[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 17B

Sat Aug 29 23:35:13 EDT 2015

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-----Original Message-----
From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sat, Aug 29, 2015 5:26 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 17B

Dear Friends,

This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “What Comes Out of Your Mouth?” or “What’s on the Inside?” or “Breath Mints Won’t Help!” and deals with the gospel (Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, [16], 21-23).  Here it is: 

This morning, we heard Jesus talking about what makes us unclean, and I’d like us to think about the implications of his teachings.  In the part of the Bible immediately before our Gospel begins, the Pharisees had just criticized Jesus for allowing his disciples to eat without washing their hands.  Jesus responded with the statement we heard in the gospel- it’s not what you put into your mouth that makes you unclean.  It’s what comes out of your mouth that makes you unclean.  You know He’s right!  I do our household shopping once a week, and- WOW!  You should see the huge number of products for bad breath- mints, pocket packs, pocket mist, mouthwash, special toothpaste, tongue scrapers on those shelves!  Guess what, friends?  They’re really not going to help that much, except maybe the tongue scraper, since the cause of most bad breath is a rotten tooth, a gum disease, an infection, an illness, or that garlic you had at dinner!  A breath mint or its equivalent just won’t cut it, because the source of the problem is deep inside your body.  You know how deodorant won’t help if someone hasn’t showered or bathed for a week.  We’ve got to clean up the inside before we worry about the outside.

What’s true with bad breath and deodorant is true with a sinful heart.  What we put in our mouths won’t affect the state of our souls any more than breath mints will clean up seriously bad breath or deodorant will clean up a filthy body.  We’ve got to clean up from the inside out.  It’s what comes out of our mouths that signify what’s on the inside.  So what comes out of your mouth?

Do you have a bad habit of using God’s name in vain?  It is so very easy to pick up this habit- saying “Oh, Lord!” or such phrases.  What does the commandment say?  “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”  You wouldn’t use your mother’s name that way.  In fact, I still remember from my teaching days how many fights either started or almost started because of the way someone was talking about someone else’s mother.  So- watch your mouth.  The ancient Israelites didn’t even speak the name of God- they considered it too holy.  We can learn from them.  If you’ve got a bad habit in this regard, break it.  Only use God’s name with the highest reverence, respect, and honor.

What about other kinds of swearing that do not use God’s name in vain?  Are they sinful?  That depends.  If the words are used to describe another person or as a weapon against that person, then they are very sinful.  If, however, they are simply part of your vocabulary or used to express anger at someTHING (not someONE)- they may or may not project the image you want, but they’re probably not sinful.

Most times when someone continually uses God’s name in vain or swears casually, it usually signifies a bad habit, not a sinful, poisonous heart; however there’s other poisonous nasty verbiage that comes out of our mouths far too often.  Gossip; put-downs; lies; swearing AT people; labeling people as bad, stupid, ugly, etc.- these seriously show a heart problem, not coronary artery disease but poisoned spirit disease.  These kinds of remarks have heart-roots of jealousy, anger, hatred, poor self-esteem, desire to look better than others, and other negative emotions.  Molefi Asante reminds us, “There are two things over which you have complete dominion, authority, and control- your mind and your mouth.”  He’s right, and you get control of your mouth by getting control of your mind.  Don’t think evil thoughts.  Don’t dwell on negatives.  Remember the old Cherokee who was telling his grandson about a fight that constantly goes on inside himself. It’s a fight between two wolves.  One is evil: full of anger, envy, regret, guilt, false pride, resentment, inferiority, superiority, etc.  The other is good: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather “Grand-daddy, which wolf wins?”  The old Cherokee thought for a minute and then replied simply, “The one that I feed.”  Don’t feed the negatives.  When you find yourself dwelling on such thoughts, take charge.  Go for a walk.  Wash the dishes.  Listen to some music.  Read your Bible.  Say your prayers.  Call a friend on the phone.  Change the content of your thoughts from negatives to positives.  That’s exactly what St. Paul meant when he taught the Philippians (4:8) “Finally, my friends- keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don't ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise.”

Why bother to watch your mouth?  Because when evil words come out, they can never be recalled.  They can be explained, forgiven, maybe if you’re lucky forgotten- but when they’re out, they’re out.  I want to close with a story I’ve told many times before, but it explains so very well why we’ve simply got to think before we speak and keep Jesus in control of our lips.  There was a little boy with a bad temper.  His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, to shut his mouth and hammer a nail in the back fence. The first day the boy drove 37 nails into the fence. Gradually the number of nails he was pounding into the fence dwindled down.  He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it, and the father suggested that now the boy should pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.  The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.  The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.  He said, “You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence.  The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one.  You can put a knife in a person and draw it out.  It won't matter how many times you say “I'm sorry,” the wound is still there.  A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.”  And while we’re thinking of such things, you know who gets the worst of our poison?  Those we especially love- our family and dear friends.  How we act at home and with those we love is the true test of what’s in our hearts.  So remember Jesus warning, it’s not what you put into your mouth that makes you unclean, but what comes out of your mouth- because it shows the state of your heart.  May God bless us as we clean up our hearts and watch our mouths.

For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American wisdom statements are posted on our parish’s web site under “Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: http://www.stpaulsepisag.org .

Blessed preaching,

Judy Boli

St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Saginaw, Michigan

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