An understanding of the ancient role of discipleship is somewhat unknown in the modern world. Disciples were majorly important to the Jewish faith and culture. Their objective was to imitate their teacher so exactly they could preserve and continue his mission after he was gone. It was alway under the rabbi’s authority that they taught. When Jesus called the Twelve, they understood the invitation, and that one day they would carry on His mission.
Today marks the feast of two of those Twelve men, Saints Philip and James the Lesser. Due to his extensive ties to the Resurrection and this being the midst of the Easter season, here are 10 things to know about Saint James the Lesser.
1. He is always ranked 9th in the lists of the Apostles in Scripture
There are four times in Scripture that the names of all Twelve Apostles are listed. This is more than a simple index of their monikers; it is also a ranking of their hierarchy and an indication of the role they played during Jesus’ ministry. There are minor differences in the numbering from book to book, but in all four places, James is always listed ninth (see Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:14-19, Luke 6:13-16, Acts 1:13). This seems to indicate that James’ role among the group was in some ways less significant than those above him (at least during those three years of Jesus’ public ministry).
2. He was either younger or shorter than James the Greater
While it is possible that his identifier, “the Lesser” could be in reference to being ranked ninth among the Apostles (a stark contrast to the other James who was a part of Jesus’ inner circle of three), most theologians agree with the stance that this title meant the other James, the son of Zebedee, was either older or taller.
3. His mother was a devout follower of Jesus
Scripture tells us of another Mary who was a part of the early group that followed Jesus. She is identified as “Mary, the mother of James.” Since we also know the name of the mother of “Big James” and his brother John, scholars agree that this woman was the mother of James the Lesser. She was present at the crucifixion, and was one of the women who found Jesus’ tomb empty three days after His death. She was among the original witnesses to the Resurrection, and likely her testimony played a vital role within the Early Church—especially for the Evangelists who recorded the Gospels. No doubt it was meaningful for James to hear the Good News from the mouth of his mother.
4. He was Jesus’ legal cousin
The father of James was Alphaeus. However, Scripture tells us that Mary (James’ mother) was married to Cleophas. This is not an error and is communicating one of two possibilities. The first is that Alphaeus was the biological father of James but passed away. After his death, Mary was married to Cleophas. The other explanation is that Alphaeus and Cleophas are the same man, as the former is the Greek version of the name and the latter is the Aramaic. It was quite common during the time period for people to go by different names depending on the language being spoken (think Paul/Saul, Matthew/Levi, Jude/Thaddeus, etc).
John’s Gospel tells us that Mary, the wife of Cleophas, was the sister of Jesus’ mother (see John 19:25). It is very unlikely that parents would have had two daughters and given them both the same name to go by, and tradition holds the Blessed Mother to be an only child. For this reason, combined with the fact that the Hebrew language does not have as many specific terms regarding family relations, most scholars believe these women to be sisters-in-law, and that it was Alphaeus/Cleophas and St. Joseph who were biological brothers. Thus, it is very likely that James and Jesus were cousins.
5. He received a personal visit from Jesus after the Resurrection
In his first letter to the Corinthians, Saint Paul writes to the church reminding them of the importance of the Resurrection. He lists individuals and groups who received visits from Jesus in the forty days before the Ascension. It reads, “... he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me” (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). The James noted in this scenario is James the Lesser, not James the Greater. Other than the fact that it transpired, we know nothing else about the event itself. However, we can conclude that Jesus must have had a unique relationship with James that warranted the visit. It is also possible that this visit had something to do with our next point…
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6. He was the first bishop of Jerusalem
After the stoning of Saint Stephen in the book of Acts, the Sanhedrin waged war on the followers of Jesus. As the official Church persecutions began, the Christians who had been living within the city of Jerusalem dispersed and scattered throughout the globe over time. The Apostles followed, not necessarily because of the persecutions, but also because Jesus instructed them to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. As the first bishop of Jerusalem, James the Lesser remained behind. We see him in this role within the Acts of the Apostles; he presides over the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15, and Paul sought his authority before beginning his missionary journeys (see Acts 15 and Acts 21). It is unknown as to why James was chosen as bishop of the holy city, but perhaps it was because of what was revealed during his post-Resurrection appearance with Jesus, or because of his familial relationship with our Lord.
7. He wrote the Epistle of James
It was James the Less who wrote the controversial epistle of James and not the “Son of Thunder.” Even a quick read of the letter makes it clear that James possessed vast spiritual wisdom. He had clearly understood much of which Jesus taught during His own ministry. In particular, he must have been profoundly impacted by much of what Jesus said to those people who claimed to be religious but were only “white-washed tombs” (Matthew 23:27) and empty on the inside. In his letter, James makes it clear that “faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:26). We cannot merely believe in Jesus; we must go and live it out, giving life to ourselves and those around us.
8. He is also known as “James the Just”
Historians and Early Church Fathers referred to him as “James the Just” because of his immense virtue. He took Nazarite vows—a yielding of oneself completely to God—and lived accordingly. The Church Fathers claim, "He was always a virgin, and was a Nazarite, or one consecrated to God. In consequence of which he was never shaved, never cut his hair, never drank any wine or other strong liquor; moreover, he never used any bath, or oil to anoint his limbs, and never ate of any living creature except when of precept, as the paschal lamb: he never wore sandals, never used any other clothes than one single linen garment. He prostrated so much in prayer, that the skin of his knees and forehead was hardened like to camels' hoofs." His immense virtue was even noted by the Jewish people, as the priests permitted him to enter the Sanctum (the place in the Temple reserved only for priests). In fact, the Jewish people considered him so holy that they attributed the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in the following decade to the role they played in his death.
When combined with his family relation to Saint Joseph, this title becomes rather intriguing. We know that sin begets sin, but virtue also begets virtue. To be just is to give all what they are due. In regards to God, the just man gives God everything. Saint Joseph holds this title of “the just.” How interesting that his nephew was given it as well.
9. Much is Known about His Death
Though tradition tells us all the Apostles except for Saint John died the death of a martyr, there are not a lot of written records regarding their deaths. This is not the case regarding James. Of all the Apostles, we probably know the most about his death as it was recorded by both Jewish and Christian historians. To sum it up, he was condemned by a Jewish council for refusing to deny Christ partially out of revenge for Paul’s appeal to Caesar in 60 AD. He was thrown from the pinnacle of the Temple, stoned at the bottom, and then clubbed to death. This took place during the week of Passover in the year 62 AD.
10. He shares his feast day with Saint Philip
There is no profound reason these two Apostles share their feast. After Pentecost, they did not travel nor minister together. They are not related, not notable friends like Philip and Bartholomew, nor did they die on the same day. Rather, their relics were simply transferred to the same church in Rome, The Church of the Twelve Holy Apostles. In fact, before the establishment of the Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker in 1955, Saint James’ feast was on May 1.
Grace is a regular contributor to the BIS Blog. She had planned to be a nurse until an encounter with Christ in Confession ignited a spark that resulted in an ongoing career as a high school Theology teacher. Though a cradle Catholic, she continues to be amazed at the depth of peace and joy that can be found within the Faith and can’t help but share that passion with others as a teacher, writer, and speaker. Outside of ministry, she dabbles in a bit of everything, excels in almost nothing, and like most moms, cannot survive without at least one cup of coffee a day. Grace resides in Charleston, SC with her hunky husband and their daughter who looks just like him. You can find out more about her here. Read all of Grace's posts here.
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