Let’s consider two men found in the list of the apostles given in Luke 6:12-16.  There we find, “And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.”

            Consider Thaddaeus.  Perhaps you might be thinking, “I didn’t see the name Thaddaeus in that list.”  In the passage with which we began, this man is identified as Judas, the brother of James.  It is interesting that some writers have referred to Thaddaeus as “Trinomious” or the “man with three names.”  He is called Thaddaeus, Judas the brother of James, and Lebbaeus.  While we know very little about this man, the one time he is singled out in the gospels gives us a slight glimpse into his thinking.  In John 14:21-22 we read, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.  Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?”

            There is little doubt that, based upon his question, Thaddaeus still held a decidedly earthly view of Jesus.  His desire was that Jesus manifest himself to the world, not as a suffering Savior, but as a ruling king.  That was the generally held concept of the Messiah by the Jews at that time, and the apostles had a very difficult time divorcing themselves from those previously held views.  Here was a man, ordinary to all appearances, who did not grasp everything immediately or completely, but the Lord chose him as an apostle.  There is a tradition, how reliable it is I do not know, that says Thaddaeus preached the gospel in Edessa near the Euphrates River and was very successful.  He preached the gospel in other areas as well, only to die a martyr’s death at Ararat by being shot through with arrows.

            Even less is know about James, the son of Alphaeus. Some believe he may have been the brother of Matthew, or Levi, who is also called the son of Alphaeus in Mark 2:14.  Still others identify him with James the Less of Mark 15:40, but none of these can be absolutely proven.

            There are traditions about this James that are interesting, but they are only traditions.  It is said that this James preached in Palestine and in Egypt.  According to one tradition, James was crucified in Egypt.  Yet another says that he died a most unusual death  - having his body sawn into pieces.  Again, no one knows for certain.

            Neither James the son of Alphaeus or Thaddaeus would have been considered great men from a purely worldly perspective.  They were not rich or powerful, at least as far as we know.  I find this fascinating.  Jesus could have used the chief rulers of his people, but John 12:42 tells us that many of them were afraid to confess him for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue.  He could have used the wise of the world, but Matthew 11:25 indicates that perhaps their much learning got in the way of their believing the simple truth.  He could have used the rich, but if the rich young ruler in Matthew 19 is any indication, placing Jesus ahead of their wealth was difficult.  So he used ordinary people, people like me and perhaps like you.  When one is willing to give himself over to the Lord like clay in the potter’s hands, there is no limit to what the Lord can accomplish.

                                                Greg Litmer