WINDOW TO THE SOUL

(James 1:17-27 and Mark 7:1-23)

I want to start out this morning by testing your basic knowledge of the human anatomy. Now, I know last week I started with a game. I assure you I don’t do this every week, but this week requires your participation. So, when I ask the question, holler out the answer if you think you know it.

- What is the longest bone in the body?

-What is the largest organ in the human body?

-What is the smallest organ?

-What is the largest muscle?

-What is the “window to the soul?”

-What is the most powerful muscle in the human body?

I would argue (and I think I find some support from our scripture passages today) that the tongue is the most powerful muscle in the human body. And while the eyes can reveal something of a person’s current emotional state for the observant and intuitive person, I think we also find from our scripture readings that the mouth and/or tongue are the window to the soul. For they reveal what is in a person’s heart.

Many, many moons ago, when Ryan and I were quite young, when we had no children and no wrinkles, we were on a trip through his work and were staying in Tucson, Arizona. There we met a female Jewish Cantor. We were going to breakfast together and Ryan and I were remarking how we wanted some biscuits with sausage gravy. We were quite surprised to learn that this Cantor and her husband were planning to have the same, with a side of sausage and bacon as well. When I asked her about that, she explained that they were Reformed Jewish and that they did not keep kosher. She further said to me, “we believe it’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles but what comes out of it.” Now, I’ll confess…I didn’t recognize that as having come from Mark’s gospel, I just thought it made a lot of sense. Furthermore, I didn’t realize the irony of a Jewish person using the Gospels to illustrate her beliefs.

But she was right. Jesus was right. Words, what comes out of the mouth is what defiles. Words are powerful. Look at the words of the Pharisees in this passage. They are using words to try and trap Jesus, to have him found as a heretic, to use words to have reason to expel him from the community.

In the musical “My Fair Lady” there’s a song titled “Show me”. I think the opening is something like “words, words, words, I’m so sick of words. I get words all day through first from him, now from you. Is that all you bright ones can do?” She goes on to sing that she wants to see action. We teach our kids, whenever they encounter their first taunting on the playgrounds of childhood, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will…(what?). But we all know that’s not true, is it?

Words wound. Words divide. Words hurt feelings, sever relationships, crush dreams, kill the spirit. Words are exceptionally powerful. We need only look so far as the creation accounts in Genesis. God spoke, and the world came into being. Words have weight and power.

I want you to raise your hand if you’ve ever said something that you knew was so ugly and hurtful that as soon as the words came out of your mouth, you wished you could physically drag them back in again?

But you can’t, can you? Once they’re out there, we can’t take them back. And we all know that more often than not, when someone says something cruel or biting and then follows it up with “just kidding” – they’re not. How many of you (raise your hand again) have has something said to you that hurt worse than a slap on the face or a kick in the gut?

Words are powerful. We need to use them judiciously. Case in point… A little girl in middle school brings home a test grade. She’d studied hard, made a 95. She was really proud. She shows it to her father who, whether he thought he was driving her toward perfection or just being funny, said, “why wasn’t it a 100?” She tried to laugh it off, tell him he was being silly and that 95 was a good grade. But it hurt. She walked away, hearing words softly in her inner ear, “not good enough.”

Time went on and she was in honors math classes. She’d bring home a A on a final exam. Her father replied, “why not an A+?” She walked away hearing those words again, “not good enough.” It continued on through high school, college, graduate school. All her life, she strove to achieve, to prove that she was worthy, to show someone that she was good enough. But she kept hearing those words that started so long ago. Do you think they’ll ever stop? Will she ever decide that she is enough? Don’t tell me words have no power. You know it. I know it. Jesus knew it. James knew it.

I really like the book of James. I know Martin Luther called it an epistle of straw, but I think he was going through his own personal crisis of faith at the time. Now some accuse it of being a works righteousness book, with which I heartily disagree. I grew up in Waco – which most of you know is one of the epicenters of Southern Baptist activity. I grew up hearing the phrase “once saved, always saved” more times than I care to count. And the thing about that phrase was that it was so often used as a cop out; as an excuse for not being socially active in the world or for not being a regular part of a faith community. I got dunked under the waters. I’m saved – so I can go on with the rest of my life. To be quite bold, I think that’s hogwash. And that’s why I like old James. As I said earlier, he is not a proponent of works righteousness. Rather what James asserts is that a true faith affects how we live, what we do, the choices we make, how we behave, how we treat the stranger, the widow, the orphan, the vulnerable in our society. It affects how we treat each other. In today’s passage he focuses on taming anger, restraining ourselves from using hateful words that we can’t take back.

In the gospel reading in Mark, Jesus gives a list of the things that defile – greed, deceit, envy, slander, pride – what comes out – through the mouth reveals what is in the human heart – the soul. So, if the mouth is truly the window to the soul. What does your window reveal?

I mentioned earlier the passage from James. He advises the readers in that faith community to be slow to speak. How many times do I wish I’d exercised that discipline? How many times do you wish you’d listened more and talked less? How many times I wish I’d not responded sharply in the heat of the moment, but had taken some time to think before I spoke?

Words are indeed powerful. They can wound, but they can also bring hope and peace and reconciliation. They can inspire. Think of some of the words that changed history…. “Ask not what you can do for your country, but what your country can do for you.” “Four score and seven years ago, our founding fathers set forth upon this continent, a new nation.” “That’s one small step for man, one giant step for mankind.” “I have a dream…” “No, I will not get up and go to the back of the bus.”

James advises the readers to listen to the implanted WORD which has the power to save your souls. Remember in the gospel of John where it says, “In the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was with God and the WORD was God?” Listen to what Christ (the WORD) will speak in your heart, for he alone has the power to save you. Listen to Christ’s leading and not to your own human impulses.

You know I’ve often talked with my own James about choosing his words carefully; about how easy it is to criticize or hurt with our words. I’ve told him on many occasions to use the rule of “Thumper”. Do you know what that is? Have you ever seen the movie “Bambi?” Remember Bambi’s friend, the little rabbit Thumper? His mother told him, “If you can’t say something nice…..(what?)” That’s the rule of “Thumper.”

Being slow to speak and doing a bit more listening is a good rule for all of us to practice. Later on in James’ writing he talks more about taming the tongue and uses the example of how something as small as a bridle put in a horses’ mouth can move the whole animal where you want him or her to go. I think if we start with our words and shape what comes out of our mouth, a more faithful life will follow.

If the mouth is the window to the soul, then what are the words of a healthy soul? Words like – “I was wrong. I apologize.” “Thank you for your hard work.” “Can you forgive me?” “How can I help you?” “I’m so proud of you.” “I am blessed to know you.” “Please” “I love you.”

To remind you of the power of words, I want to leave you with a few. I think you’ll recognize them and know who said them…. “not my will Father, but they will be done.” “Into thy hands, I commend my spirit.” “By this they will know you are my disciples, that you have love for one another.”