Br. Luke Ditewig

Saint James and Saint John, Apostles

Matthew 20:20-28

From a life on the sea with nets and fish, Jesus called James and John. Immediately they left their boat and father Zebedee and followed. In a diverse group of unlikely students, they traveled from village to village as Jesus taught and healed. They learned by walking, listening, witnessing miracles, seeing scripture come alive, personally touched by love, hearing and seeing others changed. Jesus sent them out to preach, heal, and cast out demons. They learned to fish for people.

With Peter they climbed a mountain with Jesus and witnessed him transfigured. When traveling through Samaria, folk long excluded by Jews, residents didn’t receive Jesus and his disciples. In reply, James and John asked Jesus if they should call down fire from heaven on them! For jumping quickly to such extremes, Jesus nicknamed them Sons of Thunder.

Similarly, they sought special privilege, honored positions of power. Their mother asked, but Jesus saw through and spoke directly to the brothers. “You don’t know what you are asking.” Asking for power upset the other ten disciples, a striking but probably not new occurrence. Jesus clearly and graciously corrected their excess temper and ambition.

Jesus washed his students’ feet and called them friends. Jesus invited Peter, James and John to accompany him further when praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Instead of striving up, Jesus said: Whoever wishes to be great must be the servant of all.

Jesus also said: “You will indeed drink my cup.” King Herod had James killed, becoming the first martyr. We don’t hear that of John. John began the line of non-blood martyrs, people, like us, killed over and over by suffering though not literally, invited to trust through the hard.[i]

Like Peter and Mary Magdalene, like you and me, Jesus chose James and John as they were, thunderous and stumbling, eager and leading. Jesus patiently loved them, taught them, into more. How has Jesus has called you? How Jesus has loved you, especially how Jesus has washed your feet, your weakness and wounds. What’s the invitation now? Give thanks for the journey of becoming long loved into life as with Blessed James and John whom we remember today.

[i] Bruner, Frederick Dale (2004) Matthew: A Commentary. Volume 2, Revised and expanded edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, p330.