“The pen is mightier than the sword” this quote is from the play, “Richelieu, or the conspiracy,” by Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
Words. We use them every day. We can use them for good or evil and they are so very, very powerful.
Today is the feast of Saint Barnabas, apostle and martyr who at the time of this message in Acts was in Antioch, a huge city. He was having success spreading the gospel but he needed help, because the job was too big for him to handle alone. So he sought out Saul.
Saul was in his hometown of Tarsus. Acts does not say what he was doing but knowing Saul (Saint Paul) he was spreading the message of the Gospel to his friends and relatives. He must have had a satisfactory outcome in Tarsus because as soon as Barnabas came, they both left for Antioch. This was probably the last time that Saul saw his family and was one of many hardships Saul would undergo.
Barnabas and Saul arrived back in Antioch and spent a year spreading the word and this is where believers were first called Christians. Here my imagination runs wild. How did the term Christian evolve in the year that Paul and Barnabas were in Antioch? Before that believers were called followers of the Way and considered a segment of Judaism. At the end of the year they were called Christians. Words. How did they evolve? We could have just as easily been called Jesuits…no that has been taken. Then I wonder, where did “Catholic” come from? I know it means universal.
Words define us and are powerful. Jesus was a master of words, but He used them ever so carefully and sometimes used them in judgement. Look at the parable of the fig tree (Mark 11:12-26).
I knew a youth pastor at a Protestant Church who was a good friend, and he had a story about this passage. His name was Greg and he had a group of teenagers who meet at one of their members houses. One of the teenagers’ mother had a favorite plant. The youth group read the parable of the fig tree and without talking to their youth leader, they cursed the plant. Just to see what would happen. Guess what happened, the plant started to die. The leaves started to turn brown and the next day lost leaves and was clearly dying. The teenagers told the youth leader and after a stern lecture they prayed that the plant live. It did revive, but was a powerful lesson to the group on how powerful a curse can be. Words in a modern day context.
In the Gospel of today’s readings Jesus talks about how words should be used.
Jesus’s says:
“But I say to you, do not swear at all;
not by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
nor by the earth, for it is his footstool;
nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Do not swear by your head,
for you cannot make a single hair white or black.
Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’
Anything more is from the Evil One.”
I do not like anyone that curses in my presence. Besides being bad manners, it is offensive to my Lord and Savior. However, I must admit the words have slipped out of my mouth. Oops! Was I mortified, yes? Was I humiliated, yes? Will I do it again…….. Dear Lord, I hope not. Lord, I can be a sinful man.
Jesus in this passage, and as my friend the youth pastor Greg explained to his youth group, that we need to weigh our words and actions very carefully. The group prayed that the curse be reversed and the plant survived. It was a powerful example to his group that I am sure they will never forget and nor will I.
We can comfort people but, also hurt people with our words. It is impossible to like everyone but we must love them as Jesus loves them. We may not like what they do or say but we do not have the authority to condemn them. That is God’s domain and not ours. That is what Jesus is saying, “do not swear at all”, we as mere humans don’t have that authority.
In Genesis 12:3:
” I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will find blessing in you.”
God will curse those who curse you, wow! Our words are so very important. Be careful how and where you use them and yes they can be mightier than the sword.
Please note my parting words.
God Bless you!
Bob Burford
Acts 11:21B-26, 13:1-3; Ps 98: 1, 2-3AB, 3CD-4, 5-6; Mt 5:33-37
