“SON OF MAN FOR SON OF THUNDER”
Saint Matthew 20: 20-28
Saint James The Elder, Apostle: 26 July Anno Domini 2015
Father Jay Watson SSP
The mother of James would not have come to Jesus had she not believed He was Messiah. She had faith but she was also a sinner. She understood some, but her understanding was both weak and wrong on main doctrinal points. Her son James was one of only 14 men ever to be The Christ’s Apostles. He is a titan of the Faith and we honor his memory this day.
Heroes of the Faith are made by Christ and birthed by a different Mother than the Mother of Zebedee’s children. Heroes of the Faith are birthed by The Holy Ghost through The Word which is, Who is, Christ Jesus. The Mother is His one, holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church—The means of Grace—the Font, the womb, of Holy + Baptism.
James and his younger brother Saint John, and their parents had already been baptized with water in Jesus’ + Name for the forgiveness of sins. They, like you, were Heroes, that is, Saints. They were “set apart” and marked for a life of battle under the ensign of the Bloody Crucifix.
But heroes are still traitors at times. There is a bit of Judas in every James because there is “old Adam” in every person. Judas did not repent and did not believe and thus died with the unforgiveable sin. Not so with James and the other Apostles; not so with you. But sin must still always be addressed by Christ and by Him hereafter through new apostles.
The mother worshipped Jesus writes Saint Matthew. She probably fell at The Lord’s feet. She did homage to Christ as a King but only as a King. She wanted the crown for her sons without the cross. She wanted glory without suffering and pain. How like all of you was this woman.
The thrones she asked for may indeed have been simply literal thrones—both in the then and now and in the eschatological heaven to come. She viewed, and no doubt James did too, Jesus as ONLY a monarch of might and power—a King David made perfect and forever. James, John, and Mother were breaking the First Commandment. They thought they were worshipping The Nazarene, but in reality they were not fearing, trusting, and loving Him above all things, but were rather thinking of their own “cut” of —mammon—honor—sitting at the right and left of Majesty.
It was not James’ Mother who could request the kind of petition she foolishly put forth, but only The Father’s preparation. The Father has placed the Blessed Virgin on The Lord’s right hand. As Solomon, Shalom—Peace, honored his own Mother with this place in his earthly throne room, so too The Prince of Peace places His Mother, representing His Spotless Bride The Church, on His right. On his left is not even Saint John, who reposed his head on The Lord’s breast at The Last Supper, but rather John The Baptist—signifying all of Hebrew Scripture meeting it’s telos, it’s end, fulfillment, and perfection, in The Lamb upon The Throne; the same Lamb which Saint John would write about in his Apocalypse.
Stop seeking to sit on the thrones of your own wills and imaginations. Stop “lording” it over everyone with your own prideful demands to be in charge. Repent also of being like the other 10 Disciples who were so frightened that James and his brother were getting a “head up” on them all with their private conversation with Christ. You sin likewise when you are indignant and stomp your foot. You sin all the time. If Saint James, one of the first two Disciples of Christ, could be so misguided about The Son of Man, The Son of God, don’t delude yourselves. Repent of being “old Adam” pagans seeking to exercise dominion over others, of exercising authority upon others. Repent of trying to be “great” and let The Holy Spirit guide you into being good by letting He Who is GOOD be your good.
James and Peter followed The Lord at the very beginning of His public appearances at the Jordan. James had been a disciple of John The Baptist, and by the power of The Spirit through John’s Preaching The Word—Preaching Jesus—followed The Messiah. James went and Gospelled his brother John. Though John is the far better remembered Apostle, one of the Four Evangelists, writer of three Epistles and author of Revelations, James still is raised to a high level of honor among Christ’s Church and we his brothers and sisters.
James was with The Christ at both His glorious Transfiguration on the mountain and at His bitter passion in Gethsemane on the night of His arrest. James was given to know, to believe, teach, and confess both the Mountain and the Valley; the Cross and the Glory; the Atonement of Jesus for your sins and the Resurrection of Jesus for your Justification.
And though not the first Martyr in Anno Domini, the year(s) of our Lord—that would be both John The Baptist at the hands of Herod and Saint Stephen, protomartyr, at the hands of the Jewish mob, Saint James was nonetheless the first of the 12 to have his blood shed for following Christ’s cruciform…all the way from cross to glory.
Yes, Saint James was martyred, testifying with his sinful blood to the Saving Grace of Jesus’ perfect redeeming Blood. Jesus came not as an earthly king to be ministered to and waited upon. Jesus came as a suffering servant and Shepherd for and to His flock. Jesus came to minister, to serve others. Jesus did not exercise authority over men—that will come at His final return—but to teach with authority and to exercise dominion and authority over sin, death, and the power of the devil. Jesus will one day sit upon His Heavenly Throne in your eyesight, but He first sat willingly on the throne of the Tree to give His life a ransom for many—for James, for John and Mathew, for James’ mother…and for all of you.
This first Apostle was stabbed to death with Herod’s sword. Tradition also informs us his body was tossed from a tower to the ground below.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.” [Rom. 8.28]
Jesus loved James. Jesus ministered unto James by giving him His own Blood to drink on a Thursday called Maundy. Jesus let Himself be stabbed and nailed to a cross…His life a ransom for James, for many, and for you. Jesus drank the cup of sin down to its last foul dregs—your sins—and was baptized in sweat and blood for 6 long hours. Jesus, cast not off the roof of a temple, but off the arms of His mother and friends into the tomb.
Christ called James to death and now into life eternal. Christ calls you to meet James this morning at the heavenly Table where you both will be ministered unto again: Forgiveness and Peace await you. This “son of Thunder,” you sons of thunder be comforted by The Son of Man, The Son of God.
In the Name of The Father and of + The Son and of The Holy Ghost
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