B
Blackson
Guest
On John 2:4, we read that Jesus addressed His mother as "woman". Could not He use another way of addressing His own mother? Or what can we speak of such an incident?
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rainacorn
Guest
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dmdave17
Guest
Rainacorn is absolutely correct. When Jesus began his ministry, he basically transcended his humanity and became something more. He, himself, demonstrated this in the Book of Matthew, while he was addressing a crowd of believers.
"While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, 'Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.' He replied to him, 'Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?' Pointing to his disciples, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.'” (Matthew 12:46-50)
He reinforced this concept in a response to Peter, when the apostle pointed out that they (they apostles) had left everything to follow Him.
“'Truly I tell you,' Jesus said to them, 'no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom
of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.'” (Luke 18:29)
Scripture is full of instances where believers are cautioned to place their relationship with God above everything else, including their own families. In conclusion, I don't believe that Jesus was showing his mother disrespect. I think that He was just reflecting the reality of the situation.
"While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, 'Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.' He replied to him, 'Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?' Pointing to his disciples, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.'” (Matthew 12:46-50)
He reinforced this concept in a response to Peter, when the apostle pointed out that they (they apostles) had left everything to follow Him.
“'Truly I tell you,' Jesus said to them, 'no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom
of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.'” (Luke 18:29)
Scripture is full of instances where believers are cautioned to place their relationship with God above everything else, including their own families. In conclusion, I don't believe that Jesus was showing his mother disrespect. I think that He was just reflecting the reality of the situation.
B
Blackson
Guest
Thanks brethren for your thoughts in this matter. I appreciate very much.Such are the questions our Muslim brothers ask in order to make Christ invalid in character as God the Son.
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Lucy68
Guest
It's interesting that while on the cross Jesus said to John "here is your mother" indicating Mary; and said to Mary "here is your son" indicating John. How sweet.
Though you wonder where all of Jesus' half brothers and sisters were and why John was given the care of Mary. Probably because they were not believers at the time?
Though you wonder where all of Jesus' half brothers and sisters were and why John was given the care of Mary. Probably because they were not believers at the time?
He was a single child. Mary had no other children, else they would be taking care of her.
It's a way to identify her from prophecy. Notice how in the book of Genesis the serpent is cursed and the offspring of the woman will crush his head? Guess who!
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TDWP22
Guest
good one dscherck...i do the same to my mom, i call her woman lol once he got baptized he became more than just a man, the son of God, remember, God didn't claim Jesus his son until he Got Baptized....So he was of higher authority than Mary
Jesus was, is, and always will be the Son of God. Jesus IS God. To deny any of that is well... heretical. You should be careful with the idea that Jesus wasn't claimed until He was baptized. It was not revealed to the public who He was until that moment, but that's a far step away from saying that He wasn't claimed at the Son until that moment.
Um... pretty sure this is biblically incorrect.
As for the question, I think things get lost in translation/culture - addressing Mary as Woman may seem offensive in our culture but in Hebrew culture it may not have been.
Just offering a thought.
There is no evidence from the Scriptures that Mary had other children. Jesus is referred to as "THE son of Mary", not "A son of Mary." Moreover, Jesus entrusted his mother from the cross to one of his disciples, something he would never have done had there been other siblings.
Furthermore, from Scripture:
Mary is Ever Virgin
Exodus 13:2,12 - Jesus is sometimes referred to as the "first-born" son of Mary. But "first-born" is a common Jewish expression meaning the first child to open the womb. It has nothing to do the mother having future children.
Exodus 34:20 - under the Mosaic law, the "first-born" son had to be sanctified. "First-born" status does not require a "second" born.
Ezek. 44:2 - Ezekiel prophesies that no man shall pass through the gate by which the Lord entered the world. This is a prophecy of Mary's perpetual virginity. Mary remained a virgin before, during and after the birth of Jesus.
Mark 6:3 - Jesus was always referred to as "the" son of Mary, not "a" son of Mary. Also "brothers" could have theoretically been Joseph's children from a former marriage that was dissolved by death. However, it is most likely, perhaps most certainly, that Joseph was a virgin, just as were Jesus and Mary. As such, they embodied the true Holy Family, fully consecrated to God.
Luke 1:31,34 - the angel tells Mary that you "will" conceive (using the future tense). Mary responds by saying, "How shall this be?" Mary's response demonstrates that she had taken a vow of lifelong virginity by having no intention to have relations with a man. If Mary did not take such a vow of lifelong virginity, her question would make no sense at all (for we can assume she knew how a child is conceived). She was a consecrated Temple virgin as was an acceptable custom of the times.
Luke 2:41-51 - in searching for Jesus and finding Him in the temple, there is never any mention of other siblings.
John 7:3-4; Mark 3:21 - we see that younger "brothers" were advising Jesus. But this would have been extremely disrespectful for devout Jews if these were Jesus' biological brothers.
John 19:26-27 - it would have been unthinkable for Jesus to commit the care of his mother to a friend if he had brothers.
John 19:25 - the following verses prove that James and Joseph are Jesus' cousins and not his brothers: Mary the wife of Clopas is the sister of the Virgin Mary.
Matt. 27:61, 28:1 - Matthew even refers to Mary the wife of Clopas as "the other Mary."
Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:47 - Mary the wife of Clopas is the mother of James and Joseph.
Mark 6:3 - James and Joseph are called the "brothers" of Jesus. So James and Joseph are Jesus' cousins.
Matt. 10:3 - James is also called the son of "Alpheus." This does not disprove that James is the son of Clopas. The name Alpheus may be Aramaic for Clopas, or James took a Greek name like Saul (Paul), or Mary remarried a man named Alpheus.
Jesus' "Brothers" (adelphoi)) = Cousins or Kinsmen
Luke 1:36 - Elizabeth is Mary's kinswoman. Some Bibles translate kinswoman as "cousin," but this is an improper translation because in Hebrew and Aramaic, there is no word for "cousin."
Luke 22:32 - Jesus tells Peter to strengthen his "brethren." In this case, we clearly see Jesus using "brethren" to refer to the other apostles, not his biological brothers.
Acts 1:12-15 - the gathering of Jesus' "brothers" amounts to about 120. That is a lot of "brothers." Brother means kinsmen in Hebrew.
Acts 7:26; 11:1; 13:15,38; 15:3,23,32; 28:17,21 - these are some of many other examples where "brethren" does not mean blood relations.
Rom. 9:3 - Paul uses "brethren" and "kinsmen" interchangeably. "Brothers" of Jesus does not prove Mary had other children.
Gen. 11:26-28 - Lot is Abraham's nephew ("anepsios") / Gen. 13:8; 14:14,16 - Lot is still called Abraham's brother (adelphos") . This proves that, although a Greek word for cousin is "anepsios," Scripture also uses "adelphos" to describe a cousin.
Gen. 29:15 - Laban calls Jacob is "brother" even though Jacob is his nephew. Again, this proves that brother means kinsmen or cousin.
Deut. 23:7; 1 Chron. 15:5-18; Jer. 34:9; Neh. 5:7 -"brethren" means kinsmen. Hebrew and Aramaic have no word for "cousin."
2 Sam. 1:26; 1 Kings 9:13, 20:32 - here we see that "brethren" can even be one who is unrelated (no bloodline), such as a friend.
2 Kings 10:13-14 - King Ahaziah's 42 "brethren" were really his kinsmen.
1 Chron. 23:21-22 - Eleazar's daughters married their "brethren" who were really their cousins.
Neh. 4:14; 5:1,5,8,10,14 - these are more examples of "brothers" meaning "cousins" or "kinsmen."
Amos 1: 9 - brotherhood can also mean an ally (where there is no bloodline).
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Ramon
Guest
Well, I heard that that was just a term of endearment. Not as if he was being disrespectful. Lovingly he said, woman.
Although one thing is sure, his family wanted to put him in a place where he was not called. They wanted to make him subject to the flesh again. He made it clear when he said who is family was, when his family desired to see him. But he did not disrespect his mother.
Although one thing is sure, his family wanted to put him in a place where he was not called. They wanted to make him subject to the flesh again. He made it clear when he said who is family was, when his family desired to see him. But he did not disrespect his mother.
eh Dscherck can we please not put that mary was a perpetual virgin in here? Other than the fact it's not true.. but I know you wanna support the theory that she was the immaculate conception (free of sin from birth) but you're mistaken .. Jesus is the ONLY one w/o sin.. so enough already!
Jesus was not disrespectful to his mother, when people think that they misunderstand the context of what is going on and focus too much on the sentence. God bless.
Shelly, that is a Catholic belief and not a salvation issue. In many sects it is also very disputed.
Jesus was never disrespectful to his mother. only compassionate.
Jesus was never disrespectful to his mother. only compassionate.
There's no where in Scripture that shows she had other children. And we have the united testimony of the entire Christian church, including the early Protestants who all declared that Mary, the mother of Our Lord was a perpetual virgin. The idea that she is not is a new teaching that is a tradition of men.
And this has no real bearing on the concept of the Immaculate Conception. Why would I bring this up?
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KeOt777
Guest
What Jesus meant in this passage is not that He ignored His earthly mother or anything, but remember that above all He was (and still is) the Son of God, and that He was sent to earth for a mission, that's something that He had 100% clear in His heart, He KNEW what he was sent for to this earth. Jesus really meant that anyone that came to accept Him as Savior and Lord would become his "relative" if you want to see it someway in a spiritual way. And the thing is that Jesus' mother and siblings didn't quite understand that, at least I think they were more likely thinking about talking to Him in a more "familiar" way.
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TDWP22
Guest
im not going off on you....but when was the first time that God said Jesus was His son??? just because you dont claim someone as your child it doesnt mean that child is yours
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LordcanIbringmyhotrod
Guest
check out Matthew 13:54-57
“When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter’s Son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?’ So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.’ Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”
and
Matthew 13-46-47
While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. Then one said to Him, ‘Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You
Hi Blackson,
to our own modern ears this sounds disrespectful, but in 1st century Palestine it was not disrespectful. In fact, Christ showed great respect towards women as against the cultural backdrop.