“Look at this, mummy. There is something wrong,” piped up 6 year old Mary who was helping her mother open Christmas cards.
“What is it, my pert little person? They all look lovely to me.”
“There is no picture of Joseph holding his baby. My dad holds our baby lots. So why, mummy? Isn’t Joseph strong like my dad? Maybe he isn’t so happy to have a new baby like we are.”
“Let me look.” (25 randomly selected sample of Christmas cards later).
“You are quite right, my bright little button. Dads are supposed to hold their baby for sure.”
“Yeah, and I’ve never seen a picture of Joseph hugging and kissing Mary like our dad. He keeps kissing you all the time. He must like it. Do you like it, mum?” contributes 13 yr. old Sarah from just around the corner.
“Yes I do, although sometimes he makes me spill something. I don’t blame you kids for wondering if Joseph really loved Mary.”
“I’m going to make a Christmas card with Joseph holding Jesus and kissing Mary.” Off trotted Mary Smith, while Sara banged pots in the kitchen making soup.
Jim Smith, getting his nose out of an overdue report, smiles slyly and quietly says to his wife, “And they had sex too. I guess it was pretty good. They had at least 6 other children.”
“Where does it say that, wise guy?”
“The bible gives the names of 4 brothers and mentions sisters. (Matthew 13:55) So 6 plus Jesus makes 7 which is the preferred number for Israelis. It would make a Jewish mother real happy. James, the next oldest, became the first chairman of the Christian council. (Acts 15:13) Known as James the Just, he later was martyred when pushed off the Temple roof because he would not recant his faith in God’s Messiah, Jesus”.
“I understand some people believe Mary was a perpetual virgin but I know that is impossible. If she had a vaginal delivery of Jesus, her hymen would have broken. An intact hymen has always been the evidence of virginity”, says wise and lovely Jane Smith.
“Besides which the scripture is clear. Joseph ‘knew her not until she had brought forth her first born son’ (Matthew 1:25, KJV). When they did have sex they were pair- bonded and made one flesh (married) by God, till death parted them,” (Matt. 19:5,6) adds Jim Smith.
“The idea that the brothers and sisters of Jesus were cousins is not supported by scripture. Cousin is a different word in Hebrew and it occurs 15 times in the Bible, e.g. the ‘cousin’ Jeremiah bought some property from just before the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem. Brothers and sisters (Matt. 13:56, Acts 1:4) are the usual words for such in scripture.” Jim was becoming quite eloquent for a deacon.
“I think it is about time all Christians recognized the fact that Jesus grew up in a real and loving family which began the moment he was conceived.”
“It would sure put a different light on what is a Christian family and go a long way to resolving some bitter debates now going on”.
All the Smiths together, (including their own new baby) shouted, “A very Happy Christmas to all people of good-will and peace. To all who are joined by God in holy matrimony, a very Merry Marriage”.
PGNEY
November 3, 2014