Mark 3:17 And James the [son] of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:
In my previous messages on the mother of James and John, I showed she was Salome, the sister of Mary, whom Jesus also called as Mary, giving her the same respect as His mother. That made James and John close cousins of Jesus and the reason why Simon Peter became His disciple since Peter was their business partner in their fishing business and was known to Jesus from before.
Many days back, when my daughter was doing her first sharing of the Word, her topic was Salome (she shares the same name), I was surprised to know the reason Jesus called James and John Boanerges – sons of thunder was not because of their father, of whom nothing much is written other than that he was well-to-do and had good relations with the High Priest. We see Salome’s character in her dedication to the ministry of Jesus and, above all, her persistence in seeing her sons do great.
The word Boanerges, translated as ‘sons of thunder’, is a compound word, and the latter part roots from the word ‘to conspire’. The word thunder does not speak of power but of persistence, endurance, and determination.
If my derivation of Salome, the wife of Zebedee, is right, it shows Jesus gave the same respect and importance to the women in His ministry as He did to the men, not putting men above women as was done in His time.
[Prayer Starter]
Lord, You are Almighty God. You are God, and You are Spirit. You created us in spirit in the beginning of creation and set us in time in this human body, which has male and female genders. Our gender does not determine our relationship with You. You see what we are in heart than anything else…
We make this prayer in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
[Reference Scriptures]
Mark 15:40 There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;
Mark 16:1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the [mother] of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
Matthew 28:1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first [day] of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
John 19:25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the [wife] of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.