Mary, Apostle John, and Jewish family responsibilities

[Nan_S]

This morning’s RCIA discussion was regarding the perpetual virginity of Mary. I’d like some help with whatever information anyone can reference regarding Jewish family customs and responsibilities. Specifically I want to document the responsibility of the eldest son to care for his widowed mother, and how that responsibility passed to the other sons.

One of the scriptural proofs-texts highlighted in our discussion supporting the argument that Mary has only one son was Jn 19:26-27. Jesus gave the care of His mother to the Apostle John, a non-relative, and James the “brother of the Lord” was not only not offended by this but went on to become a major player in the early Christian community. However, this argument supporting Mary’s virginity falls flat if there really was no obligation for a widow’s other sons to take over her care.

Thus far I have found the following comments posted elsewhere, which unfortunately were not supported:

Jn 19:26-27: It would have been unthinkable for Jesus to commit the care of his mother to a friend if he had brothers.

All 4 Gospels: If Mary had other children, assuming that Joseph must have died by now, one of them would have claimed the body of Jesus. But the body was claimed by Joseph of Arimathea

When leading an RCIA session it’s comforting to have ready answers for tough questions. But in this case I’ve been challenged to provide some background support for what I’ve generally accepted as common knowledge. Help???

Thanks,
Nan

 

[Joe_Kelley]

There are a number of Sriptures which state the requirement that a son support his parents. Mark 7:9-12 in which Jesus strongly condemns the Pharisees for excusing people from this obligation comes first to mind.

And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God, in order to keep your tradition! 10* For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die’; 11 but you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is Corban’ (that is, given to God) *-- 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God through your tradition which you hand on. And many such things you do.”

 

[Nita]

*1 Tim 5:4 If a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn their religious duty to their own family and make some return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God. … 5:7 Command this, so that they may be without reproach. 5:8 If any one does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his own family, he has disowned the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. *

Altho the above NT passage doesn’t necessarily verify that it was an OT Jewish custom, it does show that the Christian community expected children to be responsible for their widowed mother.

My understanding is that tradition says Mary lived with John until her death - which means that if James, the brother of the Lord was a son of Mary, then he would have been failing to carry out the above directive of the New Covenant Church.

Nita

 

[FCEGM]

This morning’s RCIA discussion was regarding the perpetual virginity of Mary. I’d like some help with whatever information anyone can reference regarding Jewish family customs and responsibilities. Specifically I want to document the responsibility of the eldest son to care for his widowed mother, and how that responsibility passed to the other sons.

One of the scriptural proofs-texts highlighted in our discussion supporting the argument that Mary has only one son was Jn 19:26-27. Jesus gave the care of His mother to the Apostle John, a non-relative, and James the “brother of the Lord” was not only not offended by this but went on to become a major player in the early Christian community. However, this argument supporting Mary’s virginity falls flat if there really was no obligation for a widow’s other sons to take over her care.

Thus far I have found the following comments posted elsewhere, which unfortunately were not supported:

When leading an RCIA session it’s comforting to have ready answers for tough questions. But in this case I’ve been challenged to provide some background support for what I’ve generally accepted as common knowledge. Help???

Thanks,
Nan

Nan, although it doesn’t address your specific question, I think this article will prove helpful in presenting the Perpetual Virginity of Mary and its relationship to Jewish laws to the RCIA class:

cin.org/users/james/files/talmud.htm

 

[epostle]

Jesus is dying on the cross, can scarcely breath, and suddenly He is a social worker, spending his last few dying words about the welfare of His mother because He forgot to do it earlier, and John is a little slow when it comes to common customs that everybody took for granted.

This kind of absurdum nausum is the logical conclusion of scriptural contortionisms denying the truth that Jesus gave his mother to all of us.

Rev. 12:17 Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war ON THE REST OF HER OFFSPRING, on those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea…
Who could these OFFSPRING be? Ever commentator worth his salt will tell you that these offspring are the Church. How did the Blessed Virgin become the Mother of the Church?

John 19:26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! 27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

God said “woman” in Genesis 3:15, and He said “woman” in Rev. 12:17, the only two places in scripture where you have a woman and a serpent* in the same verse,* Genesis and Revelation, the beginning and the end of the Bible.

God said “woman” at the Wedding of Cana, and He said “woman” while dying on the cross. The beginning and the end of his of His earthly ministry.

The experiences of the “Beloved Disciple” (BD) were the focus of John’s Gospel. He is an ‘everyman’ character. St. John’s Gospel is told in such a way that the reader can identify himself with the BD and is meant to see the story of Jesus from the BD’s perspective. Whatever is addressed to the BD is addressed to the reader. This is affirmed by many Protestant scholars.

So we have established that:

1. Mary is the Mother of Jesus
2. Whose children are the Church that keeps the commandments AND honors her Son
3. Who himself explicitly designated her as the Mother of his disciples.