If you ever get a chance to read Art Buchwald’s short essay, “Love and the Cabbie,” I highly recommend it. Here is a summary of the piece: Buchwald and a friend are riding in a New York City taxi. When they reach their destination, the friend sincerely compliments the driver on his excellent driving and his ability to stay calm in heavy traffic.
The cabbie is initially suspicious, asking if the friend is a “wise guy,” but he ultimately drives away pleased after the friend assures him the praise is genuine.
Later, Buchwald asks his friend what that interaction was about. The friend tells Buchwald that he is on a personal mission to “save” New York City by spreading love.
His plan of action is simple: if he can make the taxi driver happy, that driver will likely be kinder to his next twenty passengers. Those passengers will, in turn, be kinder to their coworkers, waiters, and families. Ultimately, one small compliment could indirectly bring goodwill to thousands of people.
Jesus also highlighted the value—and the potential harm—of our words, but He went beyond the words themselves to address the source of what we say:
“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:33-37)
The Snake Family Speaks
Jesus called the religious leaders a “brood of vipers”—or, in my parlance, a family of snakes. He placed them in the same category as the serpent in the Garden of Eden.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1)
The serpent asked the first couple to doubt God’s goodness. The Pharisees were doing the exact same thing with Jesus’ ministry. Like the snake in the Garden, they used language in an attempt to persuade the crowds following Jesus to doubt who He was.
Jesus highlighted another characteristic of the snake:
“You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)
The religious establishment used lies to convict Jesus and crucify Him. Whenever we lie, we reveal our own kinship with the snake family.
The words we use in life will be used for or against us in the judgment because they reveal the true nature of our inmost selves.
Getting a Heart Like Jesus
I like to think I am like Art Buchwald’s friend in the cab. I try to encourage and uplift people in every circumstance. I do a pretty good job of using words to build people up, but I still need help in the “careless words” category that Jesus talked about.
Here are a few practices that keep my heart—and thus my mouth—in a good place:
If I start my day with Bible reading and prayer, the entire day goes well. On the other hand, if I skip this practice, I can count on being more distant from God. When I am not conscious of the Holy Spirit’s activity in my life, my language and behavior turn negative.
You may be like me: easily influenced by social media or television. Studies show that social media platforms are designed to reinforce our existing opinions. They also reveal that certain addictive chemicals are released in the brain when stories make us feel angry, aggrieved, or victimized.
When Buchwald wrote his story, social media had not yet been invented. However, suppose his friend had spent thirty minutes building rage based on a sense of grievance or victimization? Would he still be on his mission to change New York through love?
In my case, if I am adversely affected by what I read or see on social media, careless words more easily come to mind and find expression. Since I know that I am unable to change the systems of this world—other than in small ways—I choose to give my attention to Jesus and His kingdom.
By simply reclaiming the time I normally devote to social media, I was able to read a nine-hour book on Isaiah over the past few days. Rather than watching another YouTube video on politics or sports, I devoted that time to an excellent book on Scripture.
God used what I read to touch both my heart and my mouth. My choice this week is to purchase another book on Isaiah and substitute my social media time with improving the state of my heart.
That is my story. What is yours? How are you going to respond to Jesus’ message about the words we use?
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 