Jesus Relatives

[sinner06]

This may not be the right place for this, but it seemed as good a spot as any. First off, this is not meant to start a discussion about whether the brothers and sisters of Christ are full siblings, half siblings, cousins, or whatever. The question I want to know is, I thought I remembered that Jesus’ siblings and/or cousins did not believe in Him, at least at first, and that they tried to dissuade Him. But now I’m looking in the Bible and I can’t find it. Did that really happen, or am I just crazy? Thanks in advance, sorry if it’s just my imagination.

 

[Ad_Gentes]

You’re referring to John 7:3-5 (NAB):

So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. No one works in secret if he wants to be known publicly. If you do these things, manifest yourself to the world.” **For his brothers did not believe in him **(emphasis mine).

 

[DavidFilmer]

I thought I remembered that Jesus’ siblings and/or cousins did not believe in Him, at least at first, and that they tried to dissuade Him.

Jesus found his hometown to be a tough crowd:

He came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?” And they took offense at him. (Matt 13:54-57; also John 6:42).

But I’ve never seen a passage that specifically includes any relatives of Jesus among the hostile-minded.

 

[sinner06]

You’re referring to John 7:3-5 (NAB):

Thank you, that’s what I was looking for. The thing about them trying to dissuade Him, was, I guess, something I heard that someone that assumed it was a natural corollary, so it might not be true. Thanks very much!

 

[prodromos]

The above passage is also a pretty clear indication of Jesus’ siblings being older than Him and consequently could not be children of Mary. If Jesus was the eldest then they would never presume to speak to Him in such a manner.

John

 

[JacktheCatholic]

This may not be the right place for this, but it seemed as good a spot as any. First off, this is not meant to start a discussion about whether the brothers and sisters of Christ are full siblings, half siblings, cousins, or whatever. The question I want to know is, I thought I remembered that Jesus’ siblings and/or cousins did not believe in Him, at least at first, and that they tried to dissuade Him. But now I’m looking in the Bible and I can’t find it. Did that really happen, or am I just crazy? Thanks in advance, sorry if it’s just my imagination.

There was a writings from the earliest of Christian times that spoke of Joseph as being a man late in his years (80s) when he wed Mary (who was 12 to 14). It was written that Joseph was previously married and had children from that marriage and that after his first wife passed away that the elders took staffs and the one with the bud (the way the OT spoke of choosing a high Priest) on the staff would be chosen to wed Mary and it fell to Joseph. You may find this story interesting.

Link:newadvent.org/fathers/0805.htm
Quote:

1. There was a man whose name was Joseph, sprung from a family of Bethlehem, a town of Judah, and the city of King David. This same man, being well furnished with wisdom and learning, was made a priest in the temple of the Lord. He was, besides, skilful in his trade, which was that of a carpenter; and after the manner of all men, he married a wife. Moreover, he begot for himself sons and daughters, four sons, namely, and two daughters. Now these are their names— Judas, Justus, James, and Simon. The names of the two daughters were Assia and Lydia. At length the wife of righteous Joseph, a woman intent on the divine glory in all her works, departed this life. But Joseph, that righteous man, my father after the flesh, and the spouse of my mother Mary, went away with his sons to his trade, practising the art of a carpenter.

1. Now when righteous Joseph became a widower, my mother Mary, blessed, holy, and pure, was already twelve years old. For her parents offered her in the temple when she was three years of age, and she remained in the temple of the Lord nine years. Then when the priests saw that the virgin, holy and God-fearing, was growing up, they spoke to each other, saying: Let us search out a man, righteous and pious, to whom Mary may be entrusted until the time of her marriage; lest, if she remain in the temple, it happen to her as is wont to happen to women, and lest on that account we sin, and God be angry with us.

Then some centuries later we have a Doctor of the Catholic Church write that Joseph had to be both celibate and virgin as well which arguably disproved the story I link above. This doctor of the church was Thomas Aquinas.

I can find the writing by Aquinas if you need it.

newadvent.org/summa/index.html

 

[sinner06]

First off, this is not meant to start a discussion about whether the brothers and sisters of Christ are full siblings, half siblings, cousins, or whatever.

 

[NHInsider]

This may not be the right place for this, but it seemed as good a spot as any. First off, this is not meant to start a discussion about whether the brothers and sisters of Christ are full siblings, half siblings, cousins, or whatever. The question I want to know is, I thought I remembered that Jesus’ siblings and/or cousins did not believe in Him, at least at first, and that they tried to dissuade Him. But now I’m looking in the Bible and I can’t find it. Did that really happen, or am I just crazy? Thanks in advance, sorry if it’s just my imagination.

You might also be thinking of the story that begins at Mark 3:20, in some of Jesus’ relatives come to try and take Him home because they’re afraid He’s lost His mind. The comment is that the crowd is so great that He didn’t have time to eat, and I have this wonderful image in my mind of Mary-as-Jewish-mother, worrying about Him … . .

 

[Ad_Gentes]

There was a writings from the earliest of Christian times that spoke of Joseph as being a man late in his years (80s) when he wed Mary (who was 12 to 14). It was written that Joseph was previously married and had children from that marriage and that after his first wife passed away that the elders took staffs and the one with the bud (the way the OT spoke of choosing a high Priest) on the staff would be chosen to wed Mary and it fell to Joseph. You may find this story interesting.

The idea that Joseph was an older man and a widower, that he had children from a previous marriage, and these were Jesus’ stepbrothers comes mainly from the Protoevangelium of James, which is obviously not canonical. This view was held in the East (e.g. by the Eastern Orthodox), while the more traditional view (at least for Catholics) of Jesus’ cousins was held in the West.

Then some centuries later we have a Doctor of the Catholic Church write that Joseph had to be both celibate and virgin as well which arguably disproved the story I link above. This doctor of the church was Thomas Aquinas.

There is no official teaching of the Church in regards to Joseph being a widower or not so we are free to believe on either possibility. The only official teaching of the Church is that Jesus’ brethren were not Mary’s children.

 

[Ad_Gentes]

You might also be thinking of the story that begins at Mark 3:20…

From the New American Bible:

He came home. Again (the) crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

(Mark 3:20-21)