ST JAMES THE GREAT
SERMON PREACHED BY FR. TONY NOBLE ON July 25th, 2010
Matthew 20:22 “Jesus answered, ‘You do not know what you are asking.
Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?’
They said to him, ‘We are able.’”
When I arrived in San Diego I was sure that it was named after St. James the Great. For the Spanish, Diego, is usually translated into English as James or Jim. I also had in mind the great place of Spanish pilgrimage, San Diego de Compostela, in the northwest of Spain. It is a place of pilgrimage that has become very popular with young people in recent years.
San Diego de Compostela is a much visited shrine. To make the official pilgrimage, you have to walk what is called The Way of St. James, which is over 500 miles, beginning in France. This was the medieval pilgrimage – long before trains and cars, of course, when people walked. It has now become so popular that it has been featured on television and in books.
In my last Parish a young woman came to me, who was going to make this pilgrimage. To be a certified pilgrim, she had to have a letter from a priest. She told me that with the letter, she would get a passport and it would be stamped in all the places where she stopped overnight. This would be proof that she had made the pilgrimage, by having stamps from all the places she had stayed on her way to Compostela
San Diego de Compostela in English means Saint James of the Field of Stars. This romantic title points to the tradition of Compostela. It is said that St. James went to Spain as an apostle, following the command of Jesus that the twelve should go into all lands and preach the Gospel. He evangelized the people of that peninsula.
After James was beheaded by King Herod in the year 42 A.D. some of his disciples took his body across the Mediterranean to Spain. They received permission from Queen Lupa, the Queen of the region where Compostela is, to bury his body there. It was sort of a homecoming for the missionary bishop.
There St. James’ body remained without much fuss for 750 years. Then in the ninth century a Christian hermit saw lights in the sky – not Star Wars, but some sign – which led him to the grave of St. James. He reported this discovery to King Alphonso II, and the king decreed that a church was to be built over the grave of St. James.
Compostela became a shrine and the third most visited pilgrimage site for Christians after Jerusalem and Rome. Considering that Compostela is in a remote part of northwester Spain, it is indeed a sign from God. For many of the shrines of the Virgin Mary are in remote places, and often require a great journey like Compostela.
Now we may dismiss this as another medieval and colorful legend – except for one thing. In the ninth century, when all this happened, the Moors had by now occupied the greater part of Spain, except for this small coastal strip along the northwest where Compostela was.
Were the stars in the sky a sing from God to strengthen the Christian people as they faced this invasion from the Muslims? Possibly. We know for a fact that from then on the Christians grew in their self-confidence with this motivating force of the sign of the stars. They eventually took back their country from the Muslims, although it did take 500 years.
So for the legend – but what do we actually know about St. James the Great?
Acts 11 tells us that he was the first apostle to be martyred, the first of the twelve. St. James was also present when Jesus performed many of his miracles. Perhaps, most intimately, he was there in the Garden of Gethsemane on that night of betrayal, when Jesus withdrew from the disciples and took with him Peter, James and John.
Also significantly, James was there on Mount Tabor when Jesus was transfigured. All the Gospels record that when this happened, Jesus took with him Peter, James and John. Obviously, by this time, they were the three special apostles, the inner sacrum if you like, They were the ones Jesus trusted the most.
The most interesting passage of the whole Gospels concerning St. James is Matthew 20:20-28. I’ve always enjoyed this gospel because of the image of the mother of James and John, Mrs. Zebedee, pushing forward through the disciples and asking if Jesus might give her sons above, all the others, a special place, the seats of honor. With a mother’s pride she believed that her two sons were cut above the rest. I’m sure all mothers can understand Mrs. Zebedee’s enthusiasm for her children!
She wants the best seats in the kingdom for them. She has no idea, of course, what she is actually asking for. Jesus responds to her request with a question to the two brothers, James and John: “Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?”
Their immediate response was, “We are able.” They were very enthusiastic for the best seats too, of course. This also shows they had no idea what Jesus meant. Indeed, I’m sure St. James never understood that he would be martyred just ten years later, or that 2000 years later, a small group of Episcopalians would meet to honor him in the Eucharist with vestments the color of his blood.
We know what Jesus meant when he said, “Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” The cup that Jesus was to drink came barely a week later – on that Maundy Thursday night when Jesus said, “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.”
Mark has it slightly different. He quotes Jesus as saying, “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink – or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am to be baptized.” This was not a baptism of water, which he was referring to, but a baptism of blood. James and John should have realized what Jesus was talking about. For back on Mount Tabor, at the time of the transfiguration, it is recorded that Moses and Elijah were talking with Jesus about his exodus. The Exodus – another baptism of blood, the blood of the Lamb. To further emphasize this interplay between the seats in the kingdom and Maundy Thursday evening – at the end of Jesus’ response to James and John, he talks about service, saying: “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” These words were echoed at the Last Supper. St. Luke records that the twelve were arguing amongst themselves about who was the greatest, and were told they were called to be servants.
It was a silly request. St. James would be the first amongst them to taste the cup of martyrdom.
But of course, the story of the apostles does not end in martyrdom and death. Compostela in Spain reminds us that, in death, the apostles are honored for what they became – and not for the human failings or their silly weaknesses.
In Revelation 21 heaven is described as the New Jerusalem – and its’ twelve foundation stones are the twelve apostles. The Church of God is founded on these apostles.
When we state in the Creed on Sunday that we believe One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, the word believe refers to the faith taught by the apostles. So the Church is that community which follows in the tradition of the apostles, and believes the Catholic faith that has been handed down to us from them.
The Church is a community of faith. The Church as a community has been more obvious to us during the past two Sundays as we’ve worshiped in the Hall. We’ve been taken away from our familiar and beautiful church – and we’ve been closer to each other, literally, and closer to the altar. The Mass has been more intimate in its more sparse surroundings. If we lost something of dignity, or our usual and familiar way of worship, we, perhaps, gain more feeling of community of All Saints’ Church. Of course, we’ll be glad to return to the church next Sunday – but I hope when we do return that we will have a better understanding that we are the Body of Christ. Perhaps, we will see in our church building, a symbol or representation of what we are called to be – a chosen race, a royal people, and a holy temple to the Lord.
May we see ourselves in union with St. James, and all those other holy people in every age. May the prayers of St. James and all the Saints help us to drink whatever cup the Lord presents to us.