I've been deeply hurt by words.  I have recovered from sticks and stones and broken bones.  I don't know who dreamed up that little nursery rhyme but it isn't true.   Words do hurt others and according to Jesus, words hurt those who say hurtful words.  Mt 15:18-20 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.'  The Pharisees were more worried about the cermonial cleansing of their hands than they were about the condition of their hearts.  The heart is the source of words and the place that needs serious attention if we are to prosper in life.  According to Jesus, it is not enough to merely avoid murdering someone, we should also be addressing the attitudes of the heart that lead to murder.  Contempt for other people means that we view them as beneath us or as worthless.  There is no such thing as a worthless human being!  The words we use to describe other people reveal our "heart view."  It is not enough to wash out the mouth or bite the tongue, we need a deeper transformation.  We need to cooperate with God in the "renovation of the heart."  This is what God wants to do, this is His will.  This is the narrow path that leads to life!  This is the true calling for all disciples...to end up with the heart and mind of Christ.  We'll be talking about this specific subject on Sunday as we continue our study in the Sermon on the Mount (The Manifesto of the King).