St. James the Greater: The First Apostle to Drink the Cup That Jesus Drunk

St. James the Greater (St. James the Major) is one of the Twelve Apostles. He was one of the earliest disciples to be recruited by Jesus in Galilee, along with his younger brother, John. His father, Zebedee, James and John, were fishermen in Galilee, like Peter and his brother, Andrew, who were also in the first batch of Jesus’ recruits.

It means that James was one in the first batch of the disciples, accompanying Jesus from the beginning of his public ministry in Galilee. And his mother, Salome, was also with Jesus and his apostles.

The Roman Catholic Church honors the life of St. James the Greater on July 25. The Gospel Reading of his feast is Matthew 20:20-28.

It was when Jesus foretold his passion, death, and resurrection, for the third time, as he was about to start his journey to Jerusalem (Matthew 20:17-19), the mother of James and his younger brother, John, approached Jesus and asked him a favor to grant her two sons a higher position in his Kingdom (Matthew 20:20-21). Asking Jesus to command her sons, one to his right and the other to his left (v.21) means to have her sons as Jesus’ right and left arms in his Kingdom.

In reply, Jesus said:

You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink? (Matthew 20:22).

And they said, “Yes”(ibid).

Then Jesus said:

My cup you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father (Matthew be20:28).

Did James and John really understand what it means to drink the up that Jesus was going to drink? In other words, did they know it would mean to die as Jesus was going to?

Jesus just spoke for the third time that he was going to suffer at the hands of Gentiles (Roman soldiers) and die by crucifixion, but be raised, as he getting ready to head out to Jerusalem (Matthew 20:17-19). This makes it clear that Jesus was referring to his impending passion and death in Jerusalem by saying the cup that he was going to drink. Though James and John responded as if they would be able to die like him, Jesus knew that they really did not understand what it means to drink the cup that he was going to drink. Nevertheless, he knew that both James and John were going to suffer eventually, as he said that they would drink the cup.

In fact, St. James became the first Apostle to drink the cup among the twelve, as he was the first Apostle to be martyred (Acts 12:1-2), following St. Stephen to be the first deacon to be martyred (Acts 7:54-60). As for James’ brother, John, it has been believed that the cup he drank, had a different “taste”, as he was not killed as James and other Apostles were. Rather, he was kept alive to fight growing heresies, especially Gnosticism and keep the witness (i.e. John 21:20-22). For this, John’s martyrdom was a life of long suffering until his death.

As for the matter of who is to be on his right and on hid left, it is not decided by Jesus but by the Father. So, asking Jesus a favor to put one of her sons on his right and the other son on his left was nonsense. And there is no way that Jesus would have favoritism on certain disciples as God shows not partiality (Romans 2:11). Therefore, if the Father is to decide who is to be on His Son’s right and on his left, it should be based on a certain merit.

So what can be the merit?

One thing for sure is humility.

In response to the mother of James and John asking Jesus a favor for her sons, the disciples grew indignant at these two brothers (Matthew 20:24).

Why did they become angry at Jamese and John because their mother asked Jesus for a special treatment on her sons? It is because of their jealousy. And this pathological emotion, driven from our narcissistic disposition, will not get anyone to the Kingdom, as a lesson from Saul’s fall from grace (1 Samuel 18:6-9) humbly reminds us.

When Jesus spoke how he would suffer, die, and be raised, for the second time, according to Luke, the disciples argued which one of them was the greatest (Luke 9:44-45), acting out of their self-centeredness and potential arrogance. And Jesus taught them the importance of child-like humility (Luke 9:47-48). In other words, with Jesus, no one is greater than anyone else, in terms of privileges, though everyone is unique.

Then, when Jesus foretold his suffering, death, and resurrection, for the third time, the mother of James and John was bold enough to ask him to give her sons more privileged positions in his Kingdom. Since she had been with Jesus and his disciples, including her two sons, James and John (i.e. Matthew 27:55-56), she should know that Jesus wanted the disciples to remain humble (Luke 9:48). This is why Jesus had to preach on humility again, summoning the disciples to him, so that they would not let their selfishness break their oneness with him.

Jesus said:

You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:25-28).

Contrasting those who have no faith, represented by the Gentiles, and those who have faith, represented by the disciples, Jesus spoke that the believers remain to be humble servants, as exemplified by Jesus himself, while arrogant and greedy non-believers want to dominate those whom they conquer. In fact, his exemplary humility was demonstrated by his servant leadership (John 13:1-20, 31-35). He had already taught to learn humility from him as coming to him not only for respite but to be one with him (Matthew 11:28-30).

Nobody is as humble as Jesus is. And his exemplary humility was associated with the cup he drunk So, Paul wrote:

Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:6-8).

To be in his glory in his Kingdom, whether prepared by the Father to be His Son’s right or left or not, we must strive for Christ-like humility. Then, we can also give witness to this truth through our martyrdoms, drinking from the cup that he drunk.

The First Reading (2 Corinthians 4:7-15) reminds us that drinking the cup that  Jesus drunk entitles us to new life in resurrection. This is a life of abundant grarice bestowed in us, because Jesus drunk the cup of suffering and death, and the Father raised him because of this.

St. James became the first Apostle to actually drink the cup that Jesus drunk. But he enjoys a risen life with abundant grace bestowed because of this. Perhaps, this is why it has been believed that he helped the Reconquista of Spain, where he was believed to have preached before he returned to Jerusalem and was killed by Herod Agripa. Being known as Santiago in Spain, St. James has been the Spaniards’ beloved patron Saint.