John 17:1-5
17: When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
Reflection
The appointed “hour” has finally arrived (John 17:1), and Jesus prays a final breathtaking prayer over his beloved disciples (vv. 1–26) before he is betrayed and arrested (18:1–12).
As the prayer begins, we see that Jesus’ mission on earth strongly emphasized God’s glory. Jesus asks his Father to restore him to his original state of glory in heaven (vv. 1, 5) —a request that will require Jesus to endure the cross for sinners before he can rise again and ascend to his throne. By enduring this path to glorification, Jesus accomplishes his Father’s assignment and glorifies the Father in the process (v. 4). In other words, when the Father glorifies the Son and brings him back home to heaven, then the Son will glorify the Father in the process by accomplishing the work of salvation he was sent to do. Christ’s God-glorifying work of salvation has brought eternal life to God’s people (v. 2). To have eternal life is to know this glorious Father and his Son (v. 3). Though Christians have already begun to see the reality of this glory (2 Cor. 4:6), we will soon be with Jesus and see the full revelation (John 17:24).
James 3:1-12
3: Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, 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 things.How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
Reflection
James highlights human sinfulness again, beginning with teachers—those who are entrusted with the sobering and specialized task of explaining God’s Word to his people. Because God will judge teachers with more strictness (James 3:1), and because we are all particularly prone to stumble in our speech (v. 8), the talkative role of teacher should not be assumed lightly (v. 1). Teaching is a dangerous duty.
This section draws attention to the difficulty of controlling our speech. If humans can control great horses and ships with small bits and rudders, we should be able to control our tiny tongues. The tongue’s power to bless or curse, to start fires, makes mastery essential, but “no human . . . can tame the tongue” (v. 8).
This sounds like despair, yet even if no human can tame the tongue, the One who created mankind still can. We should eagerly seek God’s help so that we might learn to speak from a renewed heart, and lay hold of God’s grace available to the weak.
Psalm 34:13-14
13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
All of us have experienced the great damage that can be done with our speech. Pray that God would make you a man or woman whose tongue is under the reign of Jesus, so that your words are used for building up rather than destroying others (Eph. 4:29).