Monday
Matthew 12.36 “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgement for every empty word they have spoken.”
A tree is known by its fruit, and followers of Jesus will be known by their works and words. What we say matters. This is more than a warning against lies, though that’s included. Empty words includes careless words, wounding words, and words that aid what is bad by minimising or excusing what is wrong. The follower of Jesus uses words carefully, caringly and as an audible witness of what is good, true and genuinely careful of the consequences of what we say. It would be easy to reduce the warning in Jesus’ words, but what Jesus is saying to each of us is that we will have to explain to God those words that did nothing to make our world better.
Tuesday
Matthew 12.37 “For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
A few verses earlier Jesus described where words come from – they only reach the mouth by way of the heart. Our words have moral significance, and like mirrors they reflect the kind of person we are. When someone apologises for using insulting and derogatory words by saying, “That isn’t me”, they are avoiding the deeper truth that no one else said them – they did. “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” (v34) Perhaps what Jesus means about us being responsible for empty and careless words is all those words that erupt without thinking from our heart, and that tell everyone who hears them who we really are.
Wednesday
James 1.26 “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.”
In the world of Jesus and James, words were not merely communication sounds. Words do things, change things. Words make or break relationships, build or break trust. Hate speech is a thing. Prejudice does poison communities. James is echoing Jesus about uncontrolled speech that damages the social fabric and reveals who we truly are. Our devotion to Jesus, our Christian piety, the genuineness of all we say and sing in prayer and worship, is daily tested by how we speak and what we say.
Thursday
James 1.27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
James is the most practical of people, and again he echoes Jesus – we are recognisable by our fruits. What we do backs up how we speak. When we show compassion and care for orphans, widows and anyone else who needs support, we reveal what is going on in our heart and mind. A compassionate inner life spontaneously speaks carefully and caringly, “for out of the heart the mouth speaks”. In a world of too much rough speaking and aggressive language, what we say and how we say it as Christians, speaks volumes!
Friday
James 3.9-10 “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.”
The default setting of the tongue is to praise the Creator. To denigrate, insult or wound those made in God’s image contradicts our every prayer of praise. In our word soaked culture, we seem less and less able to understand the lethal nature of weaponised words. James is encouraging Christians who have to mix and live within a surrounding culture to allow their speech to be governed, moderated and guided by their primary calling – which is to worship and serve a righteous God.
Saturday
James 3.17-18 “The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”
“Lord, give me wisdom before I open my big mouth!” I know, it’s not the most elegant of liturgical creations, but how many times have we wished we had prayed such sentiments more often? Here is James at his most pastoral and constructive. May God give us that gift and discipline of wise speaking, so that in our words we are peacemakers whose words are seeds sown in peace that will reap a harvest of righteousness. The New Testament takes seriously the potential of well spoken words to weave the ways of peace into the patterned fabric of healthy community relationships.
Sunday
Psalm 19.16 “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
What a prayer with which to start each day! Or before a difficult conversation; or a meeting where there are clashing agendas. Does what I say please God? Could I say this knowing that God is present in the room? Speech is God’s gift, an instrument of praise. Our words are to be gifts that enrich, encourage, bring peace, restrain anger, and show love. Let God be the Rock that gives grace and stability to our speaking.
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