Words

Words.  How important they are.  We use them to express our thoughts, our emotions, our ideas.  We speak them, sing them, write them, sign them with our hands and have multitudes of languages and symbols for them.  We use lights, sounds and even dance motions to convey them.  We dedicate volumes of books, libraries, buildings to contain our collections of these words that we value so dearly.  We honor men and women who eloquently express themselves through written word, whether it be truth or fiction, poetry or music, newsworthy or entertainment. Wars have been fought, lives have been taken and given over the right to freely express and read these words. Yet we can be so reckless, so careless with our own.

In the 15th chapter of Matthew, the Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus seeking to entrap Him.  Not a new endeavor for them, nor an easy task either.  They asked Jesus why His disciples broke the tradition of the elders by not washing their hands before they ate.  (No, really, they did.)  He responded by asking them why they also transgressed the commandment of God with their traditions.  (No, really, He did.)  I really wish I could have been there to have watched some of these exchanges, having the knowledge that I have, knowing that these arrogant, self-righteous men were trying to out maneuver God.  They were trying to back the Creator of the Universe in a corner and trick Him into saying something stupid.  It would be like watching Albert Einstein debate an 8th grader.  A really dumb 8th grader.

Then Jesus goes further in depth.  You see, God clearly commanded, He explains in verse four, that one is to honor their mother and father, and if one curses them they were to die.  But the Pharisees had changed God’s commandment, amended it,  that if you make a gift to the temple, then you don’t have to die.  He then calls them hypoctrites, teaching commandments of men as the doctrine of God.  In verses 10-20, He talks with the multitude and with His disciples more about this issue.  Listen to what He says:

“And He called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:  Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.”
Jesus was more concerned about what was coming out of their mouths than about what was going into their mouths.  And why was that?  Read on:

“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man;…”
I have spent the better part of my Christian life in a small world.  In a small church, in a small town.  My husband was self-employed, was a lay-youth pastor and I was a stay at home mom who home-schooled our three children.  We had a good life, traveled and interacted with lots of other churches and met lots of other people in our ministry.  Things are different now.  We are in a much larger church in a much larger city.  We are exposed to many, many more people.  John is working part-time in a large ministry that employs a large number of people and is interacting therefore with a large number of people.  I personally have had my eyes opened.  Wide.  Shockingly so.  I’ve always known that not everyone is kind and gentle.  I’ve run into my fair share of gossips, back-biters and those who sow discord among the brethren.  But in a small ministry, the number would also be few.  In a large ministry, well, the odds increase.  I guess I just always assumed they were a rarity.  I guess I thought mature Christians sort of out-grew that behavior.  Turns out some of them just get better at it.  Or maybe it should be bitter.  It can only be from a bitter heart that so many hateful words, cutting remarks,  and vicious gossip can be spewed.

When we open up our mouths, what comes out?  Why, what is in our heart proceeds out.  Some would be quick to say no to that, especially if the things were not too complimentary to them.  I would challenge anyone to carry a voice activated recorder around with them for a day or two and then listen to it.  What do you sound like?  What does it sound like is in your heart?  Is it the things that are listed in the verses we just read above?  Evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies?  Ewww.  I don’t want that heart.

What would the antithesis to this be?  Merciful thoughts, kindness, love, purity, goodness, honesty, praise.  Sounds an awful lot like the fruit of the Spirit to me.  How would one acquire this sort of heart?  Only by immersing oneself in the Word of God.  By pouring into ourselves daily the very words of our Father can we hope to drive out the bitter residue that is the world.  When we are in the Word, when the Word in in us, it is witnessed and evident in our speech, in our words.  His Word is in our words.

I know that this can sound somewhat judgmental.  That really isn’t my intent.  But I think it may have been Jesus’ intent.  Because when we open up our mouths, our words certainly judge us.  What we say speaks loudly and clearly about what is in our hearts.  We do not need anyone else to judge us, for we are judging ourselves every time we open up our mouths.  This morning I highlighted a verse in Proverbs 12:18, strictly for myself.  I will close by sharing it with you here.

There is that speaketh like the piercing of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.