James the son of Alphaeus is one of the lesser-known disciples of Jesus mentioned in the New Testament. His name appears in the lists of Jesus's disciples, but not much else is described about him in Scripture. He is also known as James the Less or James the Younger, possibly to distinguish him from other individuals named James. Scholars have proposed theories about his identity, including the possibility of being related to Matthew the tax collector. Despite the lack of detailed information, James the son of Alphaeus was undoubtedly a faithful follower of Christ and a leader in the early church. His life reminds us that faithfulness to Jesus is significant, regardless of earthly recognition or prominence.
Irrespective of who his true blood relatives may have been, we can conclude that James the son of Alphaeus was a faithful servant of Christ. He is just as much an apostle as those who are featured more prominently in the biblical narrative, like Peter or John. James the son of Alphaeus was a witness to Jesus's years of ministry on earth and His resurrection. He was empowered by the Holy Spirit and became a leader in the early church, alongside the other apostles. Tradition says that James, son of Alphaeus, evangelized in Persia (modern-day Iran) and was martyred there.
From James the son of Alphaeus, we can be encouraged that our faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to Him matters, whether seen by many or by few. Though we know relatively little about him, James the son of Alphaeus is known fully by God and will be honored alongside the other apostles (Matthew 19:28; Revelation 21:14). James the Less was in no way lesser in God's estimation. The same is true of all who faithfully follow God in whatever He gives them. Earthly notoriety holds little value in God's kingdom; rather, faithfully following Him and living for His glory because of the grace we've been granted through faith in Jesus does (Ephesians 2:8–10; 1 Corinthians 3:5–15; 12:4–27).