FAITH and TONGUE

Sermon on James: Faith and Tongue

the video is here (go to 29:20).

Texts: James 3:1-12

Mark 9:14-29

I. Intro – Rubik’s cube example. right color, right place on a surface, right place on in the cube. 

Like word: What? When? To whom?

 

II. St. James on tongue.

The rule of tongue – teachers first, but also everyone. James shifts really fast into “us” and “we all”.

Tongue twisters – not a set of educational phrases but a use of tongue for blessing of God and cursing the people (images of God) at the same time (James 3:10).

            Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew

Petruchio: Come, come, you wasp, i’faith you are too angry.
Katherine: If I be waspish, best beware my sting.
Petruchio: My remedy is then to pluck it out.
Katherine: Ay, if the fool could find where it lies.
Petruchio: Who knows not where a wasp does wear his sting? In his tail.
Katherine: In his tongue.
Petruchio: Whose tongue?
Katherine: Yours, if you talk of tales, and so farewell.
Petruchio: What, with my tongue in your tail?
(II.i.207–214)

            Mark 9 – foaming mouth (v. 20) – we are like a poor boy who was overcome by the evil spirit. Then father, friends, disciples of Jesus could not help – nothing could be done but to invite Jesus.

Coming to the Lord’s Supper we take Jesus Himself to our mouth and He touches our tongues, healing our speech.  

 

III. Take away.

The boy was saved by Jesus who teaches that these problems can be combated by the prayer. Not many-many-many words, but a set of Biblical passage that we speak to invoke the presence of God in our lives. The Liturgy teaches us how to use tongue.

Confessing Almighty Father who sent

His Son – for His sake we have the forgiveness and now

Guided by the Holy Spirit we can learn and grow in our godly usage of tongue