Then he appeared to James…  (1 Corinthians 15:7).

This is one of those bits that I have read numerous times but only recently stopped to think about. My trusty NIV Study Bible identifies this James as the brother (well, technically half brother) of Jesus. This makes sense, since the other Jameses we know about are part of the Twelve, and the previous verse already says that Jesus appeared to them.  

This, then, is the James that did not believe Jesus was the Christ, who Mark says thought Jesus was out of his mind.

That, of course, was before the Resurrection.

Jesus made a point of appearing to this man, the brother he had grown up with and who did not believe. 

What grace was offered in that meeting between Jesus and James?

What mercy?

What challenge?

Did they share an inside joke, the kind that only brothers would get?

Did James apologize for not believing his brother was the Christ? Did Jesus grin and say, “I told you so?”

We don’t know what happened in that meeting, but James went on to join the ranks of the believers, to become an apostle and to write the book that bears his name.

And to be  martyred for it.

So we can bet that, whatever was said, it was life changing.

As meetings with Jesus so often tend to be

Happy Monday, Beloved