James was the brother of John and one of the sons of Zebedee and Salome. He was a fisherman by trade and while mending nets by the seashore was found by the Lord Jesus. As Jesus passed by He called, ‘Follow me’, and James immediately left all and did so. He exhibited faith and commitment in leaving a lucrative business to venture into discipleship. He became one of the twelve that the Lord called ‘to be with Him’, and was one of the three, with John and Peter, that formed a particularly close relationship with the Lord, being present with Him at times of critical importance. Like his brother John in temperament, the Lord called them both Boanerges, meaning ‘sons of thunder’.
James was content to play second fiddle to his younger brother John. We do not read of him preaching or teaching, nor of any great exploits he did. He was, however, associated with John in questions they addressed to the Lord. One such was a request, supported by their mother Salome, that in His glory James and John should sit on His right and left. This arose out of their enthusiasm for the future, but served to anger the other disciples. They seemed to be seeking places of honour for themselves at the expense of others. The Lord gently rebuked them, and asked whether they felt able to suffer with Him and to die for Him, sharing His cup and His baptism; ‘We can’, they solemnly affirmed. The Lord said, ‘you will’, and they did! James was the first of the apostles to die as a martyr for his testimony and leadership when beheaded by Herod Agrippa. The Lord was teaching them at this time that places in glory are not awarded on a basis of favouritism, but are prepared for those in whose lives service and suffering are paramount.
James was intensely loyal to the Lord, and when a Samaritan village rejected Him he was all for calling down fire from heaven to consume them! The Lord rebuked this vindictiveness. James characterises the quiet believer who goes through life in happy consistent service for the Lord. Neither a preacher nor a teacher, but enjoying close fellowship with the Lord, he will be fiercely defensive if the Lord is attacked by others. James was faithful even unto death. We need more like James today.
