Jesus - Married?! And China and Japan on the Verge of War?

An article appeared yesterday in the Huffington Post Religion page that had the following headlines: ""'The Gospel of Jesus' Wife,' New Early Christian Text Indicates Jesus May Have Been Married."  Of course most media sources immediately picked up on this story as being another refutation of the New Testament account of the life of Jesus. 

What is interesting is that this purported text comes a fourth century AD papyrus that is the size of a business card written in the Coptic language.  It has been translated by Karen L. King, a professor at the Harvard Divinity School.  Dr. King focuses her teaching upon Coptic literature, Gnosticism and women in the Bible and has published research on both the Gospel of Judas and the Gospel of Mary of Magdala - both of which are Gnostic gospels.  Dr. King went on to state, "The discovery of this new gospel offers an occasion to rethink what we thought we knew by asking what role claims about Jesus's marital status played historically in early Christian controversies over marriage, celibacy, and family.  Christian tradition preserved only those voices that claimed Jesus never married.  The Gospel of Jesus's Wife now shows that some Christians thought otherwise." 

Friends, during the time between the second and third centuries after Christ, there were many stories being circulated about His life.  One story focused upon His childhood, for after all, Jesus must have had a childhood, although we know nothing of it except for one scene when He was twelve years old.  It is a wonderful story of a boy who had power to do worthy things - like heal a bird; but also power to do unworthy things - like cause a friend who snubbed him to become sick.  As evangelical Christians we do not put any legitimate claim upon these fanciful stories.  Much excitement was generated a few years ago over the publication of the lost Gospel of Judas, but it was shown to be just another Gnostic attempt to create another version of Jesus.  And now we learn that Jesus had a wife!  I find it amazing that many people will come to actually believe this to be a true story.  The question I ask myself is this: If Jesus was married - and according to another Gnostic story, Jesus had married Mary of Magdala, better known as Mary Magdalene - why didn't the four Gospel writers mention this in at least one of their accounts?  Why didn't Jesus talk about His own marriage in those passages, such as Matthew 19, where He talks in detail about the significance of marriage?  Truly He could have said to His followers, "Just follow the example Mary and I have set before you", but He didn't say that at all. 

Friends, these Gnostic discoveries are important and reinforce the necessity for those early Church Councils where the doctrines about Christ were established.  I do not put any stock into a few lines that come from a business-card sized piece of a papyrus. 

The other headline that caught my attention yesterday was from the "Washington Free Beacon."  It read: "Chinese General: Prepare for Combat."  I will be honest, I was not aware of the small chain of islands known as the Senkakus located south of Okinawa and north of Taiwan.  Both Japan and China have claimed these islands, but recently Japan purchased three of these privately held islands from their Japanese owners.  This has led to mass protests on the streets of Beijing and other major Chinese cities.  Some protestors carried signs that said, "Kill all Japanese" and "Fight to the Death."  General Xu Caihou, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, considered the most senior military political commissar, said Friday that military forces should be "prepared for any possible military combat."  This was reported by the Xinhua new agency.  China has sent six patrol vessels into the Japanese controlled waters around these islands, ignoring warnings from the Japanese to leave the area.  Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said, "While the world's attention was turned to other crises, including Iran's nuclear program and concerns over the faltering Euro, China has upped the ante, playing the role of a schoolyard bully towards its maritime neighbors.  From one end to the other of the South China Sea, Beijing has increased both in belligerence and bellicosity."  You can read the entire article at www.freebeacon.com/chinese-general-prepare-for-combat. 

This next week should prove to be very interesting.  On Tuesday, President Obama will address the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly, and on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will speak before the UN General Assembly.  Of course Iranian President Ahmadinejad will speak - not sure of the day or time, but you know what he will say - 45 minutes of tirades against Israel and Zionism.  The new president of Egypt, Morsi, will also speak, I believe on Tuesday.  These speeches are more than symbolic, for I believe they convey the attitude of the people and we need to listen carefully. 

Friends, keep looking up.  As Marlys and I met with a group of friends this past Sunday evening to celebrate Rosh HaShana, we blew the shofars - certainly not as elegantly as were those blown by our Jewish friends in Israel, but it was a joyful noise just the same - and I thought of how we need to be listening for God's shofar to be blown.  I believe it is not that distant.  Even so come, Lord Jesus!

Quote for the Week:  Don't put a question mark where God puts a period.