'It's a family affair' - Reflection 6th April 2025

Today is the 5^th Sunday in Lent and the beginning of Passiontide, commonly known as Passion Sunday.  This of course leads us into Passion Week that begins next Sunday with Palm Sunday.

The focus is on ‘The Way of the Cross’ and the call to reflect on Jesus’ journey to the cross and our own discipleship.

At St Oswald’s, Rugby the first Sunday is our All Age and therefore we explored this theme with a very creative All Age Worship Service.

(You can watch the Service here on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/live/ketOaW-JQjU?si=H2aqlXMtlP7gggZm )

We explored various ‘scenes’ around Jesus’ crucifixion and in one of those we considered how Jesus handed Mary into the care of John as recorded in John 19.25 (b) 27.

The one aspect of engaging with the Scriptures is that new insights and new questions keep popping up all the time. (Well, they do for me!)

A new question for me focusing on this event was, ‘why did Jesus hand Mary into John’s care?’

It is clearly mandated in Scripture and very much the custom and tradition that the next older brother would take on the responsibility for the care of Mary.

A quick search will reveal a whole raft of insights and information regarding this question.

For some Roman Catholics this bolsters the argument for Mary has having no more children, remaining 'Ever Virgin.' 

A fascinating path to explore, especially as you try and sift and sort Scripture from Doctrinal teaching, but not one I am going to comment on any further. That’s well beyond my pay grade.

The question then is did Jesus have brothers and sisters?

In the New Testament Jesus' brothers and sister are mentioned in Matthew 12:46-50, 13:55-56; Mark 3:31, 6:3; Luke 8:19; John 2:12, 7:3; Acts 1:14; 1 Cor. 9:5; and Paul speaks of a James the Lord's brother (Galatians 1:19).

Of the brothers of Jesus, there seem to have been four who are named in Matthew 13:55: James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas (see Mark 6:3). Matthew and Mark mention Jesus' sisters, but neither the number nor the names are given. From  Matthew 13:56, "His sisters, are they not all with us?", there must have been at least two, probably more, and apparently married, and resident at Nazareth.

It is also important to remember that Jesus redefined what ‘family’ meant.

“My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.’ Luke 8.21

Crucially for the point of my original question is John 7.5 - For even His own brothers did not believe in Him. 

This gets us close to why Jesus handed his mother over to the care of John. His brothers were not there at the crucifixion and had yet to come to believe in him.

Therefore, with the utmost love and at his darkest moment, Jesus knowing the ‘sword that was to pierce Mary’s heart', gave this mandate to John, to care for Mary his mother. 

Lots here for us to ponder upon going forward into the week ahead.

The intriguing nature of the Scriptures and how asking a question of the text can lead to a fascinating study. I hope that for you the Bible is not a closed book, a done deal, but that it continues to inspire and intrigue. To cause you to ponder and puzzle and then to seek to apply lessons learned into our daily walk as Jesus’ disciples, as members of God’s family. Seeking to’ hear and heed the word of God’ and allow it to transform our lives.

And then family – many of the prayer request from the Prison Fellowship Prayer Line refer to family members.  

Prayer Line - Prison Fellowship

And remembering that you are statistically more likely to be murdered or abused by a family member than by a stranger.  We need to be continually praying for and supporting the many charities that seek to help families, especially dysfunctional families.

Asking, how can we, as God’s family, demonstrate a love and care to the level that Jesus showed for his mother as he hung dying on the cross.  

One of the things we are doing at St Oswald’s this year is holding some space during Holy Saturday. This is the day when Jesus lay resting in the tomb. A day that for the disciples must have been one of utter darkness, hope and despair.  (Think of the story of the couple travelling to Emmaus) We are offering an opportunity to pray and reflect on our own darkness and despair or that of others, and there is plenty of that around at the moment.  Many Christians seem to want to move straight from Good Friday to Resurrection Sunday and miss out this difficult and dark day. And yet for many millions such is their lived reality, including those in our prisons and the victims of crime. 

Are we able to hear Jesus say to us, take this person into your heart and sit with them as they travel through their dark and difficult day.  That may be in thought and prayer, or even something practically demonstrated. (But do take care of your own safety, health and mental well-being, recognising that sometimes we will need to signpost to those with the professional skills to deal with some of the issues people are living with. I have had personal experience of getting this badly wrong.)

 You may have heard to phrase that “we are an Easter people and Alleluia is our song”

True, but to make the song work we need to recognise the place of the Caesura, the break, or pause in the music!

Holy Saturday (Easter Eve) offers such a break, a pause, let us use this time to listen to Jesus and whom it might be might that he is asking us to take care of.