Mrs. Jesus

Holy Da Vinci Code! Was there  actually a Mrs. Jesus? Nope. That might sound like a blunt statement from someone who likes to keep the door open to possibilities, but honestly it is incredibly unlikely. The latest kerfuffle over a fragment of a fourth century document has me rolling my eyes. The media loves this stuff, and there are some scholars who are quite self-serving when it comes to seeking attention for "discoveries." I should add though that the person who found this fragment was quick to say that it doesn't prove anything, but who listens?

I got a kick out of the news reader for Global who spoke of the possibility of a Mrs. Christ. "Christ" is not a last name but an ascription. Christians believe Jesus was and is the Christ, the Messiah. It ain't the family name.

All this said, it raises an interesting question. How would our faith have been different if Jesus had been married? In Judaism the expectation was and is that men will marry, and life-long celibacy as a sign of spiritual devotion has never been seen as desirable. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bernard-starr/jesus-married-not-surprising-for-a-dedicated-jew_b_1899034.html?utm_hp_ref=religion

When we discussed Anne Rice's Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana last Saturday we explored the portrayal of Jesus' emotional connection to a young woman named Avigail. Rice approaches this with great respect, but it does invite us to ask whether Jesus, both human and divine, the embodiment of God's love, could have fallen in love with another human being. I figure that the answer is yes, but that he chose another path of faithfulness.

Here are some interesting questions and responses about this supposed find. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/20/jesus-wife-5-big-question_n_1898524.html?utm_hp_ref=religion

What do you think? Is is disrespectful to even ponder Jesus as someone who could have married, with all the implications? Do you think your faith would be different if there had been a Mrs. Jesus? Wait for the papyrus about the Jesus kids!