Readings for Pentecost 15

Isaiah 50: 4-10

James 3: 1-12

Mark 9: 14-29

Passage for Meditation:  “Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” James 3:5

Devotion:  You have undoubtedly seen the raging forest fires of California in the news lately.  They capture impressive images of unstoppable walls of fire engulfing trees, houses, cars and anything else in the way.  One small spark, one carelessly discarded match can set such a destructive force of fire in motion.

So too can one small word carelessly or deliberately spoken in anger, fear or jealousy unleash a destructive force of fire that can burn down the walls of our relationships leaving a smoldering heap of hurt.  We all at one point or another have been burned by the words of others and have burned others by our words.  We know all too well what James is saying when he writes, “The tongue is also a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.” (v.6)

And yet there is another tongue of fire at work in our lives, the Holy Spirit.  Sent to us by the careful and deliberate word of the Father and the Son to sanctify us and make us holy.  It is the work of the Holy Spirit through the Word that convicts us of our sin and sets our mouths aflame to confess how we have burned others with our words.  It is the work of the Holy Spirit that lights our lips with the Gospel, the message of how God quenched His rage against our sin through Jesus death and resurrection and has given us life everlasting  where we only deserved the eternal flames of hell.  It is the Holy Spirit who cools troubled consciences and comforts wounds through that Gospel message.

May the Holy Spirit sets our hearts and tongues  on fire to speak the Gospel message to our friends, family and our community!