Sunday Devotional: James 3:1-5

¹ Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. ² For we all stumble in many ways, and if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. ³ If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that the obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. ⁴ Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. ⁵ So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. [ESV]

This passage introduces James’s warnings about the power of the tongue to bless and to curse, and how the tongue is full of deadly poison. We can tackle the discussion in verses 6-12 another time. Today I want to focus in on this beginning part. I think we often disconnect it from what follows, and it’s important we don’t miss the point.

James begins by addressing those who would want to be teachers. He warns that this is not for the feint of heart. Speaking in the context of Christian ministry, teachers will receive a stricter judgment. Why is this? Because we are all prone to stumble over our words and not communicate as we ought. This is part and parcel of being fallen people. No-one is perfect this side of eternity, so this is a sin we’re all liable to fall into. And this is where he leads into the topic of the tongue’s power and the need for each of us–especially teachers–to control our tongues.

The teacher’s principle tool is the tongue. That’s how he communicates information. When a pastor stands at the pulpit before his congregation and proclaims God’s Word, he does so using that “small member” which “boasts of great things.” It is the pastor’s duty to tame the tongue and bring it into submission to God’s Word. As with the boat’s rudder, the tongue is subject to the will of the pilot. If the pilot loses control of the rudder, that small rudder will get delusions of grandeur and lead the boat its own way. A preacher who loses control of his tongue will start to proclaim his own wisdom and draw the congregation to reflect on his thoughts and his ideas, not God’s. He will no longer be preaching what God’s Word says, but what he believes God’s Word should say.

This happens too easily. We see it happening right now, across the world, in pulpits that were once faithful to the gospel. Teachers who once taught the truths of Scripture now teach doctrines pulled from their own imaginations. Things that Scripture condemns are proclaimed as a blessing. Sinful practices are celebrated as liberation. Division and segregation championed over unity. “Thus says the Lord” proclaimed over things the Lord never said.

This is why we should not rush to be teachers among God’s people. We must first be rooted in God’s truth, and committed to the faithful proclamation of God’s Word, even if it’s not comfortable or popular. Otherwise, we will lose control of the rudder, let the bridle slip from our hands, and face a worse judgment for our arrogance.

I pray as you worship with your brethren in Christ today, you will be under the faithful preaching of the Word. And pray for your pastors, that the Lord would protect their minds and their tongues, and keep them rooted in His truth.