James was Jesus’ half brother, and he probably thought that Jesus was out of his mind.

James

What must it have been like to be the half brother of Jesus? Growing up together, playing, doing chores, hanging out, running errands, talking. James was so close to Him, yet he did not believe. At one point, even Jesus’ family was saying, “He is out of His mind” (Mark 3:21). Those nearest to Him did not yet understand who He truly was. They thought he was crazy. But they still cared for him and wanted to get his attention (Mark 3:31).

We are not told everything James thought or felt. Scripture does not say whether he was jealous or resentful, or how he responded to the attention Jesus received. Even with the cross, the Gospels do not tell us whether he was there or how he responded to Jesus’ suffering and death. Like many others, he may not have fully understood what was happening.

James likely thought Jesus was mistaken or misguided, yet he was still his brother. I think he still loved him as a brother. But everything changed after the resurrection.

Jesus

Jesus appeared to James (1 Corinthians 15:7). The one he had once misunderstood, he now saw clearly. James would go on to become a leader in the church and later give his life as a martyr. He no longer related to Jesus merely as a brother, but as “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1).

For the Christian with unbelieving family and friends, this gives us hope. Even those who are closest to us may not believe. They may misunderstand or even reject what is true. They might think we’re crazy. But that is not the end of the story.

Faith does not come merely through family, friendship, or intellectual familiarity. It comes through the risen Christ making Himself known, opening eyes, and transforming hearts. And in the end, the One James once thought was out of His mind became the Lord he loved with all his mind — and heart. He was not only his brother according to the flesh, but his true Brother of faith in the family of God, by the blood of Christ.