The Monster Tongue

January 30, 2025/
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The Monster Tongue
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James 3:7-12

Thanks so much for joining us for another lesson in the book of James. Heralds of Hope produces this program. Along with my job here at Heralds of Hope, I also teach school. This week in school, we discussed how to interpret the Bible. We wanted to interpret the Bible correctly, so we looked at methods and tools we could use to do a good job. It doesn’t take long to see there are varying levels of complexity in Scripture; in some places, it’s hard to understand, and in others, the interpretation is obvious.  

As we are going through James on this program, I have been impressed with the clarity in this book. You do not often wonder, “What is James trying to say?” and today is no different. The interpretation is crystal clear in James 3, verses 9 and 10. It is not hard to know what he means. The hard part is doing it. The theme of watching our words and mouth continues in this lesson; let’s go with Pastor J Mark to James 3 and learn together.  

Today, we will study James 3:7-12. This section is not a pleasant one. If you isolate it from the rest of the chapter, it’s downright depressing! Yet it’s written for our instruction, and we dare not ignore it. 

I’ve titled our study “The Monster Tongue.” Maybe you think I’m exaggerating to refer to the tongue as a monster, but once we get into this text, you’ll see that it’s not exaggerated.  

Let’s turn to our text, James 3:7-12. 

7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.  

8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.  

9 With it, we bless our God and Father, and with it, we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.  

10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.  

11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?  

12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus, no spring yields both salt water and fresh. 

As we examine the text, we note three frightening EVIDENCES that verify the reality of “The Monster Tongue.”  

The First EVIDENCE is, 

The Factual Information  

James begins this section by informing us of specific facts. He points to nature and reminds us that every kind of creature has been tamed by mankind, or at least brought under man’s dominion. That’s what God commanded Adam to do: take dominion over the creatures of the earth. Some animals are more easily trained than others. But most of them, with the proper approach and an adequate investment of time, eventually yield to the control of their trainer.  

Verse eight introduces a shocking statement that nobody, not even one person, can tame or control his tongue! It is a fact that no amount of human effort by cunning, logic, self-discipline, or persuasion can silence the tongue and bring it into subjection. It can only be silenced in death, by removal, or through the grace of God. That last phrase gives us a glimmer of hope, but let’s keep in mind that James is writing this letter to those who claim to be followers of Christ!  

In verse two, he gives us another fact: the tongue is an unrestrained evil. Do you know what I thought about as I meditated on this text? I thought about the demoniac Jesus met in the tombs in Matthew chapter 28. There were many attempts to bind this man with fetters and chains, but he always broke them and escaped. That’s the way the tongue is. When you think your tongue is under control, the most cruel and destructive statements slip out.  

Then, there’s one more fact in verse two: the tongue is full of death-bearing venom. James refers to the tongues of serpents, supposed to convey their poison into wounds made by their teeth. James must have the tongue of the slanderer, backbiter, whisperer, and tale-bearer throughout this poetic description, particularly in view. Poisonous snakes are not more dangerous to life than these are to the peace and reputation of men.  

The tongue is more destructive than the most poisonous of snakes. A snake’s venom only has the power to destroy physical life. That’s bad enough, but vicious words can crush a person’s spirit and deaden their soul. I know one person and have heard of others told by their parents or someone else when they were children, “You’ll never amount to anything.” And even as older adults, they struggled to overcome that crushing pronouncement! Deadly poison, indeed. The facts are undeniable. That’s the first evidence of the “monster” tongue. 

The Second EVIDENCE is, 

The Practical Observation 

Next, James records some observations about the tongue based on previous facts. All genuine followers of Jesus have experienced using our speech to praise Him and the Father. When we praise God, we speak well of Him, honor and eulogize Him. Perhaps we’ve lifted our voices to sing, “O for a thousand tongues to sing, my great redeemer’s praise, the glories of my God and King, the triumphs of His grace.” Or here’s another; “O could I speak the matchless worth, O could I sound the glories forth, which in my Savior shine. I soar and touch the heavenly strings and vie with Gabriel while he sings, in tones almost divine.” We’ve used poetry’s exalted and often exaggerated language to praise His name.  

Or, in a testimony meeting, we shared how He met a need in response to our fervent prayers. And we want others to join us in praising Him for His provision, protection, or whatever way in which our need was met. Or perhaps we’ve shared with a non-Christian how Jesus can take away their sin, cleanse their hearts, and make them a new creature in Him. All of these are wonderful, necessary, and good. They are things we should be doing. 

But James also observes that the same tongue that blesses our Creator God turns around and curses God’s highest creation, mankind! You might say, “Hey, wait a minute, I’d never curse anyone.” Well, what does the word curse mean as it’s translated here? The Greek word is katara. It is a word of intensity. In Strong’s Concordance, two words describe katarah: imprecation and execration. You’ll need some help with those definitions if you’re like me. These words convey the idea of declaring something or someone evil or utterly detestable. They are words of rebuke and loathing. And they are directed at those who are made in God’s image.  

I noticed something I never saw before as I looked at this passage. I always understood James’ statement to mean denouncing or hating a brother in the Lord. But that’s not what it says. It speaks of humans in general because ALL human beings are made in the image of God. And now, I see how these words apply to me. I honestly have never had those feelings toward a brother in the Lord.  

But what about suicide bombers who blow themselves up in a crowd? What about terrorists who wantonly destroy life? Or those who cruelly torture my brothers and sisters in the Lord simply because of their faith? Or what about people on the street with pink hair and piercings in every visible part of their bodies? Are they created in the image of God?  Absolutely! What about the perverted people whose vile actions are lower than animals? They are precious souls for whom Christ died. Yet, how do I view them?  

Imagine the exalted and eloquent language of blessing and the disgust and loathing of cursing coming from the same mouth! Then James says, “My brothers, these things should not be true.” It is a violation of nature itself. This brings us to the final evidence. 

The Final EVIDENCE is,  

The Natural Illustration 

James raises several rhetorical questions in these last two verses of our text. A rhetorical question is a question that is asked in such a way that you already know the answer the questioner is looking for.  

The first question is, “Can a water source overflow with both pure water and contaminated water at the same time?” Of course not; it will be one or the other. It can’t be both. And here’s something else for us to consider. How contaminated does the water need to be before we label it “contaminated” and avoid using it? 

Next question: can a fig tree yield olives?  Again, the answer is obvious. Just because the answer is obvious, does that mean we always get it correct? A tree produces fruit based on its nature. A fig tree can only bear figs; that’s the way God designed it. It is always faithful to its nature. It cannot pretend to be something it is not. Only we humans have that ability.  

And the final question: can a vine bear figs? Again, a basic knowledge of horticulture tells us this cannot be so. You see, no such inconsistency is found in the world of nature. It is only in mankind that these inconsistencies can be found. 

There is yet another comparison listed here, though it’s not in the form of a question but a statement. James reminds us it is not possible for a water source to contain both fresh and saltwater simultaneously. So, we have four illustrations from the world of nature: 

1. Sweet water and bitter don’t come from the same source 

2. Fig trees don’t bear olives 

3. A vine doesn’t bear figs 

4. Salt water and fresh is not available from the same fountain   

These illustrations reinforce James’ contention that blessing and cursing should not come from the same mouth. If they do, that automatically raises questions about what is at the source of our lives. Jesus said to the Pharisees in Matthew 12:34, “O generation of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.”  Proverbs 4:23 and 24 tell us, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. Put away a deceitful mouth and perverse lips put far away.”  

I assure you I am not interested in horror movies or monsters. But I know one characteristic typical of monsters is that they are uncontrollable. Today, in our study of this text, we discovered that the tongue fits that characteristic.  

This study has not been very encouraging, but it could be depressing.  But it is part of the Word of God. So, we cannot just ignore it. And I strongly encourage you to read the final verses of chapter three. Next time, we’ll look at this section and find the solution to the control of “The Monster Tongue.”  

Now, let’s pray. Gracious God, we acknowledge the evil in our hearts apart from you.  We confess that we can have victory over the monster tongue only by your grace and power. Now, as my friend and I reflect on these truths, help us by your Holy Spirit to deal honestly and realistically with our failures, knowing that you can cleanse us from all iniquity. We praise you for this and thank you in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Thanks, J Mark, for ending your teaching with such a fitting prayer. It is sobering to think about this monster we all have: our tongues. All of us can think of a time when this monster got the best of us and how quickly it happened. J Mark said it well: We need God’s grace and power to have victory over this monster.  

If you want to contact us for any reason or to hear more about our teaching, here is how you can reach us. Feel free to send us an email. Our address is [email protected]. You can also contact us on our website, heraldsofhope.org. And, of course, you can write to us; our mailbox is always working. The address is Hope for Today, Box 3 Breezewood, PA 15533. We would love to hear from you; please use the easiest method.     

Thanks again for joining us today. May God give you wisdom as you consider what was shared. It made me think about Jesus’s words: ” The things that come out of the mouth come from the heart.” Our words matter, but they come from what’s deeper inside. Go with Christ and allow Him to fill you and use you.  

*This episode is an exposition by J. Otis Yoder, re-recorded by J. Mark Horst, with an opening and closing by Arlin Horst.

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