THE BOYS in our picture are surely far from being happy: they have gotten into trouble on the school ground. When their days’ work was done, and they were on their way home, two of the boys began fighting, and now the master has had to come to find out what the trouble is. The small boy, carrying his bag of books, is trying to explain to the teacher who he thinks is to blame.
It may be that one boy did better work than he in the schoolroom and that he became jealous because the teacher commended that one; or, it may be that the one boy told something against the other boy. We don’t know for what reason they got into such an ugly temper, but we do know some naughty words must have been spoken, for it is our tongues that always get us into trouble.
What a face the boy has that stands there with clenched fists! How unhappy he must feel way down in his heart, as he knows he has hurt the boy who is leaning against the well, and, besides, has disgraced himself so.
Our natural hearts are so wicked, and capable of every evil thing. Look at James 3:7, 87For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: 8But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. (James 3:7‑8). There we find how our tongues speak forth the wrong things that are in our hearts. “For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: but the tongue can no man tame: it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” You see we have no power of ourselves to control even our lips; it is as we depend upon the Lord Jesus each day, that we can use our tongues rightly. “Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God, for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth, therefore let thy words be few.” Eccles. 5:22Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. (Ecclesiastes 5:2).
ML 11/17/1912