Matthew 20:20-28

2 Corinthians 4:7-15

Psalm 126:1bc-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6

Matthew 20:20-28

The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons

and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.

He said to her,

“What do you wish?”

She answered him,

“Command that these two sons of mine sit,

one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom.”

Jesus said in reply,

“You do not know what you are asking.

Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”

They said to him, “We can.”

He replied,

“My chalice you will indeed drink,

but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give

but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

When the ten heard this,

they became indignant at the two brothers.

But Jesus summoned them and said,

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,

and the great ones make their authority over them felt.

But it shall not be so among you.

Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;

whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.

Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served

but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, your Son spent a night in prayer with you before calling James to become one of his Apostles. You know our hearts and can see us clearly as we are. Help me to know myself better and my mission so that I may serve you and your Kingdom and reign with your Son.

Encountering the Word of God

1. James, Son of Zebedee: James was one of Jesus’ twelve apostles. His name was a Greek version of “Jacob.” He was the son of a fisherman named Zebedee. He was mending the fishing nets in the boat on the Sea of Galilee with his father when he was called by Jesus (Mark 1:19). Without hesitation, James left his father, Zebedee, in the boat, along with the hired men and followed Jesus (Mark 1:20). James can teach us the importance of being prompt in accepting the Lord’s call even when he asks us to leave the “boat” of our human securities. He can teach us how to be enthusiastic in following Jesus on the paths that he indicates to us over and above any presumption of our own. He can teach us to be ready to witness to Jesus with courage (see Benedict XVI, June 21, 2006).

2. James, Brother of John: From the Gospel of John, we can gather that the brother of James, John, had left the fishing business for a time and had become a disciple of John the Baptist (John 1:35). James, it seems, did not object to his brother leaving the family business for a time. John likely told James about how John pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God and how he spent the afternoon with Jesus. Just as Andrew told his brother Simon that he had found the Messiah (John 1:41), John likely told James something similar. The two brothers were ready to abandon their former lives when Jesus called them (Mark 1:19-20). James, together with John and Simon Peter, formed part of an inner circle within the group of twelve apostles. The three would see Jesus revive a dead girl (Luke 8:51), be transfigured on Tabor (Mark 9:2), and sweat blood in agony in the garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:33).

3. James, the First Martyr of the Apostles: The journey of James from the mount of Jesus’ Transfiguration to the mount of Jesus’ Agony symbolizes the entire pilgrimage of Christian life, among the persecutions of the world and the consolations of God (see Benedict XVI, June 21, 2006). James was the first of the Apostles to drink the chalice of our Lord. As we read in the Acts of the Apostles: “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” (Acts 12:1-2). The Herod in question was Herod Agrippa I, and James’ martyrdom likely happened between A.D. 41 and 44. James’ brother, John, would give witness to Jesus in a different way, through his leadership in the community of Ephesus, through his suffering on Patmos, and through his writings – his Gospel, his three letters, and the Apocalypse. James died about two decades after Jesus and was a model of testimony for the other apostles. He did not fear death or persecution for the name of Christ but believed that he would see his Lord and God, Jesus, his Savior and Redeemer. 

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you desire your friends to share in your life, death, and resurrection. You do not promise an easy life, but rather one filled with joy, love, service, suffering, and sacrifice. Help me, as you helped James, to follow each day in your footsteps.

Living the Word of God: Can I dedicate time today to reflect on my initial encounter with God and his Son? How did I first learn about God? How have I lived that relationship to the present? What are some of the highlights and lowlights in that relationship?