Lead With Your Ears, Not Your Tongue

Overview

Leading with your ears means doing what James 1:19 says, be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, hearing twice as much as we speak because we were given two ears and one mouth. In this teaching Rev. Jon Ryan first establishes from Galatians 1:18, Mark 6 and 1 Corinthians 15 that the James who wrote the epistle was Jesus Christ’s younger brother, a man who grew up beside his Lord for nearly thirty years and was so respected in Jerusalem that Peter, freed from Herod’s prison in Acts 12, sent word straight to him. He then shows Jesus himself listening, to God and to people, in John 8 with the woman taken in adultery and in Luke 7 with the centurion whose faith astounded him.

Transcript

Swift to Hear, Slow to Speak: James 1:19

Take your Bibles, please, and turn to James chapter 1. I call this teaching, lead with your ears, not your tongue. James is Jesus Christ’s brother. We’ll see that as we go to some of the scriptures.

And so we’re going to consider specifically this, what this verse says, but it’s pretty amazing what is handled in these five chapters of the book of James. But let’s start in James chapter 1 verse 19. We read, Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.

So there’s some great admonition. That’s why I said, lead with your ears. Actually, the Message Bible, which is another version, says that specifically.

In the Message Bible, it says, Post this at all the intersections, dear friends. Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. I like how that’s put.

Two Ears and One Mouth: Listening as Courtesy

We just continue to listen. One time heard, we had two ears and one mouth. That means we’re to hear twice as much as we are to speak.

It’s just such a great thing of courtesy. So often in our day and time, it can be real simple for people to talk over one another. And it’s just some learned habits.

It’s really discourteous and inconsiderate. But we see it happen all the time. There’s a sports program called Pardon the Interruption.

It’s all about just this whole thing of talking over one another. But we want to be more considerate. We want to give an opportunity for a conversation to hear what someone has to say before we’re quick to speak.

James the Lord’s Brother in Galatians 1:18

Turn to Galatians, please. Galatians chapter 1. So James that wrote this book of James was the Lord’s brother. And it says that specifically here.

Galatians chapter 1 verse 18. Paul is recounting how he has been brought up in the Word. And there he says in verse 18, Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and abode with him 15 days.

But other of the apostles saw I none save James, the Lord’s brother. So Paul, when he had originally been with the Sanhedrin and was quite an adversary of the Christian household, he was witnessed to by Jesus Christ himself on the way when he was traveling to Damascus from Jerusalem. You can read that record in Acts chapter 9. And then he realized within that short time that he had been persecuting Christians and those that follow Jesus Christ when Jesus indeed was the promised one that had been looked for since the time of Adam and Eve.

And so he had to turn his whole thinking around. And he spent quite a bit of time back in his home country of Arabia and Tarsus, the city of Tarsus. But he had come down to see Peter and says just a couple of weeks, 15 days.

Mark 6: Jesus the Carpenter in His Own Hometown

And he went and saw James, the brother of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at Mark chapter 6, please. We know that Jesus was born of Mary.

His stepfather was Joseph. And these were not the only child that they had. After Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph had other children.

And here in Mark 6, it talks about this in chapter 6 verse 1. And he went out from thence and came into his own country, speaking of Jesus Christ. And his disciples followed him. And when the Sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue.

And many hearing him were astonished, saying, from whence hath this man these things? And what wisdom is this, which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. So here he’s in his hometown, and he had lived there for a better part of 30 years. There was a time when he was first born that he was in Bethlehem.

And then there was a short time that with God’s direction, Joseph and Mary fled Bethlehem and went to Egypt, which saved Jesus’ life. But then they came back to Nazareth and grew up there. And Joseph was a carpenter.

So it made very common sense that Jesus would also learn that trade. The fathers were instructed to teach their sons a trade so they could become proficient and make a living for their families. And so in Nazareth, they just saw Jesus as the carpenter.

How Many Brothers and Sisters Did Jesus Have?

His ministry did not open up until he was about 30 years old. And so here’s a listing of at least five brothers and sisters that he had, James and Joseph and Judah and Simon. There’s four and then sisters.

That’s plural. That’s five, six. So this is a fairly good-sized family.

And yet they were not well-respected. But the point is that James was Jesus’ brother. Now look at 1 Corinthians, please.

1 Corinthians 15: The Gospel Paul Preached and Delivered

1 Corinthians, chapter 15, 15. Here, the Apostle Paul is writing 1 Corinthians. He had traveled to this area.

He could read Acts 16, 17, 18, that he was up in Macedonia and Philippi and Thessalonica, came down to Athens, and then came to Corinth and spent a year and a half in Corinth. And then he went over to Ephesus, ultimately, and wrote the book of Corinthians from Ephesus. And here he writes in 1 Corinthians 15, 1, Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you.

See, he had been with them, and he’s writing back to them to remind them of what he had taught them. If you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you, first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he was seen of Cephas.

That’s another name for Peter. Then of the twelve, after that he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remained unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James, then of all the apostles.

Thirty Years as Brothers: What Jesus Taught James Growing Up

I just want you to picture this. Imagine the relationship that Jesus had with his brother James. For nearly thirty years, James was his younger brother, but he was born shortly after Jesus.

For nearly thirty years, they got to grow up together and build, you can imagine, these very strong bonds. Can you picture Jesus sitting with his brother at times and teaching him records from the Old Testament? It says when Jesus was twelve, his family took a trip to Jerusalem from Nazareth for one of the feasts, and Jesus stayed behind. He wanted to learn more from the scribes and the Pharisees, and his family didn’t realize until they were well on their way home.

They traveled more than a day, and then they realized Jesus wasn’t with them. The children would typically be traveling in the caravan by themselves, and along with the rest of the group, and probably came time at night to count heads and put everybody to bed. Jesus wasn’t there, and so they go back, and they find him.

After three days, they find him in the temple. So he was, even at twelve, he had an amazing mind, and he tells his mother, don’t you know I must be about my father’s business? His father was God almighty. So just consider the records from the Bible that James would have been taught from his older brother, would have had this amazing relationship that was built.

The Resurrected Christ Appears to Peter, Then to James

And here, in his resurrected body, it’s noting here that Jesus came and appeared to Cephas, Peter. The last time he had seen Peter, Peter was denying that he even knew him. And then when the cock crew, when the rooster crowed, Jesus and Peter met eyes.

Jesus was in the building where they were torturing him, and Peter was just outside. And Jesus had told Peter, you’re going to deny, you know, before the cock crows this morning, over and over again. And says Peter wept bitterly, and that was the last time he saw his Lord.

Can you imagine how down he would have been, how ashamed he would have been? And yet Jesus Christ, in his resurrected body, came and found Peter, and says he appeared to Cephas. Then of the twelve, we can read some of the resurrection appearances in the ends of the Gospel, and we see that he appeared to the twelve. At one point he came and Thomas wasn’t there, there was only eleven of them.

And then it says he was, at one point, appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time. And then after that, in verse seven, it says after that he was seen of James. Jesus went and found James.

Just consider that reunion. His brother, James’ brother, who was also his Lord, our Lord, had been so brutally murdered, and Jesus comes and talks to him. They had an amazing relationship.

Acts 12: Herod Kills James the Son of Zebedee

Look at Acts chapter twelve. There would have been great respect for this relationship. I mean, wouldn’t you have loved to have the opportunity to spend time with James and Mary, Jesus’ mother, to find out about, you know, how was it growing up with Jesus Christ? It must have been an amazing adventure to be a part of that family.

And they had the apostles, the believers of that time, the disciples, had great respect for James. In Acts chapter twelve, here we read in verse one, now about that time. Now this is apparently somewhere in proximity when the book of James was written.

This is around 41, 42 A.D. They say James may have been written as late as 45, but the mystery hadn’t really been broadly taught that the Gentiles were also part of this. But here it says in verse one of Acts twelve, now about that time Herod, the king, stretched forth his hand to vex certain of the church, and he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword. That’s not James the Lord’s brother.

There was fishermen that Jesus Christ first witnessed to Peter and Andrew, and James and John, the sons of Zebedee. And so this is the James, the son of Zebedee, that has been killed. Verse three, and because he saw that it pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded further to take Peter also.

Peter in Prison While Prayer Was Made Without Ceasing

And then were the days of unleavened bread, Passover. And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him. That’s like a real strong guardian of these soldiers.

You got four quaternions that are watching Peter day and night, intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. Verse five, Peter therefore was kept in prison, but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. You can imagine they would have been very concerned.

James has just been killed by Herod. Herod’s, I believe, was his father that had been the one that had John the Baptist beheaded. This Herod has taken James and had him killed, and Peter’s on the chopping block next, and so they’re praying.

And they gathered together in this home of, really, it’s the home of Mark, who wrote the Gospel of Mark, the home of Mark’s mother. He was called John Mark. And so they’re all there praying, and watch what happens here.

The Angel Wakes Peter and the Iron Gate Opens of His Own Accord

It says, verse six, and when Herod would have brought him forth the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. And the keepers before the door kept the prison, so pretty high security. And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and the light shined in the prison, and he smote Peter on the side.

This angel wakes Peter up. And he raised him up, saying, arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.

And the angel said unto him, gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he said unto him, cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.

So this angel is leading him past all these soldiers out of the prison. And he went out and followed him, and wist, that’s the old English word for knew, and knew not that it was true, which was done by the angel, but thought it was a vision. He thought he was dreaming.

What’s going on here? When they were past the first and second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city, which opened to them of his own accord. This angel, it’s amazing the authority that they have. This gate just opened up to them.

And they went out and passed on through one street, and forthwith the angel departed from him. And when Peter was come to himself, he said, now I know of a surety that the Lord had sent his angel and had delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark.

Rhoda at the Gate and the Respect Shown to James

So this is the man that wrote the Gospel of Mark there at his mother’s house, where many were gathered together praying. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. I love that it tells us her name.

So they’re all praying, and there’s a knock at the door, late at night, and Rhoda comes to the door. And when she knew Peter’s voice, she recognized him, she opened up the gate for gladness, but ran in and told how Peter stood before the gate. She’s so excited.

Peter’s here, and I’ve got to tell everybody, but let him in. And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so.

Then said they, it is his angel. But Peter continued knocking, and when they had opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison.

And he said, go show these things to James, and to the brethren. And he departed and went into another place. So look at the respect they had for James.

This obviously isn’t James the son of Zebedee, because he was killed. This is James, the Lord’s brother, who has taken on the role of overseeing the group, the Christians there in Jerusalem. And then they have such respect.

Peter says, go let James know that I’m out. Just to consider some of the things that would have been taught to James by his older brother. It’s amazing.

What the Book of James Teaches: Control the Tongue, Receive the Word With Meekness

We see in this book of James some things like we’re not to be double-minded. That when we’re tempted, it’s never God that’s tempting us. That we, like we read in the opening verse here, that we’re to be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.

It goes on in chapter 3 that we’re to control our tongue. Our tongue can get us into a world of trouble if we don’t control our tongue, what we say. Listen first.

We’re to receive the word with meekness. We’re to be coachable. Imagine James, how he would have been so coachable as Jesus Christ unfolded the Scriptures to him.

On the road to Emmaus, Jesus Christ appeared in his resurrected body to two men that were sad and despondent because Jesus had been killed. And Jesus proceeded to share the word with them before he even disclosed who he was. And it was the word that ministered to their hearts and built them up.

So we have to make meek to the word coachable. We compare in James in chapter 3, worldly wisdom to the wisdom from above, the wisdom from God, and see what a contrast there is. I mean, there’s so many things.

In chapter 5, there’s a great teaching about prayer, and it uses Elijah and how he prayed for over three years. And he was patient, and God answered his prayer. That’s in a record from 1 Kings 17 that just imagine Jesus Christ teaching that record to his brother James.

John 8: Jesus Listens to God Before He Answers the Accusers

And Jesus Christ himself, in so many instances, we see how he was listening to people. He listened with not just his ears, but he listened with his eyes and his whole mind. He listened with his heart.

Consider for a second the Gospel of John chapter 8. Gospel of John chapter 8. In this record, there’s a woman that has been brought before Jesus. They interrupt him as he’s teaching because they say they found this woman caught her in adultery. And the law says we’re supposed to stone her.

And they think they’ve trapped Jesus, what he’s going to do. It says in John chapter 8 verse 2, And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him. And he sat down, and taught them.

And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned, but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him.

They didn’t care about this woman. They’re just always trying to trap Jesus Christ. And then said, but Jesus stooped down, I’m in the middle of verse 6, stooped down with his finger, wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

See, so here he’s presented with this. And he’s listening to these accusations. But you know who else he’s listening to? He’s listening to God.

And he just stoops down and is writing on the ground. We have no idea what he was teaching when these men interrupted, but he just, he’s going to God. Okay, Father, how do I handle this one? Verse 7, so when they continued asking him, so they’re just blabbing on and on with these accusations, he lifted up himself and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

And again, he stooped down and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it being convicted by their own conscience went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last. And Jesus was left alone with the woman standing in the midst.

When Jesus had lifted up himself and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers, hath no man condemned thee? She said, no man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more. But see, when he would get in this situation, he would put his whole heart, soul and mind into that situation.

Luke 7: The Centurion’s Servant and the Greatest Faith in Israel

You know, another example, I’m going to show you one more. But then I’m going to challenge you to perhaps look in the Gospels, maybe this next week, and see if you can recognize some places where Jesus Christ was listening to what someone was saying before he spoke. Here, go to Luke chapter 7. Luke chapter 7. Again, Jesus Christ is ministering, as he was often doing.

And he’s going to get word from a centurion, someone that’s not a Jew, someone that works for Rome, that has heard about Jesus Christ. It says in verse 1 of Luke chapter 7, Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum. And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear unto him, was sick and ready to die.

And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. Well, first of all, this centurion has amazing confidence and respect for Jesus Christ. And great love for his servant.

It’s not part of his family, it’s a servant. And yet, he cares about this man to the degree that he’s going to reach out to Jesus Christ. To see if Jesus Christ can come and help him.

Verse 4, And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying that he was worthy for whom he should do this. For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue, then Jesus went with them. So Jesus is listening.

These men come and say, this centurion’s a great guy. He’s even built us a synagogue. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself, for I am not worthy that thou should enter under my roof.

Wherefore, neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee. That’s the reason the centurion didn’t come himself. He didn’t feel like he was worthy to come face to face with Jesus Christ.

We’re here in verse 7. Wherefore, neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee, but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. That’s the confidence. You just speak the word, Jesus, and my servant will be healed.

For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers. And I say to one go, and he goeth, and to another come, and he cometh. And to my servant do this, and he doeth it.

When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith. No, not in Israel. This centurion is a Roman, and Jesus is astounded at this man’s faith.

He says, just speak, and it’ll be, it’s all we need to do here. And they that were sent returning to the house found the servant whole that had been sick. It’s just amazing.

Listen More Than You Speak: A Great Way to Live Life

But see how Jesus listened, and he just was able to take care of situations time and time again. There’s a time when a woman comes to him, and she’s not a Jew, and she’s asking for his help, and he says he came to Israel, and she says, well, even the dogs get the crumbs off the table. And again, he’s amazed, and he grants this woman her request.

See, he just, he listened, and James would have learned that great example of his brother to listen more than you speak. And that’s what we can learn. There’s so much to be learned from the book of James, as there is from the whole Bible, of course.

But I like this verse 19, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, or to get angry. It’s a great way to live life.

Key Takeaways

• James 1:19 is the whole teaching in one verse: let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. The Message Bible puts it, Post this at all the intersections, dear friends. Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear.
• We have two ears and one mouth, which means we are to hear twice as much as we speak. Talking over one another is a learned habit, and it is discourteous and inconsiderate.
• The James who wrote the epistle is the Lord’s brother, named in Galatians 1:19, listed among Jesus’ brothers in Mark 6:3, and sought out personally by the resurrected Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:7.
• James had nearly thirty years growing up alongside Jesus in Nazareth, so the things his older brother taught him show up in his epistle: do not be double-minded, God tempts no one, control the tongue, receive the word with meekness.
• In Acts 12 the church prays without ceasing, an angel wakes Peter and the iron gate opens of his own accord, and the first thing Peter says is, go show these things to James, and to the brethren. That is how much the believers respected him.
• Jesus listened before he spoke. In John 8 he stooped down and wrote on the ground as though he heard them not, listening to God before answering the accusers, and in Luke 7 he listened to the elders and to the centurion’s friends before he marveled at that Roman’s faith.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does James 1:19 mean by swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath?

It is the courtesy of listening first. Rev. Jon Ryan points out that we have two ears and one mouth, which means we are to hear twice as much as we are to speak, and that we should give an opportunity for a conversation to hear what someone has to say before we’re quick to speak. The Message Bible renders the same verse, Post this at all the intersections, dear friends. Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear.

Was the James who wrote the book of James the brother of Jesus?

Yes. Galatians 1:19 says Paul saw none of the other apostles save James, the Lord’s brother. Mark 6:3 lists him among the carpenter’s family, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon, along with sisters. And 1 Corinthians 15:7 records that the resurrected Christ was seen of James. He is not James the brother of John, the son of Zebedee, whom Herod killed with the sword in Acts 12.

How did Jesus listen before he spoke in John 8?

When the scribes and Pharisees interrupted his teaching with the woman taken in adultery, Jesus stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. He was hearing their accusations, but he was also listening to God about how to handle it. Only when they continued asking him did he lift himself up and say, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

Scripture References

James 1; James 1:19; Galatians 1:18; Galatians 1:19; Acts 9; Mark 6:1-3; Acts 16; Acts 17; Acts 18; 1 Corinthians 15:1-7; Acts 12:1-17; James 3; James 5; 1 Kings 17; John 8:2-11; Luke 7:1-10

This text was prepared from the teaching audio. Please verify scripture references against your own Bible.