Saint Philip and Saint James May 1, 2024, 12-step Eucharist,
Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church, Little Rock
We remember two disciples tonight, Phillip and James.
In John’s gospel, Jesus calls Philip after calling Andrew and Peter. Philip, in turn, convinces his friend Nathanael to see Jesus, the Messiah. When Jesus sees a hungry crowd, he asks Philip, “How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” (John 6:5) Philip’s practical response is, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little” (John 6:7). Later in John’s Gospel, Greeks came to Philip seeking Jesus. At the Last Supper, Philip asks Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied,” which evokes Jesus’ response, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:8, 9).
So, we know Philip is an evangelist, bringing friends such as Nathanael and Greeks to Jesus. Philip is a Greek name, so that Greeks may see him as approachable./ He is from Bethsaida, like Peter and Andrew. Jesus sees Philip as a man who solves practical issues, like feeding a crowd. The feeding of the 5000 is near Bethsaida, so Jesus may think Philip knows where to find food. Phillip may have been a missionary to Asia and martyred in Hierapolis in today’s Turkey. Finally, we know that Philip is a seeker, looking for the way to God through Jesus, even though he still has difficulty at the end of Jesus’ ministry. So, Phillip is an evangelist, practical, perhaps a slow learner, a seeker, and someone others seek out to learn about Jesus.
How about James? There are three James among the followers of Jesus, James the brother of Jesus who is not among the twelve but is the first bishop of Jerusalem, James the son of Zebedee and brother of John, and this James called James the lesser. He may be Matthew’s brother, since they both have a father named Alpheus. James the lesser or younger is mentioned in the Bible five times, but only in a list of names. His mother is one of the women watching Jesus being crucified. Otherwise, nothing is known about him.
So why are these two martyred disciples sharing the same feast day? They are so different. James is quiet, not showy, and stays close to home. Phillip becomes an evangelist, probably teaching practical Christianity to far-away places, and is unafraid to speak up.
To those in recovery, we see two kinds of people who lead others to recovery—those who reach out through their words and those who reach out in faithful, quiet actions. The same is true for those who lead us to Christ. Some attract others because of their actions, and some by their words.
Ponder today if you are more like Philip or James. Would someone feel safe coming to you to hear about recovery,/or if they wanted to know about Jesus? Are you a safe person to talk to about recovery or being a follower of Jesus? Do we share our life in recovery, or our life as a Christian in our words/or in our actions, or maybe both?
Joanna. Joannaseibert.com