James, like his father Zebedee and brother John, was a fisherman by profession. Apparently, they were financially prosperous as they had their own fishing boat with a bunch of hired men under them. The vocation story of James is briefly but emphatically narrated in the Gospel. “As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boats mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.” (Mk.1: 19-20) The fact that James instinctively left behind his family and a thriving business to follow an itinerant and mendicant preacher reveals the power of grace on the one hand and his own surrender to Jesus, on the other.
Two incidents in the Gospel spell out the human weaknesses of James. He was ambitious for the highest place in the Kingdom of his Master and to achieve that end, he sought even the intervention of his mother to influence Him. (Mt.20: 20-28) Jesus took that opportunity to teach the disciples a basic principle: The greatness of a man consists in service, not in position or power. Though James and his brother were prepared “to drink the cup” that Jesus was going to drink, still on that fateful day of the Crucifixion, James fled in fear. How easy it is to take an oath of allegiance and how difficult it is to face the reality! James was impulsive by nature and the nickname “Sons of Thunder” suited him and his brother aptly. When a Samaritan town refused to welcome Jesus as he was on his way to Jerusalem, James and John were ready to blast and obliterate it if only Jesus would permit them. “When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, doyou want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them…?” (Lk.9: 54-55)
The human frailties of James did not deter him from following Jesus with commitment. In fact, Jesus transformed his weaknesses into strength and admitted him, along with Peter and John, into the inner circle of his apostles. James was privileged to be with the selected trio at the raising to life of the daughter of Jairus, at the glorious Transfiguration and at the painful agony of his Master in the Garden of Gethsemane.
According to tradition, the evangelization of Spain fell to the lot of James. Initially he became frustrated at this task, as the response from the local people was stubborn resistance. Then on January 2, 40 AD, the Blessed Virgin Mary is said to have showed herself to James on a pillar at the bank of River Ebro. She encouraged him in his efforts and assured him of a fruitful harvest. Later when the holy Apostle returned to Judea, he is believed to have been martyred by Herod Agrippa I in 44 AD. (Acts.12: 1-2). His mortal remains were carried off by his disciples and buried at Santiago de Compostella in Galicia, Spain. James was the first apostle to shed his blood for the Gospel, thus fulfilling his promise to Jesus that he was willing to drink his “cup” of suffering.
Reflection: In the life of James, one can discern human ambition in action – dreams of personal distinction and reward for preaching the Word. Instead of exhibiting displeasure and disowning him from the group in frustration, Jesus patiently groomed him and transformed his earthly ambition into a divine aspiration – self-less service to preach the message of Christ at the cost of his own blood.
Jesus said to them: Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink? They said to him, “We are able.” (Mt.20: 22)
