In this essay
prepared as part of his theology studies, Daniel Gullotta, takes a look
at the controversy, largely stirred up recently, by a number of films
over Jesus' alleged marriage to Mary Magdalene…
In recent times, claims of a relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene
have caught the attention of many. Ever since the popularity of Dan's
Brown the 'Da Vinci Code',
everyone it seems, has an opinion on the topic no matter what their academic
background or previous education on the subject. Jesus' relationship with
Mary Magdalene has always caught a certain amount of interest it would
seem, both past and present, with controversial works like 'The
Last Temptation of Christ' and James Cameron's 'The
Lost Tomb of Jesus'.
Yet the question remains, was Jesus really married
and if so does this change our faith or even Jesus' divinity. Why is it
so important to know and what difference does it make? While
many claim that this marriage was a cover up and later a church conspiracy,
many scholars have sought to seek more reliable answers on the topic.
This essay will look over the claims, along
with the historical evidence for and against the claims. It will also
list possible reasons for Jesus' celibacy and conclude without a doubt
that Jesus wasn't married.
The lack of evidence from Scripture…
First we must ask the question, is it possible for Jesus to be married
and even more so, married to Mary Magdalene? Being a first century marginal
Jew from Palestine, it is very likely Jesus was married at a young age
and by the time of his ministry (at approximately 30 years of age) he
would had a child, if not even children. Virtually every Jewish man in
Jesus' day did marry, especially those who were considered to be Rabbis,
in order to keep the family business, name and honour.
Marriage in first century Judaism was seen as a holy and sacred thing
— a way of praising God for the mysterious bond between man and woman
and the love which came from them. It also was a way of business for the
family, such as marrying a daughter into a rich family. While it would
have been odd for Jesus to remain single with such cultural, religious
and family influences, we must remember that Jesus was not required by
law — either governmental or religious — to marry[1].
While he was a normal Jew in many ways Jesus did teach, preach and practice
many unusual things, especially when it came to women. During his ministry,
Jesus developed close relationships with many women, some of the named
women include Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, Mary and Martha, all of
which helped and supported Jesus, some even financially[2].
It is true that Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a close relationship, but
marriage? According to the Christian Scriptures, The Gospels state that
Mary Magdalene was a follower of Jesus, and had seven demons removed from
her (Luke 8:2) and that she supported him
out of her own means, leaving many scholars with the thought that she
was wealthy (Luke 8:1-3). She is also among
the women who witnessed the death of Jesus on the cross (Mark
15:40) and after the crucifixion she was the first, or among the
first, to discover the empty tomb. Traditionally she is reputed to have
earned the title the 'apostle to the apostles' as it was her that Jesus
commissioned to go tell the apostles about the good news of his resurrection
(John 20:1-18)[3].
Over the centuries, the Church has linked her to the prostitute Mary who
anointed the head and feet of Jesus (Luke 7:36-50),
making her the model of repentance. Modern scholarship, however, disputes
this and sees it as a poor connection[4].
It is clear that the Scriptures hold no evidence to support a marriage
between Jesus and Mary Magdalene.
While one might think that a 'married Jesus' would have been an embarrassment
to the early church, one could not be more wrong. If Jesus did have a
wife she would have been a celebrated figure and given a title of great
honour, she would also have executed a great amount of authority within
the early church. This is clear because Jesus' brothers and sisters held
such positions during the early church. A prime example of this is James,
the brother of Jesus, being made the first bishop of the church[5].
As well as this Paul, when talking about marriage in his first letters
to the Corinthians, argues "Don't we have
the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles
and the Lord's brothers and Cephas (Peter)?" If Paul is
arguing the right to take a believing wife, wouldn't now be a good moment
to state something like "As Jesus our Lord
did" or any other time Paul mentions marriage? In the
Christians Scriptures there is no evidence to support the theory that
Jesus was married.
What evidence is there from non-canonical scriptural sources?
As there is clearly no evidence of a married Jesus within the canonical
gospels, the next question we raise is there any evidence of a married
Jesus within the non-canonical 'gospels'? Sadly most people have little
or no education on these texts and have no idea about the dates of these
texts, presuming them to be written at the same time as the other gospels.
This is simply not true as we know that these so-called gospels were written
in the second century and beyond. Most notable of these texts is "The
Gospel of Mary", in which Mary Magdalene is depicted as
having special knowledge of Jesus. Because of this she is blessed with
great wisdom, even more so than the other apostles. The text portrays
Jesus as loving Mary more then the others, and there are a few examples
of this:
Peter said to Mary, "Sister, we know that the Saviour
loved you more than other women." …The
Gospel of Mary, Section 15
Then Peter asked, "Did he really speak privately with
a woman and not openly to us? Are we to turn about and all listen to her?
Did he prefer her to us?" But Levi speaks up for Mary, "Peter,
you have always been hot-tempered. Now I see you contending against the
woman like the adversaries. But if the Saviour made her worthy, who are
you indeed to reject her? Surely the Saviour knows her very well. That
is why he loved her more than us." …The
Gospel of Mary, Section 18
Despite what some might think from reading such texts as these, or the
whole Gospel of Mary, there is nothing here to suggest that Jesus and
Mary were married. Jesus' love for Mary leads him to reveal special truth
to her, not to take her as his wife. In other texts such as The
Gospel of Peter, The Gospel
of Phillip and The Gospel of
Thomas (Go Google and read the texts for yourselves if
you wish), the dialogue may change and the narratives may differ but the
end result is always the same. They portray Mary just as she is in the
gospels, as a disciple of Jesus, not his wife[6].
Earlier this year we saw the release of the documentary, 'The
Lost Tomb of Jesus' produced by James Cameron and starring
investigative journalist Simcha Jacobovici. The controversial film theorized
that the Talipot Tomb, located five kilometres south of the Old City of
Jerusalem, was the burial place of Jesus of Nazareth and his family. The
argument followed that the ossuaries discovered included his wife, Mary
Magdalene, and their hidden son, Judah 7. Ian
Elmer has advanced strong arguments debunking these claims
in an earlier
commentary on Catholica.
It is clear that this idea of a secret holy family of Jesus is as outlandish
and ludicrous as the evidence used in their argument.
While it is clear that Jesus wasn't married it isn't clear
why
While it is clear that Jesus wasn't married it isn't clear why. Why did
he not do what was common for a Jewish man in his time of history to do?
The Christian Scriptures do not address this issue directly and all the
suggested motives behind Jesus' celibacy, both theological and historical,
are merely speculation. Some of the most popular views include…
- Jesus was celibate because he feared that if he did marry; his wife
and children would face persecution.
- Jesus' family couldn't marry him to someone because of there poor
social status.
- Jesus didn't marry because sex was sinful in his eyes.
- Jesus didn't marry because of the complications associated with his
fatherhood as he saw himself as the divine 'Son of Man'.
- Jesus was completely invested and committed to preaching the Kingdom
of God, thus wasn't married because it would distract him from his calling.
- Or maybe Jesus just never found 'the one'?[8]
While I do have my agreements with the problem facing a divine Jesus,
marrying and fathering with a mortal Mary Magdalene, for me Jesus ultimately
chooses to be celibate "for the sake of
the Kingdom of God". Jesus chose to devote his whole life
to proclaiming God's kingdom, so much that he gave up such responsibilities
like marriage and parenting, focusing on God's call for his life. In Jesus'
own words, the kingdom of God calls some people, including Jesus Himself,
to a wholehearted commitment and investment that precludes getting married.
To Jesus his life's goal was not to simply marry, have a family and work
for the rest of his life, Jesus' mission was
to call people to repentance and bring about the kingdom of God within
people's lives[9]. Yet it is true
that Jesus and Mary shared a very special relationship. Mary was a close
follower and friend of Jesus, who accompanied him on his journeys, helped
to support him financially, and learned from him. She remained by his
side in his suffering and death on the cross when his male disciples fell
away, but most amazingly was the first to see him after the resurrection,
and was the first person in history to announce to others the good news
that Jesus is risen[10]. I am positive that
Mary held, and even still holds a special place in his heart, not his
bed.
Who, then, is the "bride" of Christ…
But if not Mary, who then is this bride of Christ the scriptures continue
to speak about? In the Gospel of Mark, there is a story of when Jesus
is preaching and afterwards he is approached by his family and the crowd
tell him that they are there to see him and take him home. Jesus responds
asking, "Who are my mother and brothers?"
Yet amazingly, he doesn't look over to his natural family but rather,
he looks and points out his disciples, saying: "Here
are my mother and brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother
and sister and mother" (Mark 3:33-35).
While some would wish to tie Mary Magdalene's relationship to Jesus as
merely her filling the role of the wife, they overlook the intimacy she
experienced through Jesus' compassion, healing, learning, understanding
and love, all of which she experienced as a disciple.
The same intimacy and love we experience with Jesus compels us as well
to join Christ as his disciples and as disciples of Christ. We are, together,
the true and only bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:21-33)[11].
REFERENCES:
1. M Roberts, Was Jesus Married? A Careful
look at the Evidence, 2004
www.markdroberts.com/htmfiles/resources/jesusmarried.htm
2. P Goldburg, Reading the Bible: an introduction for students
(Women in the Bible), Social Science Press, 2003
3. D Caldwell, Was Jesus Married?, Beliefnet
www.beliefnet.com/story/127/story_12776_1.html
4. P Goldburg, Reading the Bible: an introduction for students (Women
in the Bible), Social Science Press, 2003
5. I Elmer, What If We Found the Lost Tomb of Jesus, Catholica,
2007
www.catholica.com.au/ianstake/038_it_190507.php
6. M Roberts, Was Jesus Married? A Careful
look at the Evidence, 2004
www.markdroberts.com/htmfiles/resources/jesusmarried.htm
7. I Elmer, What If We Found the Lost Tomb of Jesus, Catholica,
2007
www.catholica.com.au/ianstake/038_it_190507.php
8. M Roberts, Was Jesus Married? A Careful
look at the Evidence, 2004
www.markdroberts.com/htmfiles/resources/jesusmarried.htm
9. M Roberts, Was Jesus Married? A Careful
look at the Evidence, 2004
www.markdroberts.com/htmfiles/resources/jesusmarried.htm
10. P Goldburg, Reading the Bible: an introduction for students (Women
in the Bible), Social Science Press, 2003
11. M Roberts, Was Jesus Married? A Careful
look at the Evidence, 2004
www.markdroberts.com/htmfiles/resources/jesusmarried.htm
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Daniel
Gullotta is a student at ACU National, studying a Bachelor’s
degree in Theology.
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What are your thoughts on Daniel's essay? You can contribute to the discussion
in our forum.
©2007
Daniel Gullotta
[Index of Commentaries
by Daniel]
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