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James 3:1-12 1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will face stricter judgment. 2 For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is mature, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. 4 Or look at ships: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, yet 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 exploits. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of life, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, 8 but no one can tame the tongue--a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse people made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth comes a blessing and a cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.  This text is overflowing with creation imagery. James has one central message: "As humans, we need to be careful with what we say, because our words can cause great destruction—that’s why not everyone should be teachers." Instead of simply stating this point and moving on, James uses vivid metaphors to drive it home.
I encourage you to use your imagination as you read this passage. Look again at verses 3-4: "If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. Or look at ships: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs." By picturing the horse and the ship (and perhaps even googling them if you’re unfamiliar), you can better grasp the lesson James is teaching. Imagine the powerful energy of a horse—its strength and speed all controlled by something as small as a bit in its mouth. Or think of a ship, large and imposing, able to face strong winds and rough seas, yet directed by a tiny rudder. These images help us understand the disproportionate power of small things, like the tongue. The words we speak, though small in comparison to the body, can steer the course of our lives and the lives of others. Just as the bit and rudder control great forces, so too our speech has the power to direct the flow of relationships, justice, and even our connection to creation. The tongue, though small, can either foster life and goodness, or it can create harm and destruction. In the first chapter, James tells us to be "quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, because human anger does not produce God's righteousness" (1:19b-20). Now, he builds on this, explaining that the same mouth cannot produce both blessings and curses—just as a spring cannot yield both fresh and brackish water, or a fig tree olives. I was once given advice, “to be a good preacher, writer, or teacher- live life, observe how the world works, get outside, love people.” This will shape your message. We see that James is someone who has done just that. This approach makes sense. Since we encounter different aspects of God's wisdom and image in creation, we are better equipped to explain the truth about God. Human experience alone is limited, but creation helps us understand both the complex and the simple aspects of God’s nature. Let us take James' advice in two ways: first, to guard our words so we can serve God and love others, and second, to engage with creation so we can know God more fully, love God and creation better, and become more effective teachers, pastors, writers and witnesses of the Gospel. This passage invites us to reflect on the relationship between our words and their consequences. Just as a fig tree cannot yield olives, nor a spring pour forth both fresh and brackish water, we cannot bless God while cursing God's creation. To pursue creation justice, our words and actions must flow from the same source—a source rooted in love, respect, and stewardship for the earth and all living beings created in the likeness of God. Caroline Hiler is a Seminary Intern at Creation Justice Ministries.
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James 2:1-17 1 My brothers and sisters, do not claim the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory while showing partiality. 2 For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, 3 and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, "Have a seat here in a good place, please," while to the one who is poor you say, "Stand there," or, "Sit by my footstool," 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor person. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? 7 Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you? 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well. 9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. 11 For the one who said, "You shall not commit adultery," also said, "You shall not murder." Now if you do not commit adultery but if you murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. 14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Surely that faith cannot save, can it? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? 17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.  Agitated and longing for home, my grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, lived with my family when I was in high school. We noticed that she became especially restless around mealtime or during car rides. Our hearts broke as we had the honor of caring for her, waiting for the happy moments, and wishing she could find peace.
One day, God provided a little kitten in our yard. This cat became one of the greatest gifts because my grandmother could put it to bed, feed it, and care for it. Her longing to help around the house, especially during mealtime, was soothed by the presence of the kitten. A few months after my grandmother left our home, this pure white kitten also passed away from feline leukemia. In the car, we discovered that she would become more calm if we talked about how beautiful the clouds were. We often tried to find the prettiest cloud and would talk about how it was a gift. Even when she could no longer speak, she would point out the prettiest cloud to me during our car rides. So, why am I sharing this story about my grandmother, and what does it have to do with James and creation? First, I find it fascinating to reflect on what brought comfort to my grandmother—it was all gifts from God, provided through creation. Second, this passage from James always reminds me of my grandmother. When she came to church with my family, no one knew her before Alzheimer’s. She was difficult to engage with, and it was often a risk to interact with her, as she might do something that could embarrass herself and you in the process. Yet, the women at my church loved my grandmother in a way that radiated the love of Christ. Whether her clothes were dirty or soiled, they sat with her every time she was at church and even offered to come to our house to spend time with her, giving us all a break. She had no money to offer, and sometimes no words of love to give back, yet these women treated her with honor. They found out what she liked—flowers and birds—and would bring her picture books filled with images of both or help her walk outside to see them. Their faith was not dead but blossomed with works of love. James calls us to a faith that is active and inclusive, rejecting partiality and prioritizing the dignity of every person. This same principle applies to creation justice, where we must honor all of God's creation by making choices that protect the earth and the vulnerable. Just as James criticizes favoring the rich while neglecting the poor, creation justice challenges us to reject systems that prioritize profit over the well-being of the environment and those who suffer most from its exploitation. As we contemplate creation justice, we are called to be like those women who saw beyond the surface and offered love and care where it was most needed. We are challenged to embody a faith that does not merely acknowledge the importance of creation but actively works to preserve it, recognizing that our treatment of the earth and its people is a reflection of our love for the Creator. In doing so, we fulfill the royal law: to love our neighbor as ourselves, extending mercy and justice to all of God’s Creation. Reflecting on my grandmother's story, God's gifts through creation, creation’s gift to my grandma— the kitten, the clouds, the birds, and the flowers—brought her peace. The women at my church embodied Christ's love by caring for her without judgment. The actions of the women and creation were not just words but deeds, mirroring James's insistence that faith without works is dead. In the context of creation justice, our care for the earth must also be active, reflecting our love for both the Creator and creation by making deliberate, compassionate choices that uphold the dignity of all Creation. Caroline Hiler is a Seminary Intern at Creation Justice Ministries. James 1:17-27 |
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