By Leon Bent –
James was the brother of John the Evangelist. The two were called by Jesus as they worked with their father in a fishing boat, on the Sea of Galilee (Mark 1:19-20).
James was one of the favoured three who had the privilege of witnessing the Transfiguration, the raising to life of the daughter of Jairus, and the agony in Gethsemani.
The short Epistle of James is a moral, doctrinal and literary masterpiece. While some have thought its content at odds with the writings of Paul, its emphasis on living according to “the perfect law,” “the law of liberty” and “the royal law” (James 1:25; 2:8) places it firmly within the same Judaic tradition. Close examination of its central concepts reveals the complementary nature of each man’s thinking. The key verse for me is “Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19).
James explains that one of the most valuable things we can do for believers, is to bring them back to God from sin. It is a practice that produces great reward. “Let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering ways will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins” (verse 20). This conclusion confirms James’s concern for the community of believers he had become a part of and led, following the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is an early and powerful letter from one, whose life was lived in the shadow of Jesus of Nazareth.
His book shows the difficulties that were troubling the people of the early church, such as pride, discrimination, greed, lust, hypocrisy, worldliness, and slander. James writes to correct these evils by showing that “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26), that is, mere profession of faith is not enough. He rebukes the rich in (James 5:1-6), tells us to be patient and take courage (James 5:7-11), not to swear (James 5:12), the effectiveness of prayer (James 5:13-18), and turning a fallen Christian back to Christ (James 5:19-20).
The book’s central premise is that the Gospel summons sinners to yield to Christ’s love.
Following Christ’s Ascension, James spread the Gospel across Israel and the Roman kingdom as well. He travelled and spread the Word for nearly forty years in Spain. It is said that one day, as he prayed, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him, and asked him to build her a church, which he did.
Later, James returned to Jerusalem but was martyred for his faith by King Herod, who decapitated him. Saint James the Greater is known as the first apostle to die as a martyr. “About that time King Herod laid hands upon some members of the church to harm them. He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword, and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also” (Acts 12:1-3a).
The saint did not die immediately, but gathering his final strength, he prayed to the Lord for his enemies. Saint James’ martyrdom occurred about 63 A.D. As he was not allowed to be buried following his martyrdom, his remains were taken to Compostela, Spain, by some of his followers, who buried him.
Saint James is the Patron of Spain. There is a huge shrine in his honour, in a city named after him, Santiago Compostela in the province of Galicia in Spain. What’s the connection? St. James is not only the Patron of Spain, but, also, equestrians, blacksmiths, tanners, veterinarians. He is usually depicted in art with his symbols — the cockleshell, pilgrim hat, sword, Sacred Scripture — or on horse -back, usually trampling a Moor.
Now, this gold nugget! The way the Gospels treat the apostles is a good reminder of what holiness is all about. There is very little about their virtues as static possessions, entitling them to heavenly reward. Rather, the great emphasis is on the Kingdom, on God’s giving them the power to proclaim the Good News. As far as their personal lives are concerned, there is much about Jesus’ purifying them of narrowness, pettiness, fickleness.
And, this final flourish! To have the relics of an apostle, and of one of Christ’s favourite apostles, besides, was a tremendous privilege. During the Middle Ages, the shrine of Santiago de Compostela—St. James of the Field of the Star—was regarded as one of Christendom’s top three pilgrimage destinations, along with Jerusalem, which was first, and Rome, which was ranked second. There is no count of how many pilgrims flocked to the tomb of St. James, but we do know a few of the more famous.
The last frontier! James was chosen as the first Bishop of Jerusalem.
Leon Bent is an ex-Seminarian and studied the Liberal Arts and Humanities, and Philosophy, from St. Pius X College, Mumbai. He holds Masters Degree in English Literature and Aesthetics. He has published three Books and have 20 on the anvil. He has two extensively “Researched” Volumes to his name: Hail Full of Grace and Matrimony: The Thousand Faces of Love. He won The Examiner, Silver Pen Award, 2000 for writing on Social Issues, the clincher being a Researched Article on Gypsies in India, published in an issue of the (worldwide circulation) Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection, New Delhi. On April, 28, 2018, Leon received the Cardinal Ivan Dias Award for a research paper in Mariology.