Why Did Jesus Never Get Married

[Roguish]

Why Did Jesus Never Get Married

Who says He didn’t? There is no scriptural support either way. The argument that “surely he wasn’t because there is no mention of it”, is weak. There are plenty of things of which there is no mention in the New Testament, yet that we believe in anyway. Furthermore, the notion that Jesus was single (or even celibate) throughout his life is not dogma. It seems to be the prevailing view now, but it is not clear whether this is a long-standing tradition or something relatively recent.

Here is one article (out of a great many) that argues the point.

 

[Mboo]

The present pastoral care of the Church is oriented towards an overvaluation of marriage, and this is done to the detriment of the truth about the excellence of celibacy with regard to marriage.
I take an example to compare. If a student wants to do medicine, in principle only his inability to be a doctor, should make him choose to be a nurse, because being a doctor is more socially excellent than being a nurse.
Just as sacred celibacy is superior or marriage, reasonably, only an inability to live saintly in celibacy should make us consider marriage. And once again it’s a matter of logic …

 

[Roguish]

The present pastoral care of the Church is oriented towards an overvaluation of marriage, and this is done to the detriment of the truth about the excellence of celibacy with regard to marriage.

Your point is correct but your reason is wrong. You are arguing that marriage is intrinsically less holy than celibacy. It isn’t. The problem is only practical and psychological: under the circumstances of the modern age married life is less suitable for those with a strong religious calling. In saner times, marriage was equally suitable, if not more so, for those with a strong religious calling.

 

[Roseeurekacross]

the Eucharist is advantageous for everyone, but has a manual.

what? what do you mean but has a manual?

Marriage is advantageous only for those who can not live a holy life in celibacy.

You are conflating the choice of one vocation with another. You are saying we can be celibate or be married.

Let me ask you, why do people marry?

Love? Children? companionship?

And show me where it is definitively written that choosing a vocation of celibacy is superior to one of marriage please.

 

[Gorgias]

Seagull:

Why Did Jesus Never Get Married

Who says He didn’t?

The. Entire. Church.

There is no scriptural support either way. The argument that “surely he wasn’t because there is no mention of it”, is weak.

It really isn’t. Note that, at the foot of the cross, Jesus didn’t say “behold your mother, your wife, your child”, but simply “behold your mother.” If He was turning over care of his family to another, then He would have said it there. We also would have seen them there in Acts 1:14, in the description of who is “devoting themselves of one accord to prayer” – I mean, we see His mother Mary. Where’s his wife?

There are plenty of things of which there is no mention in the New Testament, yet that we believe in anyway.

Namely…?

Furthermore, the notion that Jesus was single (or even celibate) throughout his life is not dogma.

Are you sure about that?

It seems to be the prevailing view now, but it is not clear whether this is a long-standing tradition or something relatively recent.

Seems to be the prevailing view? Not clear whether this is a recent innovation?!?

Here is one article (out of a great many) that argues the point.

HuffPo? You’re using HuffPo as a theological resource?!?!?!?

 

[rcwitness]

Even good relationships have to suffer one another. Please do not make personal attacks on me.

Matthew 17
And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” And Jesus answered, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to suffer with you? Bring him here to me.”

 

[Roseeurekacross]

Even good relationships have to suffer one another. Please do not make personal attacks on me.

Marriage is not about suffering. It’s about love. Your bias is shining through. Don’t attack me for commenting on a public forum

And orphaning Scripture passages to try to win a point or prove a point or back a point up is abusing Scripture

 

[rcwitness]

I did not say marriage is about suffering. Suffering is part of loving.

 

[Roseeurekacross]

You answered a question I asked another.
When I asked what that person meant by handling a wife.

You answered

Suffer

 

[rcwitness]

Yes, and I would appreciate you do not make personal attacks about my marriage

 

[Roseeurekacross]

Oh please. I did not.

 

[rcwitness]

Oh please. I did not.

“You gotta get over thinking all marriages are bad and lead to suffering, because yours failed.”

 

[Roseeurekacross]

And how is that attacking your marriage exactly. You told us your marriage failed.

 

[rcwitness]

I did not…

And even if it has, the truth still remains. We must suffer one another. In love, yes. But still suffer each other’s faults.

I’d answer the same about a wife “handling” a husband. Just as Moses’ wife did for him. And even saved his life.

 

[Roseeurekacross]

We must suffer one another.

I completely and utterly reject your premise that we must suffer one another. In a relationship.

We don’t own our partner, therefore we don’t handle them.

 

[rcwitness]

Actually, we do own each other.

1 Corinthians 7
For the wife does not rule over her own body, but the husband does; likewise the husband does not rule over his own body, but the wife does.

 

[Mboo]

what? what do you mean but has a manual?

what I wanted to say is that like any remedy, or like any food, the Eucharist has a “user guide”.
For example, food is good for everyone, but if your hands are dirty, you have to wash them first to get the benefits of food (Assuming you are going to eat with your hands …). In the same way the Eucharist is advantageous for everyone, but if one has committed a mortal sin, one must first clean one’s soul by confessing, in order to get the benefits of the Eucharist.

 

[Mboo]

And show me where it is definitively written that choosing a vocation of celibacy is superior to one of marriage please.

1. This doctrine of the excellence of virginity and of celibacy and of their superiority over the married state was, as We have already said, revealed by our Divine Redeemer and by the Apostle of the Gentiles; so too, it was solemnly defined as a dogma of divine faith by the holy council of Trent,[57] and explained in the same way by all the holy Fathers and Doctors of the Church.

http://w2.vatican.va/content/pius-x...s/hf_p-xii_enc_25031954_sacra-virginitas.html

 

[Roseeurekacross]

Actually, we do own each other.

That does not mean we own each other at all

 

[Roguish]

I agree that in marriage the spouses do own one another, and the verse you quoted gives powerful support for that.

As for “suffering” each other, I’d like to point out that originally this wasn’t supposed to be part of marriage. The idea used to be that you marry when you are totally ready to unite, not earlier. Prior to that, you remain engaged, possibly for a long time, so that you may perfect yourself in preparation for marriage. In current times, engagement has lost its true meaning unfortunately, so now “working things out” has become part of marriage itself. Marriage is now a “relationship”, which implies two individuals “relating” to each other. Originally marriage was union. In union, there is no “other” to suffer, for there is no “other”.