JESUS TEACHES US that “What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.’” (Matt. 14:11) He explains further, “But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man ‘unclean;’ but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.’” (Matt. 15:18-20)
James, the Lord’s half-brother and head of the Jerusalem Christian church, makes this same teaching a major portion of his circular letter, written to “the twelve tribes scattered among the nations.” (James 1:1) This may indicate that his book was written shortly before he was martyred in 69 A.D., a time when Rome had already begun the imposition of the great diaspora that saw Israel disbanded as a nation and scattered throughout the world for two thousand years. Also, this may indicate that he was trying to say the thing(s) that he felt were most important, perhaps knowing that his own time was already short. He spends three ‘chapters’ of his book writing about the human tongue and the importance of how it is used.
We would be well-advised to pay attention to both him and his older half-brother. He develops the rhetorical question, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?” (James 3:9-11) He praises the supreme example of that which is opposite of an angry heart: “Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.” (James 3:18) Of these peacemakers, his half-sibling Jesus teaches, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” (Matt. 5:9)
Proverbs speaks often of the heart. “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Pro. 4:23), it says, and continues, “Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.” (Pro. 4:24) OT and NT, scripture is consistent with the warning that the vocalized outward expression is a clear indication of what is driving a person internally. In the bible, the heart is seen as the center of our thoughts, our will, our emotions, and our conscience. It is the ‘place’ where our unique identity dwells; it is also where the Spirit of God dwells within us.
The Spirit of God in us is jealous for the things of God. This same book of James says, “Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?” (James 4:5) Our heart is our treasure chest for revelatory wisdom and everything that shapes our character and therefore out lives. Our heart is the rightful dwelling place of the Spirit of God that dwells within us as a result of our new birth. God has a zealous desire that the life he has given us be lived in spiritual integrity.
One way that we can know how well we are living that life is by hearing the words that come from our own mouths—and not the words only, for those can be changed without a change of the heart; we must also be very aware of the tone of the words we use, for the tone also reflects the heart. James raises a high standard. “If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.” (James 3:2)
There is yet another teaching from Jesus about our speech that is worth our studied consideration. “Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No;’ anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Matt. 5:34-37)
The underlying matter in this is yet another condition of the heart, and that is pride. Pride is chief amongst the seven deadly sins. The others are lust, envy, anger, greed, gluttony, and sloth. While we understand that the bible itself has no specific teaching on these seven sins considered together, they do indeed represent failings of the heart. Sages and philosophers say pride is the deadliest of all, and the beginning of the corruption of personal identity. Theologians reserve a special place for pride. This was the sin that had Satan cast down from heaven. “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.” (Isa. 14:13-15)
Father, may we take heed of the Word of God today, for in our heart of hearts, we know that knowing and practicing such things will make us more like your son, Jesus. We ask this, knowing that it pleases you. We ask this, knowing that we need our hearts purified so that the words we speak are genuine, and are words with spiritual power. We pray with the Psalmist: “Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:13-14)
Q. Do I have a gatekeeper at the door of my mouth?
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