SONS OF THUNDER OR SONS OF CHRIST?
‘And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt Thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?’
I. The name and the lesson.—The question naturally arises, Was this the incident which led to the name of Boanerges, or Sons of Thunder, being given by Christ to James and John? or was this merely an example of that fiery character which caused them to receive this surname? Many commentators think that the name did not arise from the story told in the text; and one great reason with them seems to be that the name appears as though it were recorded as a name of honour, just as the name of Peter, the Rock, was given to Simon, and recorded as a name of honour, indicating his strength as a foundation of the Church; whereas it is argued, that if this name had been given to James and John upon this occasion, it would have been a perpetual memorial of their weakness and folly, and would hardly have been set down as their recognised title. I cannot myself, however, refrain from thinking it probable that the name did take its rise from this story. Christ never did blame James and John for their zeal; He only spoke of their zeal as mistaken. He laid the blame on their ignorance, and not on any wilful violation of duty; and this lesson I can easily believe He would be most anxious to impress, so as that it should never be forgotten. What wonder, then, if He should adopt a method which would have the effect of keeping the lesson constantly before the Apostles’ minds? And to give them this new name would infallibly have this result.
II. Impulse v. Principle.—Like all the acts and words of Christ, the acts and words recorded in this history have still most important lessons for ourselves. I should say that the contrast of the conduct of John and James with that of Christ is precisely a type of the contrast, which is continually presented, of the conduct of men who act upon the mere impulse of feeling or passion, and that of men who act upon true Christlike principles. Sons of thunder are we all, in a certain sense, until we become sons of Christ; ever ready to let feelings of selfishness and pride get the upper hand, and show themselves stronger than the feelings of gentleness and patience and forbearance, which are alone in accordance with the spirit and example of Christ. Who does not plead guilty to the charge of showing himself in this way unworthy of his Christian profession? It is because we are by nature thus different from what we ought to be that Christ has come to give us power to become the sons of God.
—Bishop Harvey Goodwin.
Illustrations
(1) ‘It is the common assumption that what the Samaritan villagers were guilty of was merely a breach of hospitality; that they refused our Lord food and shelter. There was something far worse. It is said that before setting out on this journey “Jesus sent messengers before His face.” It cannot be that they were only couriers, to provide food and shelter. He was not wont to take such care for His bodily comfort. They were heralds, specially sent to tell the Samaritans that the Messiah was coming, and passing through their country on His way to Jerusalem to be proclaimed there. It was this that urged them to refuse Him food and shelter. They would harbour in their village no Jewish “impostor.” No doubt they expressed themselves strongly; and John and James, fresh from the Transfiguration scene, and knowing that He was certainly the Son of God, were indignant at the rejection of His claims, and wanted to call down fire upon the Samaritans. If the people had been merely rude and inhospitable, the offence would have been palpably inadequate to require such a punishment. They were vindicating the claims of the true and legitimate Lord, to be recognised publicly as such. They recalled a passage in Elijah’s history, which seemed to them to furnish a precedent for their conduct: “Shall we call down fire from heaven to consume them, as Elias did?”
(2) ‘That name, “Boanerges,” “the sons of thunder,” which Christ probably gave to the two Apostles from this exhibition of fiery temper of indignation, which clung to them in after years, was a necessary reminder of the need of forbearance in the spread of Christianity. And who can say how much of the forgiving spirit which breathes through the pages of John was due to the lesson which he then received? What a contrast there is between the Apostle, invoking the lightning to destroy the unbelieving Samaritans, and the aged Apostle carried into the Christian assembly, when his powers of speech were failing, and he repeated the often reiterated exhortation, “Little children, love one another.” ’