Assumption 11
August 2011
‘Then Jesus went home; and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.”
‘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.”
‘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.’
They found him embarrassing and wanted him as far away from Galilee as possible.
Most scripture scholars believe that Jesus’ family in Nazareth - including his mother - did not take him seriously. They were very aware that what he was saying and doing publicly was going to bring big trouble, not only from the Roman conquerors, but also from the Jewish religious and political establishment. Their concern was to try and save themselves and him from the fate that eventually overtook him - arrest and execution.
It is generally accepted by scripture scholars that his family’s faith in, and understanding of Jesus, was at the very least ambivalent; just like his disciple’s faith and understanding. Real faith and understanding came only after experiencing the Risen Lord.
It is the very same for you & I. Commitment to any religion which is based solely on dogma, on theology, or mental understanding, tends to fade away or turn into some type of bigotry. For us it is essential that our religious commitment is supported by some sort of experience of the Risen Lord.
At the age of about 29-30 Jesus walked away from home and never really returned.
He visited home once or twice but only as an itinerant preacher and did not get a very warm welcome from his relatives and acquaintances.
‘When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. … When they heard (what he had to say) all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.’
During the few years that Jesus of Nazareth spent as an itinerant preacher he was treated to a wide variety of reactions. There was total love and loyalty from some - ‘(Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala and Salome, Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of James and John.)’ - mostly there was puzzlement, amazement, great attraction and longing, disbelief and outright hostility.
It is generally accepted that among his constant disciples the person closest to Jesus and who loved him most was Mary of Magdala. Also St. John’s Gospel tells us that Mary of Magdala was the first person to meet the risen Lord.
So Mary, the mother of Jesus and Mary of Magdala loved Jesus dearly. The former because he was her son, the latter because she just loved him.
He singled them both out for special honour. Mary His mother by glorifying her, body and spirit, at the moment of her death. Mary of Magdala, by appearing to her first, after his resurrection.
Despite their love their faith rested on experiencing the Risen Lord.