The Feast of St. James of Jerusalem, Bishop and Martyr, Brother of Our Lord
Written by Blake Plympton
Neo-Byzantine icon of James
7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. (James 4:7-10)
Today we are celebrating the feast of St. James, Bishop and Martyr. It is my joy to write this post because the Book of James – an epistle written by James, the brother of Jesus -- is surrounded by so many good memories for me. It was one of the first books I studied deeply as a youth, going through it verse by verse in my room for hours. But one of my favorite stories about the book of James was from my undergraduate years.
I remember it like yesterday. There I was, walking into the Biola Library for the first time, after starting there in the Fall of 2014. I had no idea what to expect from the school, but for one of my first assignments in hermeneutics, I needed to pick a passage in Scripture, read a commentary on it, and then write a paper on what I had learned. So, I decided I would write on James 1:2-12. I asked a librarian for help in finding a commentary since I had never even heard the word commentary before I began this paper. After I got the book, I found a nice little desk that had walls around it so I could immerse myself in study. Then after some time, I found myself parched and desperate for a drink of water. I wondered why I was so thirsty and finally looked at the time. I had spent 3 hours in the same spot, without moving or doing anything else other than reading that commentary! I had been sucked into the depths and riches of the commentary and the book of James. As I was researching more about this great saint and letting his biography percolate in my mind, the more I came to respect and love the life of James.
James was a man who was just, compassionate, and self-giving. One of the best stories we have of James in the Scriptures comes from Acts 15. This is the first great conflict that we see in the apostolic age of the church. Paul and Barnabas came up from Judea, where there was a great debate about whether Gentile Christians needed to be circumcised or not. When they arrived, they were greeted by the apostles (one of whom was James) and the elders. From there, they debated this matter at length. Now, some people point out that Peter was the first to speak up and this would solidify his importance in the church and his role. But interestingly, although Peter is the one who began this long argument, it was ultimately James who made the final judgment on the matter (Acts 15:19-21).
Not only did James thereby authoritatively articulate the council’s decision in this way, but the decision itself was merciful and welcoming to the new Gentile believers, in its leniency and grace. And we can see that he was also extremely compassionate toward those who believed in Jesus through his New Testament epistle. Unlike Paul's letters, James’ epistle was written to the whole community of Christians rather than a particular community. All throughout his letter, James is attempting to give the people of God wisdom, through warnings and exhortations on ways to live. He truly desired to have Christians live a life pleasing to God and reorient their former ways around these new ways of life.
Lastly, James was self-giving in the early church. As the bishop of Jerusalem, he held great weight over the area and other bishops/presbyters. It is because of his position and authority that we are able to have his epistle in our Bible. Additionally, there is also the “Divine Liturgy of St. James” that was given to the church as early as 60 AD. If you were to read through this liturgy, you would see some similarities even with our liturgy today. Talk about a lasting impact! His position allowed him to deeply shape the people of God for generations, allowing us to put our trust in Jesus and look more like Christ. James was ultimate martyred, but it is imaginable, given his life history, that even as he took his last breath as he was beaten to death, many of the people around him still heard Jesus proclaimed as Lord and King.
James lived a remarkable life as a servant of Christ. Fascinatingly, though, scholars debate about when exactly James came to believe in Jesus. As Jesus’ “brother”, there was probably a lot of tension for James around believing that Jesus was the Messiah. Most scholars agree that he was not one of the original 12 apostles. (He is not the same James as the disciple who was the brother of John, son of Zebedee. If you want a more in-depth study on the different James in the bible, check out this work.) This means that James was appointed an apostle after the resurrection. Despite his coming to believe in Jesus much later than many, God still used him to support the church and care for his bride. So no matter when you come to faith in Jesus, He is still ready to use you, so long as you are ready to serve Him with all your heart.
Collect (Book of Common Prayer 2019, p.633)
Grant, O God, that, following the example of your apostle James the Just, kinsman of our Lord, your Church may give itself continually to prayer and to the reconciliation of all who are at variance and enmity; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Questions for Reflection
Think about the time when you finally made the leap to seek to live for Christ in every part of your life.
How have you changed since then?
What do you think God is calling you to do next?
In his violent martyrdom, James was shoved off the top of a building, stoned, and then beaten to death with a bat. Yet, he still held onto his faith.
How does his martyrdom change the way you read passages like James 1:1-18
Do you think you would be able to suffer as James did in his martyrdom? Why not?
Spend some time reading James this next week.
In what ways are you being convicted about your own life?
How are you being encouraged in your faith?
What are some ways God is challenging you through James’ letter?