Homily on the 22nd Sunday after Pentecost being the feast of St James
Matthew 13:54-58.
This Sunday the Holy Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of St James the first Apostle and Bishop of Jerusalem. Now many people are confused about the familial relationship between our Lord and St James as the new Testament notes that he was the brother of our Lord – meaning that he had some familial relation to our Lord. However, it is well recorded that he was in fact the half-brother of Christ as he was the son of Righteous Joseph the husband of the Holy Theotokos (Mary). Implying that the Holy Theotokos only gave birth to one chid – our Lord and Saviour remaining a virgin.
In today’s Gospel we have the people being astonished at the great wisdom of Christ and his powerful deeds as they say –“isn’t he just from a carpenter’s family?” All too often in life God has gifted ordinary people with extraordinary gifts and it is not uncommon to hear people in jealousy go how did that person do that they are just a so and so….! It is important that we as Christians never fall in to the trap of jealousy over the gifts that the Lord has given to others – as Christ gives to each gifts that will serve his body the Church so as to bring many to him. Rather let us be grateful for the gifts that have been given to others by the Holy Trinity as in wisdom God knows what gifts are needed by in his Church and as our loving Father He provides them!
I have met many wise and holy Christians in my life and what keeps amazing me is how God chooses to give wisdom to the little ones as Christ is clear in Matthew 11:25 – “I Praise you Father, Lord of heaven and earth because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children”. It is clear that the people in today’s Gospel had the arrogant attitude of “you are telling me that a God gave these powers and wisdom to a mere lowly carpenter that cannot be!” How many of the saints were treated badly because people thought that they were merely simply souls and as such being simple souls could not possibly come to great wisdom - yet their deeds surpassed many of the most learned of scholars and supposed holy men! Let us as members of Christ’s body then approach Christ humbly and say – “Lord I am grateful for what you have given me how do you want me to use these talents?” Remember any gift from God is given for service no matter how small you may think your talent is!
Finally, in today’s Gospel we see that the people of Jesus’s town are closed to anything that he had done- meaning that they had no desire to open their hearts to our Lord. In many ways this prefigures the greater rejection of Jesus that was to happen - even from many of his own people. This is why the Gospel states -”A prophet is not without honour except in his own country and in his own house”. Indeed, this verse is still relevant today – how many people who were brought up in the Christian faith have rejected Christ for the ways of the world and the empty promises of secularism and money.
Let our prayer be today that we may be always open to encouraging others to use their gifts for the good of the Kingdom of God. Also, let us pray that we also thank God for our talents and that
He may show us how to use them for the greater good of His Kingdom. Finally, let us pray to Saint James that he may always intercede on our behalf to the Holy Trinity.
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