April: Day 30: Holy Apostle James, Brother of Saint John the Theologian

April: Day 30:
Holy Apostle James, Brother of Saint John the Theologian
 
(On What It Means To Follow Jesus Christ)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint James, whose memory is celebrated today, was the brother of Christ's beloved disciple, John. Their father was called Zebedee, and their mother Salome was among the first women who believed in Jesus Christ and accepted His teaching. Both brothers were fishermen. One day they were sitting in their boats mending their nets; the Savior, passing by, called them over and told them to follow Him. From that time on, they completely abandoned their previous occupations and followed the Savior inseparably. They saw the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor, and the resurrection of Jairus' daughter, and were in the Garden of Gethsemane with the Savior during His prayer before His suffering. The Lord gave them both the name "Boanerges," which means "Sons of Thunder." James, after the Ascension of the Savior, preached with the other Apostles, was thrown into prison and was the first of the Twelve, by order of Herod Agrippa, who accepted death for confessing the name of Christ. When he was tried, the soldier who brought him to trial was struck by his courageous calm, was convinced of his innocence and converted to Christ. To the surprise of all present, this soldier, whose name was Josiah, publicly confessed the name of Christ. He was immediately condemned to death. Arriving at the place of execution, he asked James for forgiveness and announced to him that he was among his accusers. The Holy Apostle embraced him and said to him: "Peace be with you!" Then they were beheaded together. This was ten years after the Ascension of Christ.

II. We have seen, beloved brethren, that the Holy Apostle James with his brother John immediately left his father, his occupation, and followed Jesus Christ, as soon as He invited him to follow Him. The example of the Holy Apostle James, who so willingly and joyfully followed Jesus Christ, encourages us, brethren, with the same willingness and joy to go and follow Jesus Christ, in order to inherit eternal life.

But what does it mean to go after Christ and follow Him?

This means that in all your life and deeds you must imitate Him as the highest example and model of a truly holy and God-pleasing life, and live and act as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself lived and acted on earth.

a) He placed the whole purpose of His life in fulfilling the will of His Father, in completing the work that the Father had given Him: "My food is that I may do the will of the Father who sent Me, and finish His work." This is how a true disciple of Christ acts: in everything and always he tries to please the Lord, to fulfill His holy will, to act according to His commandments, without examining why something is commanded and why this or that is forbidden. He would sooner and more willingly agree to lose everything and his very life than to transgress the commandment of God. No matter what honors and treasures were offered to the holy martyrs, no matter what tortures they were subjected to, in order to incline them, although outwardly and for appearances remaining Christians in soul, to offer sacrifice to idols; but they were ready to endure all the torments, to experience a thousand deaths, rather than transgress, even pretending, the first commandment of God - to serve and worship the one true God, the Creator of heaven and earth.

b) The Lord Jesus Christ was merciful and compassionate to all, forgave those who sinned, fed the hungry, healed the suffering, called to rest all who labored and were heavy laden. This is what a true follower of Christ does: he forgives his brother who sins against him seventy times seven times, gives what he has to those who ask him, feeds the hungry in the name of Christ, gives drink to the thirsty, clothes the naked, receives orphans into his home, comforts the stranger, consoles the suffering, strengthens the falling with his advice, helps the sick, visits the languishing in prison, is ready to share everything with his brother in need - to the last rag and to the last piece of bread.

c) The Lord Jesus Christ, being dispassionate and all-perfect by nature, fasted for forty days in the desert, devoted the time of the night to prayer to His Father, and on the last night of His stay on earth He prayed until He sweated blood. This is what a true disciple of Christ does: he humbles his flesh, quenches his passions with fasting and abstinence, accustoms himself to strict moderation in everything, knowing that “the Kingdom of God is not food and drink, but peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,” remembering the terrible word of the Lord: “Woe to you who are full now, for you will hunger, woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.” He strengthens his spirit and sanctifies all his deeds with prayer, “praying at all times in the spirit,” devoting to solitary prayer to the Heavenly Father that time when others are either resting on their beds or enjoying carnal joy.

d) The Lord Jesus Christ came from Galilee to Jerusalem to the Temple of God on all the feasts established by law, to pray, teach and do good there. So the follower of Christ dedicates the holy days of the Lord's feasts to the Lord his God: leaving all his affairs, he comes to the temple of God, to bring here to the Lord sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving for all His blessings and to ask His holy blessing on all his deeds and labors. But also in his home he spends the holy days of the Lord in prayer and reverent reflection on the works of God, in teaching the word of God, in doing good to his neighbors.

e) The Lord Jesus Christ endured countless slanders and intrigues, persecutions and hardships, tortures and torments from His enemies, without ceasing to do good to them, wept for the people who rejected Him and betrayed Him to death, and prayed for those who crucified Him on the Cross.

This is how a true disciple of Christ acts. He loves his enemies, does good to those who hate him, blesses those who curse him, and prays for those who do him harm, not repaying evil for evil, but providing good for all. He who thus imitates the Lord Jesus Christ in everything, having constantly before his eyes the highest example of His most holy life, obviously follows in the footsteps of the Lord, and will undoubtedly come there, where Christ is, sitting on the right hand of God. "If any man serve Me,” says the Lord Himself, “let him follow Me, and where I am, there shall My servant also be.”

III. See how, without leaving home, or your family, or your usual affairs and activities, you can follow Christ, be always with Him and serve Him. Do not think that your earthly affairs will suffer in any way from this, that some important omission or damage will follow in your household, when you think only about how to please the Lord, think only about heaven, seek only the Kingdom of Heaven. On the contrary, then all your worldly affairs will take a correct and successful course, all your labors will be accompanied by blessed success, all your activities, whatever they may be and in what they may consist, will be spiritualized, sanctified by a blessing from above, will take on the God-pleasing form of a God-fearing fulfillment of the will of God. 

 

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.