James, the son of Alphaeus, is one of the disciples about whom we know little about. Yet, theologians and curious students continue to connect him with people and situations in the Bible where there is no Biblical evidence. I will not do that. I will give you what I do know about him. He is the one we can probably identify with the most. He is not in the forefront, and he is not spoken of negatively; he even has a common biblical name. Most would say he is nothing special, but I would disagree.
This James is an obscure person. The only time he is mentioned is when he is referred to in the list of the twelve Apostles. In Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:15, and Acts 1:13, all give us the list of Apostles, and even then, he is not the first one nor the last one mentioned. He is in the middle. This would be like the kid in your class who does everything you tell him to, the right way. He does not make a scene about being right, nor does he flaunt his grades to others. He just does what he is supposed to do. This is the kind of Christian we are supposed to be.
He was humble. It was not important for him to bring attention to himself. Jesus taught much about being humble. In Luke 14:11, Jesus said, “For whosoever exalted himself shall be abased; and he that humblest himself shall be exalted.” In Matthew 18:4, Jesus calls us to be humble like little children. “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus himself was humble. In John 13, Jesus washes the disciples’ feet. The creator and Master of all knelt to wash the feet of his disciples. This was a custom of the times they lived in because they wore sandals and the roads were dusty, but it was to be done by the servants. After he finished, he instructed us to observe this biblical ordinance; however, unlike James, who was humble, we refused and explained away the reason why we would not follow Jesus’ command.
John 13:4 “He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.”
This James sought no recognition, as did the other James, Son of Zebedee. Yet, Jesus saw great qualities in him and chose him as one of the twelve. I find that what is not said about James, son of Alphaeus, reveals a lot about him. He never denied Christ as Peter did. He did not doubt as Thomas did. He did not ask for a special seat beside Jesus that the other disciples requested. He was a faithful, obedient, humble servant of Jesus. This is who we should be, also.
Heaven will be full of people who will enter and hear, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant,” just like James. His and their goal is to honor and obey the Master. Their lives are not about themselves but about Jesus. Their light shines as a reflection of Him. Their works are not for the applause of men, but for the glory of God. They do not get upset because they were overlooked for a promotion. They understand their lives are directed by God and He is in control. They do not jump from church to church looking for a place that makes them feel good. They look for a church where the Bible is preached and taught as it is. When they have done wrong, they accept correction with humility and repentance. They love the unlovely, the poor, the struggling addict, and seek to help those who are less fortunate than themselves. They do mighty things for the kingdom that only God sees. We need to follow this pattern. James, the Son of Alphaeus, was a Christian we can mimic. One that is so close to Jesus, he needs nothing from this world. He just wants to be used by God.
Think about the beauty of an obscure, surrendered life. It reflects only what will bring glory to God.
I Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
