Feast of St James the Just

Bp Marshall MacClellan / October 20, 2025

October 23 is the Feast Day of St. James the Just. A feast day of any saint is an opportunity to reflect on the mighty transformation of a struggling, confused sinner into a faithful, inspirational holy example of Christ. If we do an honest work of Biblical and sacred tradition research on St. James (Iakobos , “Jacob” in Greek and Hebrew) we find the same wonderful message.

James the struggling, confused sinner.

Both Gospels Matthew and Mark list James first in the line of four “brothers” of Jesus. Making James the second-born (half brother) in Jesus’ early family. On a humorous note, could you imagine being in James’ position? Dr. Kevin Leman, in his seminal work, “The Birth Order Book; Why you are the way you are,” discusses the shaping and conflict that often occurs between the first and second born in most families. If you are a second born, you will understand. The first born, whose only siblings are the parents, learns to seek perfection. Everything needs to be done by the child just as the parents do. Dr. Leman notes, “Of the first 23 astronauts, 21 were first-born or only children. Perfectionists who were highly motivated to achieve. The second-born often struggle to achieve such “perfect” standards. Comparing themselves to their first-born, high achieving sibling is painful. But we know, from an earthly perspective that first-borns are not perfect nor do they actually do things the “correct” and “perfect” way. But what happens if you are the second-born of the only real “Perfect” man? “Son of Man and Son of God!” What kind of frustration, resentment and struggles would that create?

Mark tells us that after Jesus started his earthly ministry and selected his 12 Apostles that, “his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.” (Mk 3:21) St. John states that Jesus’ brothers did not believe in him and ridiculed Jesus and his ministry

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“Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” For not even his brothers believed in him.” (John 7:2-5)

Are we seeing here in James a frustrated half-brother? Why did Jesus leave the family business and step away from the ‘first-born’s’ responsibilities to lead? Why did Jesus turn over the first-born inheritance to them, and leave home and family to live a homeless life in the hills and hollers of Galilee preaching a dangerous message of the immanent Kingdom of God? You and I know why. Because Jesus had a world of lost sinners to save. When Jesus said,

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matt 10:37-39)

He had already done this himself for us. Jesus here, points out a key truth that we all and each must struggle with. There are times in our lives when we must take a stand, chose a path as a disciple of Jesus that others will not understand. They may even resent you, ridicule you, hate you or plot against you. This is the path of the cross.

The Forging of St. James the Just

But James did not understand this of Jesus until… The Gospel writers do not let us into the room of intimacy where Jesus appeared to James after his resurrection. We know it happened as Acts and St. Paul reported (Acts 15:12-22 and 1 Cor. 15:1-11). We can only imagine the intimate and tearful crumbling of James’ knees and heart when beholding the Way, the Truth and the Life standing before him in glorious love and forgiveness. Now James understood, was forgiven, transformed and empowered to lead the mother Church in Jerusalem, as reported in Acts and as Eusebius reports from Clement of Alexandria. “James…whom the early Christians surnamed “the Just” for his outstanding virtue, was the first to be elected to the bishop’s throne of the church in Jerusalem.” (Eusebius, p 52)

It is appropriate, from his own life, that the Epistle of St. James focuses on the call to frame suffering, trials and struggles with an understanding that they forge in us “steadfastness” - Christ-like character – completing the work that God began in us in our baptism. James led the mother church in Jerusalem and oversaw the first Church Council as recorded in Acts 15: 6-21. Peter and the other Apostles began to disperse to all the world as Jesus commanded them. James’ faithful ministry is noted in several accounts of sacred tradition that Eusebius collected. Hegesippus wrote that, “[James] use to enter the temple alone and was often found kneeling and imploring forgiveness for the people, so that his knees became hard like a camel’s from his continual kneeling in worship of God and in prayer for the people.” (Eusebius, pg 71).

James's martyrdom is reported by Hegesippus and Clement of Alexandria. During the volatile upheaval of Judea when Governor Festus died, and no Roman leadership was present, James was seen as a godly leader in Jerusalem even by Jewish opponents of the Christ followers. Representatives of seven different Jewish sects asked James to speak to the crowd of rioters in the temple because his faithful character and example were known and respected by all. Just before they assisted him up to the parapet of the temple to speak to all the people, they told him that he must not speak about Jesus as Lord. As he ascended to the top platform, he responded to their mandate, “Why do you ask me about the Son of Man? He is sitting in heaven at the right hand of the Great Power, and he will come on the clouds of Heaven.” Many in the crowd responded, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” But the leaders went up and seized James, throwing him down to the pavement. Others grabbed stones and threw them at James, wounding him further. Finally, “one of them, a laundryman, took a club that he used to beat out clothes and hit the Just one on the head.” (Ibid, 72). James preached Christ until the end.

I remember a children’s sermon 40 odd years ago, when a pastor asked the gathered kids what they thought a “Saint” was. Looking at the stained-glass windows around them, one child replied, “People through whom the light shines.” Profound idea. Stained glass windows are merely broken or cut shards of colored glass fused together by a master craftsman’s hand to display the beauty of God’s story. We too are broken, confused sinners through whom the glorious light of Christ’s light shines; if we will but yield to the master craftsman’s hand. St. James is a marvelous example for us of one who yielded and let the light of Christ shine through.

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Leman, Kevin, The Birth Order Book: Why You Are the Way You Are. Revell, Feb. 2015

English Standard Version. Crossway, Wheaton, IL, 2001

Eusebius; The Church History, Maier, Paul trans..Kregel Publications. Grand Rapids, MI. 2007