Taming the Tongue: Part 3 - James 3:3-5a

Taming the Tongue: Part 3 - James 3:3-5a
Written by LaRosa Johnson
Wednesday, 13 February 2008

As we take a look at today's passage, we are finally starting to get into the meat of our study concerning the perils of the tongue. Having gotten past the preliminary issues, James is now ready to dive in and begin giving his teaching on just how unruly and sinful the tongue is, as well as showing how it is able to direct the whole body. To do this, James gives us a few real world examples that clearly illustrate his point. Let us go ahead and begin by reading our passage for today, James 3:3-5a.

Quote :

James 3:3-5a (NASB) - 3 Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. 4 Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. 5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.

The two examples that we are given in this passage are that of a bit in the mouth of a horse and the rudder of a large ship. We will take a look at these two examples individually and then look at the larger picture that James is trying to illustrate with these vivid word pictures. First, we are shown how humans use bits in order to control horses. If you look at a horse, it is a large animal, and surely one that is much stronger than any human; indeed, a horse is a mighty force that requires taming if it is going to be of any use to its owner. It is for this very reason that a horse owner uses a bit (a metal rod with ropes or straps attached) in the mouth of a horse in order to make it obey his commands. A horse under its own power and strength will do whatever it pleases, but a trained horse with a bit in its mouth is controlled by the bit. If the owner wants the horse to move left or right, then he will tug the bit in one direction or the other, and the horse will move accordingly. It is in this manner that the horse is tamed and put under the control of its owner, and it was all done with the help of a small bit. Just think about it for a moment; this is a powerful animal, and yet it was brought under control by the smallest piece of metal put in its mouth. This small bit was able to direct the entire body of the horse to do its owner's bidding. Oh, how powerful a little bit can be!

The next example given is that of a rudder and a ship. If you're familiar with a ship, you will know that the rudder is what directs the ship one way or another, much like the bit in the horse's mouth. And just like the bit, the rudder is one of the smallest components of a ship, yet it moves the ship in whichever direction the captain wishes for it to go. Just imagine for a minute, a huge ship like the Titanic being moved left & right in its direction by something only a small fraction of the size of the entire ship. Again, this is showing us how a very small object is able to direct an entire body into motion and the direction which it specifies. This is exactly how the tongue operates.

Much like the bit in a horse's mouth or the rudder of a ship, the tongue is a very small part of our body, but it is able to achieve great things, whether for good or for bad. What James is showing here is how small members are able to move a larger body into obedience. The bit in the horse's mouth was able to make the horse obey its master and the rudder was able to move the entire ship in the direction that it needed to go; both are very small objects, but they were able to produce a great result. In the same way, the tongue is able to either build up or tear down, speak good or speak evil. For example, look at the tongue of a person like Paul and the words that he spoke using that tongue; the words that he spoke left a legacy for the gospel of Jesus Christ that are to be remembered forever. On the other hand, look at the amount of damage that a person like Adolf Hitler was able to do with his tongue, sparking a world war and the mass genocide of a people group. Indeed, the tongue is able to boast of great things for being such a small member of the body.

It is with these words and examples that James is showing us the tremendous strength of the tongue and the reason why we need to be so careful to guard it. Like a bit or a rudder, it can direct the entire life of a person or even the entire world. Jesus and the disciples turned the world upside down with the words that they spoke. As we learned in verse 2, a sign of spiritual growth and maturity is in being able to control one's speech, and, in doing so, able to control the entire body. But when the tongue is out of control and not put under subjection to the Holy Spirit, you end up with a world of trouble, as we will see in the subsequent verses in this study. Until next time, guard your tongue & speak wisely.

devotion courtesy of Trailblazin Ministries
http://www.trailblazinministries.com/daily-devotions/02-13-2008.php