Homily for St. James the Great 2025
GRANT, O merciful God, that as thine holy Apostle Saint James, leaving his father and all that he had, without delay was obedient unto the calling of thy Son Jesus Christ, and followed him; so we, forsaking all worldly and carnal affections, may be evermore ready to follow thy holy commandments; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Today is the feast of St. James the Great. He was part of our Lord’s inner circle of apostles. James, John and Peter were privy to events the other apostles were not privileged to see or hear. These three alone were allowed to accompany Jesus to witness the raising of the little daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:37 = Luke 8:51), to witness the transfiguration of Jesus (Mark 9:2 = Matt 17:1; Luke 9:28), and to accompany Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:33; cf. Matt 26:37).
Our collect, the prayer appointed for today, directs us to the extraordinary devotion of St. James to the call of Jesus. You may recall that Jesus called Peter, Andrews and James and John to follow him. To forsake all and spend years learning moment by moment from Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Following Jesus cost them the family business. From all appearances, Zebedee had a flourishing business on the Sea of Galilee and we read that they were willing to follow Jesus wherever he led. The call of discipleship, for St. James, was to a new life, with new rhythms, new priorities, new uncertainties and abandonment of human ambition. The call of following Jesus changed everything. We celebrate the power of God, the ever-convincing work of the Holy Spirit, to call men and women to cast aside anything and everything that would keep them from following Jesus. The call of Jesus may have different outward manifestations - one may be called into a vocation in the Church; the same call of faithfulness may direct another into the halls of academia or world of business - all for the purposes of making Christ made known, to declare Jesus in word and deed to a dying world. A follower of Jesus may have a variety of professions in this world but all are united in, what our collect calls, “forsaking all worldly and carnal affections, may be evermore ready to follow thy holy commandments;” denying self, crucifying their self-serving ambitions, putting to death attitudes and actions that are contrary to God’s will and commandment. Turning from those things that displease God - casting them away - and then filling our lives with what pleases God. For Jesus calls all of us, he commands all of us to follow him. Complete devotion, absolute submission to HIm is what is required. Nothing held back from His control and direction. Jesus says “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” The same Lord Jesus also promises purpose and peace.
He says Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
St. James models for us godly sacrifice - a willingness to give himself completely to Jesus Christ. Our Epistle tells us the consequences of the call of Jesus - in the book of Acts, we read of Herod’s delight in putting James to death. For the king saw that it pleased the religious leadership among the Jews. The path to martyrdom, the path of physical death, began the very day that Jesus called James to follow him. May we heed the call of Jesus; may we cast aside our ambitions, our pleasures and follow Jesus. Sharing in the yoke of Jesus in life and in death just like St. James whose feast day we celebrate this evening. Amen.