[Sidenote: True Servants.]
The mother's eagerness to have her sons thus honored made the other ten
a little jealous; but when Jesus saw their feelings, He told them that
while men who hold offices in the world exercise unrighteous dominion,
those who are given offices in His Church are the servants of all.
"Whosoever will be chief among you let him be your servant."
[Sidenote: Of Bethsaida.]
James was of Bethsaida, in Galilee, and was a fisherman. He was busy at
his trade when Jesus called him to the ministry. When the call came,
James and his brother were sitting in a boat mending nets. Their father
and hired servants were also there. Of course, James had seen Jesus
before this, and had undoubtedly heard Him; for when Andrew had hurried
off to find Simon Peter, after having met the Lord, John had hurried to
find his brother James.
[Sidenote: Accepts Call.]
So James, too, had found the Messiah, and was already converted to the
Gospel. Therefore when Jesus stopped that morning by the seashore, and
said, "Come, I will make you fishers of men," they immediately left
their father with the hired servants, and followed Christ.
[Sidenote: One of the Twelve.]
When the Twelve were chosen, James was chosen next to Peter, and was
one of the three who constituted what we might call the Presidency of
the Twelve. In this position, he became closely associated with the
Redeemer, and was an eyewitness to some of the most sacred incidents in
His Lord's ministry. Thus, with Peter and John, he was present in the
room when the little daughter of Jairus was restored to life.
[Sidenote: On the Mount.]
He was also one of the favored three on the Mount of Transfiguration;
and was one of those chosen to accompany the Master to the secluded
place in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Christ suffered those bitter
agonies preparatory to His betrayal and sufferings on the cross.
[Sidenote: A Son of Thunder.]
James was called a son of Thunder; and there is one incident in the
Bible which gives us a little insight into a part of his nature which
probably called forth that name. When the time came that Jesus was
determined to go to Jerusalem to be offered up as a sacrifice, he "sent
messengers before His face: and they went, and entered into a village
of the Samaritans, to make ready for him." [1]
James was one of these messengers.
But the Samaritans, who would have no dealings with the Jews, and
who were particularly offended on this occasion because Jesus was
determined to worship in Jerusalem, refused to receive Jesus. Their
refusal made James and John so indignant that they turned to their
Master and said: "Lord let us command fire to come down from heaven,
and consume them, even as Elias did?"
[Sidenote: A Rebuke.]
But the Lord was displeased with them for being angry, and said, "Ye
know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of Man is not
come to destroy men's lives but to save them."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account