Jesus Had a Wife?

TV and print media are a buzz with the latest "Jesus was married story." The last couple of decades it seems that most of the news stories about Jesus have had an edge. In many cases, the articles are actually based on respected scholarship and even try to offer balanced insight into the different theories about Jesus and His times. Most Christians have not engaged in deep studies, or they have approached their studies from a pretty established point of view. When you mess with someone's religious faith you are messing with their heart. In light of that, and coupled with the theological ineptitude of most news people, the stories frequently tend toward the scandalous and controversial. The stories are told in a way to do damage, not inform.

There are also all manner of folk who have a bone to pick with "the church" and who harbor ill will toward organized religion. I often hear complaints about organized religion. I am not a fan of it, but I tend to detest disorganized religion. I find that when "spirirtual, not religious" people start talking, I am often confused by what they are talking about. It can get pretty vague and frequently includes a large amount of self in it all.

The most recent claim is that a small parchment which contians the words "Jesus" and "my wife" together is proof that Jesus was married. In fact, it was Mary Magdeline, and the official church in order to put down women, stamped out the truth. And because we live in an age of movies, where all manner of conspiracies seem possible, even probable, many people assume it "may be" true.

I think a good case can be made that the Church has in fact worked hard to preserve the truth about Jesus, and the stories told in the 2nd or 3rd Centuries do not contain the real story. I do not think the reference to wife proves anything. After all marriage imagery for Christ and His church goes back to Paul, who lifted it from the Old Testament bridal metaphor for God and Israel. We cannot and should not jump to conclusions.

But the internet is littered with all manner of scholars hashing out the details.Rather than go there, I want to briefly reflect on whether it matters and why. First of all, the only reason we know that Peter was married is because his mother-in-law had a fever which Jesus healed. In fact, the wife is never mentioned. Paul alludes to other apostles taking wives, so we assume they had them, but the Four Gospels are silent on the subject. In light of that, the silence on Jesus' wife is not as significant as some might think. The Gospels just do not talk about that sort of thing. However, at the crucifixion, there are witnesses named. Would one not think His wife would have been there? Her absence from such scenes does seem to support the idea that He did not have a wife. There is also no mention of her at the resurrection appearances. Paul never says a thing about it and he lists lots of names. The long-tradition of the Church is Jesus was not married and the Bible does nothing to contradict that claim.

Is it important that He did not marry? Maybe for some of us and our piety, but that may mean we need to rethink our piety. The single or married states are neither one superior. Jesus is Lord. His marital status does not factor in as the reason for that. Perhaps, because it really does not matter, many of us are willing to let it pass. Here is, I think, a reason to pause. What is the motivation of those who advocate such things? It seems that it is usually to undermine the authority of the church and the Christian faith. While Jesus certainly takes religious leaders and institutions to task, it is not to advocate some flimsy "spiritual not religious" approach to life. He was thoroughly Jewish and interpreted His own life in the faith language Judaism and its Scriptures. He challenged Jews to  be more faithful and live the faith right. Many of those in the current discussions seek only to belittle faith and mock piety. Jesus has harsh condemnation for those who undermine the faith of His little ones. And that, in the end, is what much of this is about.

I do not think Jesus was married. If He was He would not be any more or less Lord. His identity would not be affected. What I do know is the story of Jesus does not include a wife and that is the key for me. And those who seek to offer an alternate view are often times in possession of a bigger and more nefarious agenda. So read these stories with that in mind. These are not always our friends trying to find the truth.