A fam
ous preacher once said, “I wish that saints would cling to Christ half as earnestly as sinners cling to the devil. If we were as willing to suffer for God as some are willing to suffer for their lusts, what perseverance and zeal would be seen on all sides!” Those are great words to ponder. Zeal is a quality within us that strives to be constantly pushing toward our goals of growing in faith and serving the Lord. A Christian’s journey in life is always one of moving ever higher, increasing in knowledge, improving his or her faith and prayer life, and serving others. Paul put it this way: “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” (Romans 12:11). Peter said we should “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior” (2 Peter 3:18).
Scripture is filled with examples of zealous believers. The psalmist wrote, “My zeal wears me out” (119:139). Isaiah said, “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent” (62:1). The healed demon-possessed man “told all over town how much Jesus had done for him” (Luke 8:39). The teacher Apollos “spoke with great fervor” (Acts 18:25).
Besides Peter, there was another apostle who became known for his unabashed zealousness. His name was James, the brother of John and son of Zebedee and Salome. James was one of the inner circle of apostles with Peter and John. They witnessed the transfiguration and the raising of Jairus’ daughter. Since James is usually mentioned before his brother, John, it is possible he was the elder. Interestingly, James is always with his brother when he speaks.
The two incidents that speak of James show that he had a fiery temperament, which is probably why Jesus renamed the two brothers. “James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder)” (Mark 3:16,17). The first time we hear from James is when Jesus sent messengers into Samaria to secure sleeping arrangements for a night. The Samaritans refused. “When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, ‘Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?’” (Luke 9:54). Jesus was disappointed at the careless comments of the young men and he “turned and rebuked them” (9:56).
A second incident happened shortly before Palm Sunday. Jesus had just finished telling his disciples that he would sit on his throne. He then said, “You who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones” (Matthew 19:28). That’s when the two brothers came to Jesus and asked if they might sit on Jesus’ right and left sides. Having no idea what they were volunteering for, Jesus again rebuked them for their forwardness. Truly this grieved the heart of Jesus. Their comrades were also not at all amused with the scene: “When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers” (Matthew 20:24).
That was James, a man of exceptional zeal for Jesus and his kingdom. Sometimes his zeal ran ahead of his wisdom. Could that zeal have also resulted in his death? As the early church grew, Herod became increasingly concerned. “It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them” (Acts 12:1). This would lead us to believe that James was indeed as outspoken and zealous as ever. Certainly he was one who could stir up emotions. Herod “had James, the brother of John, put to death by the sword” (12:2). The intense character of a disciple Jesus dearly loved cost him his head. James was the first of the apostles to become a martyr of the early church. His death rekindled the fire within his fellow apostles, causing them to preach more and become even more emboldened in their witness.
We may not be as zealous in asking for a seat beside the King of kings, and we should never call fire down from heaven to destroy Jesus’ enemies, but we could well imitate the zealous love James showed for his Savior—right up to his death!
Personal goal: Read Romans 12:11 today and do what it says.
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