in today's readings, we see Jesus talking to His relatives. many Bible translations call these men His brothers, and some Christian groups use this verse to try to prove that Mary had other children besides Jesus, that she was not a virgin for life. now, i'm not going to try to make a case either way here, as the point of these blogs is not to try to convince either group that they're wrong, or to try to get one group of believers to change and believe what the other group does. i want people from all backgrounds to be able to read and enjoy these Bible reflections.
but i must clarify something regarding this issue. these men were not Jesus's brothers. we know for sure, as Christians, that these men were related to Jesus, because the Bible uses a word to describe them that clearly means they are related to Jesus. but as Christians, we also know that these men were not His brothers. how do we know that? well... if my mom had another son, but not by my dad, would he be my brother? no. he'd be my step-brother. so whatever these men are to Jesus, they are not brothers. we have to decide what they are, and some Christians believe that they are cousins, since they believe that Mary never had any other children. some believe that they are Mary's other sons. but let's be clear... whatever they are to Jesus, they're not brothers.
however we relate to Jesus and His mother, though, let's always remember to do it in love. after all, we are all part of the Body of Christ, and He doesn't want us to fight.
God, thank you for making us part of Your family. please help us get along.
1 comment:
Amen
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