a manger. The angels rejoiced at the birth of Jesus. During these days, let the joy of the season color your thoughts and language. Don't be like Herod, attempting to silence the good news of great joy. Be a Christmas Angel. Bless instead of curse. Rejoice instead of being blue. Let joy and peace fill your heart to overflowing. Let your tongue bring forth God's praises. Jesus is born. The Savior has come to this world. The Son of God has come for you.