The danger of duplicity

 
When we say that a person speaks with “forked-tongue” we mean that they are deliberately saying one thing but mean something else. The analogy comes from the split tongue of a snake that, when flicked out, displays two tines spread as wide as possible. It’s a perfect illustration of the human tendency to have it both ways. I once heard the O. Hobart Mowrer (former president of the American Psychological Association) say that at the root of all mental problems was duplicity. Apparently we are looking at a problem that appears to be a governing factor in human relationships.
        James wants to picture how contrary to nature it is for the tongue to bless God but curse people created in his image. To hold both as accurate violates common logic. Then James provides three analogies to illustrate his point: words of blessing and cursing should not come from the same mouth, fresh water and salt water do not flow from the same spring, and figs don’t come from olive trees nor do olives come from fig trees. The point is that the tongue is guilty of doing exactly that – saying things that are diametrically opposed but helpful in arguing a position. Unless we consistently mean what we say, society cannot function in a reliable fashion. In the physical world the reactions of various forces are always foreseeable and dependable. And it should be the same in the world of personal relationships. I drop a ball and it falls to the ground, every time. If I agree to take money you hand to me and pay your bill at the store but spend it on myself, the “ball” doesn’t fall to the floor but flies off in another direction. If duplicity is a major factor in life, and it is, any hope for a positive future is threatened. 
         It seems obvious that the cure for the split-tongue nature of our world lies in correcting whatever it is that makes the tongue so hypocritical. I don’t want to infer that we live in a valley of verbal dishonesty so deep that there is no escape. What I am saying is that by nature we do allow both the fresh water of truth and the rancid water of inaccuracy to come from our mouth. Were we to ask James what could be done about this I believe he would outline a program like this: The starting point is that everything God created was good. He says so seven times in the first chapter of Genesis. But man sinned and was separated from God. As the remedy for man’s sin, God sent his Son Jesus to earth as a man who then lived a sinless life that made him an appropriate sacrifice for all sin. He died on a cross and three days later rose again and 40 days later ascended to heaven with the promise that he would return. Salvation comes when people accept by faith that Christ rose from the dead and openly acknowledge him as Lord of their life (Romans 10:9-10).
         We can be eternally grateful that scripture doesn’t speak with a forked tongue. We can depend on its trustworthiness, that it means exactly what it says. There is no duplicity in Jesus. I trust you know that scripture leads people to God; it has never said anything that wasn’t true.