The call to follow Jesus is a call to a life that is full of reversals. What makes such reversals joyful is that they all lead to new and durable life in and with God. From this perspective, one can look at the life of St. James, the apostle, whose feast the Church celebrates today. All the readings of today speak of a turnaround or reversal in the lives and experiences of all who minister to the gospel of Christ. They suffer for the faith, but the suffering is usually overcome with the joy and reward linked to the gospel.
Reversals in the Life of St. James the Apostle
The life of James underwent significant reversals at different points, all reflecting the experiences of a typical disciple. He and his brother John were the two sons of Zebedee, called by Jesus from their fishing business at the Sea of Galilee.
At this point, one finds the first reversal in the life of James, as he moves from being a catcher of fish to becoming a catcher of souls for Jesus. As a disciple of Jesus, he enjoyed a very high rating. He and his younger brother John, together with Peter, constituted the inner circle of Jesus, as he took them with him in very strategic moments of his ministry, like the Transfiguration, the healing of Jairus’ daughter and the agony in the garden. But despite this privileged status in the apostolic college, James did not live to play a significant role in the early Church. He was the first among the apostles to die.
King Herod Agrippa I had him put to death by the sword in an attempt to harm the nascent Church (Acts 12:1-2). This early and brutal death of James can be seen as a painful reversal of the expectations of his family, given their request that he and his brother be made to occupy premier positions of power in the expected inauguration of the Master’s kingdom in Jerusalem, with one sitting at the right hand and the other at the left hand of Jesus. However, Jesus had alerted them of the consequences of the request, but they did not initially seem to understand.
Carrying Treasure in Clay Vessels
In the first reading from 2 Corinthians 4, the apostle Paul describes the Christian discipleship as the carrying of a treasure in earthenware vessels. While the gospel message to be proclaimed is the greatest treasure anyone can ever acquire, the vessels, which are the human instruments used to spread the message are very fragile and can easily disappoint.
The fact is that the success of the ministry does not depend on the power of the minister or disciple. It depends on the superior power of God who uses very weak instruments to achieve His purpose. Because of the immense power of God working in his ministers, all the harsh and devastating experiences they undergo are reversed in their favour and in the favour of the ministry. They are afflicted but not crushed. Perplexed but not despondent. Persecuted but not forsaken. Struck down but not destroyed. Dying in the body but full of life in Christ (2 Cor 4:8-11).
The secret of our success is always the power of God! Only this power makes us remain undaunted in the face of many terrible trials. As Paul says, “We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see– we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything” (2 Cor 6: 8-10).
Joyful Reversals in Our Relations with God
The God we worship is a Master of joyful surprises. Most times when people think that all is lost, God springs a surprise and begins the story afresh. This is well captured in today’s responsorial psalm from Psalm 126. It sings of the Lord’s restoration of the fortunes of Zion after the catastrophe of the exile in Babylon. The joyful refrain is that those who are sowing in tears will sing when they reap. It tells of the reality of salvation which is a reversal from bondage to freedom.
In life there are moments of pain and sorrow. These gradually give way to experiences of lasting joy and dancing. In dealing with God, we only need patience and perseverance. As long as we trust in Him, we shall surely experience joyful reversals. Yet, these can only come at His own behest and at His own time. Our Christian hope, which is the focus of this Jubilee year, assures us that the future is glorious. It is exceedingly incomparable to the present state of suffering and anguish. But, that future remains in the hands of God.
