FAMILY VALUES

Frank Mason Good, A carpenter's workshop in Nazareth, 1875

Today is Family Sunday in the Catholic Church, and there is much mention of the Holy Family, with pictures of Mary, Joseph and young Jesus. I’ve long been intrigued by a different view of the Holy Family: Joseph, Mary, and at least seven children, of whom Jesus was the eldest, but which included James, Joseph, Simon, Jude, and at least a couple of sisters. This is an ancient view, which ended up being severely quashed by the Church because it denied Mary’s perpetual virginity. Those of us inhabiting climes well North of the Mediterranean and living some 1500 years later than those theologians find virginity less crucial to holiness, and I for one enjoy the thought of a busy carpenter’s workshop with a number of boys working under their father’s direction and enjoying the curious harmony radiating from their eldest brother.

What happened later? We know that at one point, when someone pointed out to Jesus that his mother and brothers were outside and wanted to see him, he replied ‘Who are my mother and my brothers? These (pointing at those in front of him) are my mother and my brothers.’ (Mt. 12:46-50) Not a kind reply, we’d have thought. And it’s intriguing that there is no mention of any brothers or sisters during the Passion and the Crucifixion – only Mary is mentioned, with John. Later, though, James ‘brother of Jesus’ is mentioned as heading the young Church in Jerusalem.

We don’t know. So here is one narrative that might work. Jesus and his brothers get on well during their youth. When they are in their twenties they go separate ways, as brothers often do, getting together only for family celebrations. Then, when their eldest brother is thirty, he changes, gives up his job, and becomes an itinerant prophet. I can easily imagine his brothers finding this more than peculiar. Moreover, from what thy hear about him, it seems that he is spreading some seriously heretical ideas. Would they have necessarily approved?

Much depends on what their mother would or would not have told them about her eldest. They must in any case have noticed that she approached him differently; but she might not have told them about the Angel  Gabriel and the Holy Spirit – a little strong for young stomachs. So we might imagine them at the very least quizzical, and quite possibly disapproving, with regard to the life their brother had started leading.  And when this led to his being arrested for a combination of heresy (to the Jews) and treason (to the Romans), they may well have been angry, or scared, or both. After all, even out of 11 remaining disciples only one was there on Golgotha: where were the others?

And then, perhaps, after the Resurrection, one can imagine at least James, the next-eldest brother, going through a profound and painful conversion process as the news spread; and ending up in charge of the new faithful in the capital.

            All of this, of course, is rank speculation; but I, for one, find it a much more interesting image of the Holy Family, and at least as instructive and inspiring.