It’s Easter weekend as I write this, so just a few thoughts:
The Bible makes not one reference to the disciples having children, and only one suggestion to any of them ever having married – Peter, with just one story of a mother-in-law, though it is open to debate that she was this to one of his siblings.
Because having a woman and a warren of kids in those times was considered the usual state of affairs, many – especially the church – have (conveniently) assumed they were all married and had been at it like rabbits. But as nobody who wrote about those times thought to mention any of these numerous people, not even those closely involved as in the gospels, that’s one mighty huge assumption, isn’t it?
We do know from the Bible that Paul was not attracted to women, though he says he understood that some needed to be for necessary procreation. John did little else than stay by Jesus’ side. The youngest, he was always to be found there, and there are many references to their closeness – five of them specifically saying that he was the disciple Jesus loved.
One of them: (John 13:23) “Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.” is reproduced in many artistic works.
John was also the only disciple that remained with Jesus at the cross on Calvary, and we should never forget this is where: (John 19:26-27) “Jesus saw his own mother, and the disciple standing near whom he loved, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold your son’. Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother’. And from that hour, he took his mother into his family.”
If that isn’t in other words: “Meet my significant other, mum, he’ll look after you,” then I don’t know what it is! Of all the disciples, John was the least capable of looking after anybody, so this was undoubtedly a family commitment. It is taken for granted in the Bible that Jesus loved everybody, so when a specific love is mentioned it has to have a much greater importance.
There is another that Jesus is named in the Bible specifically to have loved: Lazarus. Of the youth it is written: (John 11: 3). “So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
In a time when death came so easily, for Jesus to turn back, and at the risk of receiving a stoning, arrive there to raise the kid four days after he had died, in my book makes that some pretty damn meaningful love! Chances are, he would have passed close to other dead, dying, or sick people on his route there, but of all of them this was the one that just had to be saved.
Gay, and having a bad time correlating that to your religion? Don’t blame being gay; blame your religion! It is that which needs saving!
In the King James Authorized Bible there are 783,137 words. It’s quite a lot, but you need only remember a few: LOVE RULES, OK!
Happy Easter!
