Text: James 3:1-12
Theme: “Engaged beyond measure”
Series: Beyond measure

PART 1, “Astonished beyond measure”

Part 3, “Humbled beyond measure“

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Intr – (Illustration: A medicine container; bread; water; a text; a mirror to show breathing) These props here illustrate basic needs we have to live. What do they all have in common?        We engage with them all through one organ: the mouth  – and the tongue.

The mouth is one of the most primary ways, if not the #1 in which we engage with the World. Our most basic needs are provided through things we let in – food, water, medicine. And things we let out – the air that we breath and, especially, words. The mouth, the tongue, words, is the most basic way in which we engage with people, culture and the world around us. We eat for survival, and we speak for survival. As an additional comment, when we think about deaf people who can’t also speak, and when we think about the internet environment, we can think hands and fingers as our “let out” organ – mouth and tongue.

In our “beyond measure” series today we reflect on ways Jesus, the Logos, the Word of God, engages us beyond measure with the world. The epistle of James with te “taming the tongue” reading leads the way, as we remember why controlling the tongue is so important. Btw, both for what we take in and for what we let out.

1 – MOUTH AND TONGUE

Our mouths are at the center of just about everything we do. From the moment you wake up, you’re probably either putting something in your mouth (coffee, breakfast) or letting something out (complaints, perhaps?). The mouth is our main point of contact with the world. We eat to survive and, just as crucially, we talk to survive. We use words to connect, engage, and even sometimes to defend ourselves.

Now, let’s be realistic: our mouth, our tongue is not always wise. In both ways – for what we let in and for what we let out.

Think about what we let in. Excessive food, drinking, unhealthy fats, vices, and so on. Your mouth can be so unwise sometimes that God has provided another organ with more “brain capacity” to regulate and guide it: the bowels, our guts. We need the guts when it comes to help the mouth to be more controlled, and it often gives clear signs. In this connection, it is said by some that our guts even have some neurons and it is the organ that works more closely to our brains in terms of intelligent analysis. Interestingly, in biblical times, they didn’t talk about the heart the way we do today. They’d refer to the “bowels” as the seat of emotions. So if your tongue needed to be discerning, they’d say it needed a little more “guts.”

Now think about what we let out. James, in his epistle, is very blunt when it comes to the tongue. He calls it a firestarter. This little thing can stir up a world of trouble. I’m guessing most of us don’t need convincing that words can do serious damage. One careless comment, and you’ve set off a chain reaction that becomes very hard to entirely fix. So when James says, “If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man,” I’m thinking, “Well, none of us fits the mold. I’ve definitely stumbled. Many times.” Here, for what we let out through our mouths we need the help of the heart. We need the heart as the most faith-intelligently organ to direct and discipline our mouth and tongue.

Taming the tongue a big deal for us Christians. Why? Because what we let out of our mouths reflects what’s inside our hearts. And let’s be honest, it’s not always pretty. You can tell a lot about a person by the words they use. We’ve got all kinds of ways to let words go out, and because of sin, those words can often hurt, harm, and even destroy. With our mouths, we can: Hurt, Cause harm, Discourage; even kill.  That’s a lot of power, right? Unfortunately sin leads is down that way, and when sin is not met with repentance and forgiveness in life, we will the worse words ever after we go. “Away from me, you who practice iniquity”.(Mt 25)

2 – JESUS, the WORD OF GOD

But what happens when the Word of God dwells in our hearts, which is the source of our words as pointed out by Jesus? Then, the same mouth that can tear down can also build up, as James points out. The Word of God engages us beyond measure. First, with his Gifts: Forgiveness, Peace, Direction. Then, we are engaged beyond measure because we have in our tongues not only words but The Word.

Jesus is called the Word in John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” That’s more than just a poetic statement. Jesus didn’t come to engage us from a distance. He got down into our bustling life. He’s the Logos, the Word of God in human form, and here’s where it gets interesting: Jesus is present in our mouths in two important ways. He’s the bread we take in at the Lord’s Supper, and He’s the Word we speak out when we confess our faith. So, it’s not just about what we take in or what we let out, but about being in Christ. He is both the sustainer and the message. We’re not just running on empty words or our best intentions. We’re fed by the Word, and that Word shapes what comes out of us.

3 – ENGAGED BEYOND MEASURE

Guided by His Word, we are called to engage the world in faith with our words in daily life. This is a big challenge. I think we all know how easy it is to slip into negative speech—criticism, gossip, slander. We live in a world of many words, and not all of them are helpful. As people of the The Word though, we’re called to be wise in use them with our mouth and tongue.

Now, why beyond measure? Why does the Word, Jesus, leads us outside of ourselves to engage us beyond measure? Because Christians have no ordinary way of engaging in Word with the World. It goes beyond measure. With our mouth and tongue we:

• Speak truth and Confess our faith – We don’t yield an inch of ground when it comes to the Truth of the Bible. We respect, but we don’t normalize what’s contrary to God’s Word. We stand firm on the truth, even when it’s unpopular. At the same time, we use words that speak hope, grace, and the truth of Jesus. Countercultural beyond measure.
• This engages us beyond measure in a world almost exclusively human, where religion and faith, when welcomed, it is only in a compartmented capacity. That is, if you want to have your Sunday rites and fellowship that’s okay. But don’t bring that into daily life important decisions. Boldness Beyond measure
• are patient, tolerant and Comforting: At the same time, we boldly confess, we calmly assess. We are patient, tolerant, understanding. We don’t take love and consideration out of our tongues when it comes to share the truth. Talk about beyond measure. Wouldn’t it be easier just to speak our mind, be harsh and blunt, especially when people “deserve it”? Yet we are engaged beyond measure with a world that doesn’t want to, but certainly needs to hear our Words of Truth and Grace. Faith active in love beyond measure.
• Encourage those who are down – How do you encourage when you don’t have courage yourself? Or when people dismiss your words as “fairytale Sky daddy emotional crutch”? You are called to go beyond measure and continue to affirm what the eyes can’t see, but the heart can believe and the mouth and tongue can confess. Sharing the Word beyond measure

I was thinking about words and wounds and I realized something about them. Remember those days as a kid when a scraped knee was the worst of your problems? A little bandage, maybe a kiss from mom, and you were back to playing. But as we get older, the scrapes go deeper. They’re not on our knees anymore; they’re on our hearts and souls. And words can cut the deepest. A thoughtless comment can leave a mark that lasts for years. Unlike those childhood scrapes, these wounds don’t heal so easily.[1]

We live in a world where words are often used to divide and hurt. But we are different. As Christians we’re called to use our words to build bridges, not burn them. The truth might hurt, but it should never harm. It should always point to healing in Christ.

That’s why we engage beyond measure. It is not an easy task. Where do we start speaking the truth in love, engaging in tough conversations still reflecting Christ?

We start by recognizing we’re not in this alone. We are the Church, a community of believers, and we are connected by more than just sitting in the same room. We are bound by the Word and the Sacraments, by the love of Christ that brings us together. The Word doesn’t allow us to be isolated. It pushes us out of our comfort zones and calls us to engage—not just with God, but with each other.

Then, we work on our engagement with our mouth and tongue. James talks about the tongue being like a rudder on a ship. Think about that—a small rudder controls the direction of a massive vessel. In the same way, our words can steer the course of a conversation, a relationship, or even a community. We have a responsibility to use them wisely. That is why He points us to the Divine Wisdom: “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” Our mouths, when guided by this Wisdom of the Word, are powerful tools for good. They can speak truth, confess faith, comfort the broken, and encourage the weary. That’s no small thing in a world where words are often used to harm. We are called to be different. We are called to engage the world with words that reflect the love and truth of Christ.

Cc – Food, medicine, breath; WORDS. Your mouth, your tongue, is a primary way to engage with the World.  When it comes to what we let in we want to engage in a good measure, so that our body receives what we need and we avoid excesses (Count on your guts to help in the process). But especially when it comes to what we let out, Jesus engages us beyond measure to share Words that help, edify, comfort and give life (Count on your Christ-filled heart to lead the process).  

For if our mouth and tongue look small compared to the rest of the body, through them God blesses us and others with basic things we need for life…beyond measure.

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[1] Proverbs 18:21 tells us that the tongue has the power of life and death. That’s not just a metaphor. The words we speak can bring life to someone who’s struggling or tear someone down in a way that lasts. That’s why we’re called to guard our hearts—and by extension, our tongues. But here’s the good news: we don’t have to face these wounds alone. Jesus took the ultimate wounds for us. Isaiah 53:5 says, “By His wounds, we are healed.” Whether it’s the wounds we carry from others’ words or the guilt we feel from our own, Christ offers true healing.