As we wrap up our series of messages about moving from ordinary to extraordinary, I want to review a few things about these ordinary men we call The Disciples. These ordinary men gave up everything to follow Christ (Luke 18:28). They left homes, jobs, land, family, and friends to follow Jesus. Their sacrifice was indeed heroic.
We do not see much of their heroism in the Gospel accounts. The Gospel writers instead give us an honest portrait of these men. They are not portrayed as mythical figures, but as real and ordinary men. The disciples are never the main actors in the Gospel story - that role is always left to Christ. In those rare moments that the disciples step to center stage it is only to reveal their weakness and to bring to life the lessons that Jesus is teaching. The Gospels record the actions of Christ and the work He did to train His disciples. As a result, we can only imagine the countless untold stories of faith shared by these men.
The move for the disciples from ordinary to extraordinary comes after Jesus’ return to Heaven. It is then, emboldened by the Holy Spirit, that the Disciples begin to act in extraordinary ways. We live today with a part of the extraordinary legacy of the disciples - the church. The church is born from the extraordinary efforts of the Disciples to tell the story of God’s Messiah.
As we examine one more of the disciples, we will discover that the Bible tells us very little about this disciple. Most of the story of this particular disciple is left untold. Perhaps that is one way we can relate to him . . . Most of us will be but a mere stat in the history of time – a number – or at best a name on list or a grave marker somewhere. Our lives will be untold stories in history.
The ninth name in Luke’s list of the disciples (Luke 6:14-16) is James the son of Alphaeus. That is it. That is all we really know about him – his name. If James the son of Alphaeus ever wrote anything – it is lost. If he ever asked Jesus anything – it is unrecorded. If he ever did anything to stand out – it is untold. He never attained fame. He apparently never stood out. Even his name was common – James.
There are several men in the New Testament with the name James. There was James the son of Zebedee – brother of John – part of Jesus’ inner circle. There was another James - the son of Mary and Joseph – Jesus’ half brother. That James became a leader in the early church in Jerusalem and is the author of the Book of James.
His lack of prominence is even reflected in his nickname from Scripture – James the Less. The actual Greek word is mikros which actually means little or small in stature. Perhaps he was short or small-framed. The word can also be loosely translated to mean someone who is young of age; therefore, he might have been younger than James the son of Zebedee. This nickname would have been a way to distinguish him within the group. However, his nickname was more likely a reference to his influence as compared to that of the other James and that too set him apart. He was James the Less.
In Mark 2:14, Levi (Matthew) is referenced as the son of a man also named Alphaeus. It is possible then that James the Less was the brother of Matthew. It would make sense in that there were other sets of brothers among the twelve – Peter and Andrew and James and John. On the other hand, no actual reference is given that they were brothers.
Perhaps even more interesting is the possible lineage shared by James the Less. When we compare Mark 15:40 and John 19:25, we discover what could be a highly intriguing family connection for James. Mark 15:40 mentions, “Mary Magdalene and Mary mother of James the Less and of Joses.” John 19:25, describing the same gathering, mentions “(Jesus’) mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.” It is therefore possible, and perhaps even likely, that Mary the mother of James the Less and Mary the wife of Clopas are the same person. If true, that would make James the Less the Cousin of Jesus! But alas, we do not know because it is never actually recorded.
So, he may have been Matthew’s Brother. He may have been Jesus’ cousin. He may have been a small – younger – even quiet. He may have been person who stayed mostly in the background. It may be that all of these things were true of James the Less, but we just do not know. We might say his most distinguishing mark was his obscurity and the truth is we each live most of our lives in obscurity. It is one of the things we all have in common and it is one of the things that make each of us ordinary.
Early church history is nearly silent on the life of James. Many of the early stories confuse him with the brother of Jesus and therefore are inaccurate regarding his life. There is some evidence that he took the Gospel to Syria and Persia. Even the accounts of his death differ. He apparently died as he lived – in the shadows of obscurity.
James the Less sought no recognition. He displayed no great leadership. He asked no critical questions. He demonstrated no unusual insight. And yet, his name remains. All that he did or did not do is lost to time and history, but his name remains.
James the Less was one of the twelve disciples. Jesus chose him for a reason and eternity will remember his name. I think that is the point of James the Less – that is the lesson that is left for us to discover.
What made him ordinary also made him extraordinary. For this quiet ordinary life was lived serving His Master – Jesus – The Christ – The Savior of the World and because of his service to the Master we still remember him today.
How will you be remembered?
Interested in learning more about these ordinary disciples who became extraordinary try reading John MacArthur's Book - Twelve Ordinary Men
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